The Midwife's Tale
Dial Press, April, 2003; ISBN 0385335512
Appalachian Book of the Year Award
The Appalachian Writers Association now calls on its members to nominate books for the Appalachian Book of the Year Awards to be presented during our 2004 conference. We accept nominations in four categories: poetry, fiction, nonfiction prose, and children's literature. There must be at least five nominations in any given category for there to be an award in that category. In order to be eligible, the nominated book must have been first published in calendar year 2004. Only current AWA members may make nominations; we close nominations on March 15, 2005. The Appalachian Writers Association will proudly present its nominees as we receive them.
Past Titles that Have Won the AWA Appalachian Book of the Year Award:
During the 2003 AWA Conference, members
agreed that we would expand the number of awards to honor
specific genres. We
now offer categories of fiction, nonfiction prose, poetry, and children's
literature.
Fiction Award for Book Published in 2003:
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Gretchen Laskas The Midwife's Tale Dial Press, April, 2003; ISBN 0385335512 |
Ms. Laskas was not able to attend our conference this year, but she has sent the following note:
Ten years ago, when I knew I was a writer but no one else seemed to think so, I came to the AWA's conference. I remember being scared to death--I was only twenty-four and had never been to a writers conference. Pat Shirley took me under her wing and introduced me to everyone. I remember sitting across the table from Sharyn McCrumb, gaping like a fish. There had been so few writers in my life, that seeing one in person was still the greatest thrill.
That night, when it had been announced that I'd won the fiction prize for a short story by an author under thirty, someone (I wish I knew who!) told me, "We will expect big things from you." In all the years I wrote and began to publish, I have never forgotten that statement, taking it as part challenge and pure encouragement. And so, I am grateful for this moment, where I feel that I have, in a small way, through my novel The Midwife's Tale made good on a promise I made with you years ago, as you gave me support when I needed it most.
Other novels and short story collections nominated in this category were Steven R. Cope's The Book of Saws: Fables & Tales, Lanette Depew's A Bridge Spanning Time, Pamela Duncan's Plant Life, Lila Hopkins' Strike a Golden Chord, Robert Morgan's Brave Enemies, Charles F. Price's Where the Water-Dogs Laughed: The Story of the Great Bear, and Bob Sloan's Bearskin to Holly Fork: Stories from Appalachia.
Nonfiction Award for Book Published in 2003:
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Linda Scott DeRosier Songs of Life and Grace University of Kentucky Press, September 2003; ISBN 0813122767 |
Other nominations in this category were Listen Here: Women Writing in Appalachia by Sandra L. Ballard and Patricia L. Hudson, Gum-Dipped: A Daughter Remembers Rubber Town by Joyce Dyer, Fear Faith Fact Fantasy by John Henderson, Spirits in the Field: An Appalachian Family History by Bruce Hopkins, Until He Is Dead: Capital Punishment in Western North Carolina History by Tom Rusher, and Mountain Holiness: A Photographic Narrative by Deborah Vensau McCaulay and Laura E. Porter.
Poetry Award for Book Published in 2003:
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Richard Hague Alive in Hard Country Bottom Dog Press, October 2003; ISBN 0933087837 |
Other poetry collections nominated for this category were Ann Cobb's Kinfolks & Other Selected Poems (edited by Jeff Daniel Marion), Dianne Gilliam Fisher's One of Everything, Leatha Kendrick's Science in Your Own Backyard, Edwina Pendarvis' Like the Mountains of China, Charles Semones' Afternoon in the Country of Summer.
Previous Appalachian Book of the Year Award Winners
During our July 2003 conference, the Appalachian Writers Association announced a tie in its Appalachian Book of the Year Award. The recipients of the award are Jeff Daniel Marion's Ebbing & Flowing Springs: New and Selected Poems and Prose, 1976-2001 and Ron Rash's One Foot in Eden.
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Jeff Daniel Marion Ebbing & Flowing Springs: New and Selected Poems and Prose, 1976-2001 Celtic Cat Publishing, July 2002; ISBN: 0965895033 |
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Ron Rash One Foot in Eden Novello Festival Press, October 2002; ISBN: 0970897251 |
The other distinguished books nominated for Appalachian Book of the Year 2002 were Silas House's A Parchment of Leaves, Stephen Marion's Hollow Ground: A Novel, Byron Herbert Reece's Fable in the Blood: The Selected Poems of Byron Herbert Reece (edited by Jim Clark), Frankie Schelly's Chance Place, and Isabel Zuber's Salt.
During our July 2002 conference, the Appalachian Writers Association designated James Still's From the Mountain, From the Valley: New and Collected Poems as recipient of our Appalachian Book of the Year Award.
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James Still (edited by Ted Olson) From the Mountain, From the Valley: New and Collected Poems University Press of Kentucky, June 2001; ISBN 081312199X |
The other distinguished books nominated for Appalachian Book of the Year 2001 were Patrick Bone's A Melungeon Winter, Silas House's Clay's Quilt, Doug McGuinn's Apple Indians: A Novel, Robert Morgan's This Rock, and Jack R. Pyle's Black Horse, White Rider.
During our July 2001 conference, the Appalachian Writers Association selected Gary N. Cardin's Mason Jars in the Flood and Other Stories as recipient of our Appalachian Book of the Year Award.
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Gary N. Carden Mason Jars in the Flood and Other Stories Parkway Publications, May 2000; ISBN 1887905227 |
The other worthy books nominated for Appalachian Book of the Year 2000 were Steve Brown's Black Fire, Wilford Corbin's A World Apart: My Life among the Eskimos of Alaska, Tony Earley's Jim the Boy, Elaine Fowler Palencia's Brier Country: Stories from Blue Valley, and Ron Rash's Among the Believers.
During our July 2000 conference, the Appalachian Writers Association recognized Robert Morgan's Gap Creek: A Novel as recipient of our Appalachian Book of the Year Award.
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Robert Morgan Gap Creek: A Novel Algonquin Books, October 1999; ISBN 1565122968 |
The other noteworthy books nominated for Appalachian Book of the Year 1999 were Fred Chappell's Look Back All the Green Valley, Linda Scott DeRosier's Creeker: A Woman's Journey, David Hunter's The Dancing Savior, Loyal Jones' Faith and Meaning in the Southern Uplands, and Karen Slayer McElmurray's Strange Birds in the Tree of Heaven.
In July 1999, for the first time our panel of judges determined a tie in the Appalachian Book of the Year Award.
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Joyce Dyer Bloodroot: Reflections on Place by Appalachian Women Writers University Press of Kentucky, 1998; ISBN: 0813109833 |
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Jack R. Pyle The Sound of Distant Thunder Aacorn Books, November 1998; ISBN 096636662X |
Past distinguished works presented the Appalachian Book of the Year Award are as follows:
1998 Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier 1997 Seizures of the Sun by Meshach McLachlan 1996 Appalachia Inside Out by Jack Higgs, Jim Wayne Miller, and Ambrose Manning 1995 Mountains of the Heart by Scott Weidensaul 1994 Catalpa by George Ella Lyon 1993 The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter by Sharyn McCrumb 1992 A Sheltered Life by Harry Dean 1991 Lord of Springs by Bennie Lee Sinclair 1990 Newfound by Jim Wayne Miller 1989 Fair And Tender Ladies by Lee Smith 1988 Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina 1987 Wolfpen Poems by James Still