Don’t expect to see David Leavitt and Edmund White at the queer publishing awards

UPDATED: It’s red carpet season for the queer book industry. Both the Lambda Literary Foundation and the Publishing Triangle will give out awards to the most notable GLBT books published in 2007. But don’t expect designer-clad celebrities, ravenous paparazzi, lavish after parties, or a red carpet for that matter. Still despite the lack of glamour, both Lambda and Triangle bring attention to authors and writing (especially books by smaller publishers) that many may have overlooked. The ceremonies may be staid, but the works they represent are stellar – even if books by two of the best known queer-lit icons – David Leavitt and Edmund White – aren’t nominated.
Here’s a shortlist of some of the nominated authors worth checking out.

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Among Other Things, I’ve Taken Up Smoking

Aoibheann Sweeney

(The Penguin Press)

I’m happy to see Sweeney as a finalist for Lambda’s Lesbian Debut Fiction. Mitch Marr reviewed Sweeney’s debut novel a few months ago.

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Freak Show

James St. James

(Dutton Children’s/Penguin)

A finalist for Lambda’s Gay Debut Fiction, ‘Freak Show’ is James St. James first foray into young adult fiction. If his novel is anything like ‘Disco Blood Bath‘ (which would later become the cult-fav Party Monster), I worry for the mental state of our young readers.

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The Faith Healer of Olive Avenue

Manuel Muñoz

(Algonquin)

Muñoz is an amazing writer and a dear friend, so I’m glad to see his name on Lambda’s finalists for Men’s Fiction. I interviewed Muñoz back in 2007.

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Call Me By Your Name

André Aciman

(Farrar Straus Giroux)

Nominated for both the Lambda Men’s Fiction Award and Triangle’s Ferro-Grumley Award for fiction, Aciman is certainly an author worth checking out. Read about him on BookSlut.

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Mississippi Sissy

Kevin Sessums

(St. Martin’s Press)

He is nominated in Lambda’s Men’s Memoir/Biography category. You can read more about Sessums on Towelroad.

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Michael Tolliver Lives

Armistead Maupin

(HarperCollins)

The Tales from the City author is also nominated for Triangle’s Ferro-Grumley Award. Wonder if Laura Linney would star as Mary Ann Singleton again in a movie remake? I used this cover, b/c the American cover is so foul — I couldn’t stand to look at it.

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Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You

Peter Cameron

(Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Another Ferro-Grumley nominee this is Cameron’s coming of age novel that deals with a young man struggling to shape his identity amidst the swirling New York art scene. has The novel has been called by some a “21st century Catcher In The Rye.” Cameron is pretty hot too, for an older dude (not that I’m into that (wink)).

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Tales from the Town of Widows

James Cañón

(Harper Perennial)

Cañón’s beautiful debut novel is a finalist for the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction and a Lambda Literary Award. Read the first chapter here.

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Interestingly enough, Edmund White’s two books Chaos and Hotel De Dream were both snubbed by Lambda and The Publishing Triangle. Not to mention The Lost Language of Cranes author David Leavitt’s The Indian Clerk. What’s that about?

• Queer Lit Boy Tart {homo-neurotic}
• Numerical Exchange {homo-neurotic}

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