Congratulations, Steve!

At last it can be revealed: Stephen D. Gutierrez has won an American Book Award for Live from Fresno y Los. The entire list is as follows:

Amiri Baraka, Digging: The Afro-American Soul of American Classical Music University of California Press)

Sherwin Bitsui, Flood Song (Copper Canyon Press)

Nancy Carnevale, A New Language, A New World: Italian Immigrants in the United States, 1890-1945 (University of Illinois Press)

Dave Eggers, Zeitoun (McSweeney’s/Vintage)

Sesshu Foster, World Ball Notebook (City Lights)

Stephen D. Gutierrez, Live from Fresno y Los (Bear Star Press)

Victor Lavalle, The Big Machine (Spiegel & Grau)

François Mandeville, This Is What They Say, translated from the Chipewyan by Ron Scollon (University of Washington Press)

Bich Minh Nguyen, Short Girls (Viking)

Franklin Rosemont and Robin D.G. Kelley, editors, Black, Brown & Beige: Surrealist Writings from Africa and the Diaspora (University of Texas)

Jerome Rothenberg and Jeffrey C. Robinson, editors, Poems for the Millennium: Volume Three: The University of California Book of Romantic & Postromantic Poetry (University of California Press)

Kathryn Waddell Takara, Pacific Raven: Hawai`i Poems (Pacific Raven Press)

Pamela Uschuk, Crazy Love: New Poems (Wings Press)

Lifetime Achievement:

Quincy Troupe

Katha Pollitt

***

From the press release:
"The American Book Awards were created to provide recognition for outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America's diverse literary community. The purpose of the awards is to recognize literary excellence without limitations or restrictions. There are no categories, no nominees,and therefore no losers. The award winners range from well-known and established writers to underrecognized authors and first works. There are no quotas for diversity, the winners list simply reflects it as a natural process. The Before Columbus Foundation views American culture as inclusive and has always considered the term “multicultural” to be not a description of various categories, groups, or “special interests,” but rather as the definition of all of American literature. The Awards are not bestowed by an industry organization, but rather are a writers’ award given by other writers."

The awards ceremony will be on Sunday, September 19th, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Main Library, 100 Larkin Street (at Grove), San Francisco, CA. A reception will take place following the ceremony. This event is open to the public. For more information, call (510) 642-7321.

See you there!

Excitement in the 'hood

Bearnice (the press logo bear) is doing a happier jig than usual, and it’s not because someone heated up a piece of tin for her to jump around on or prodded her big hairy backside. No, she’s extremely pleased to have recently learned one of the authors here has received an American Book Award. The news isn’t official yet, but we will link to it as soon as we can.

Speaking of links, Cohasset finally has high-speed internet—insert vuvuzela chorus here—or at least higher speed. Fact-checking, blog-reading, YouTubing, etc., has never been easier. And watching old episodes of 30 Rock on lazy days more tempting than ever.

Have you seen this? http://brightcove.newscientist.com/services/player/bcpid96978243001?bctid=221111468001
Simply mesmerizing. But after a while questions arise. What to make of the fact that large portions of the Midwest and East seem permanently sad? Or that Oregon is less happy than Washington and California? Most perplexing, how is it possible that California’s mood remains one of the highest in the nation despite the myriad ways this state is failing its citizens? Is it our generally warmer clime? The quality of our wine and weed? The vast number of people practicing yoga, zen, and veganism? Or simply that the homeless don’t tweet?