Denver authors honored as finalists at the 25th annual Lambda Literary Awards
The beautiful city of Denver is known for a truly great many things. From proximity to the stunning Rocky Mountains, to food and beer snobbery and high–profile museums, Denver is quickly finding itself on the national cultural map.
It’s no wonder, then, that many of this beautiful city’s residents live in a constant state of awe, inspiration, and creativity; some of the nation’s, or perhaps the world’s, most imaginative minds reside in the “Mile High.” And among those are some brilliant LGBTQ authors, Matt Kailey, Jerry Wheeler, Lukas Hand, and Sean Eads, all of whom are being honored and celebrated as finalists at this year’s Lambda Literary Awards.
Now in its 25th year, the Lambda Literary Awards (known affectionately as the “Lammys”) seeks to distinguish the best of the best of the year’s LGBTQ fiction and nonfiction writers. The award ceremony recognizes a broad range of works that explore queer themes, honoring genres such as “Gay Erotica,” “Gay Poetry,” “LGBT Young Adult Literature,” and “Transgender Fiction.”
“It’s always a tremendous honor to be recognized by the Lambda Literary Foundation, which is the highest honor awarded to authors of GLBTQ literature,” said Hand, who is nominated for his seductive and smoldering work, Coming To: A Collection of Erotic and Other Epiphanies.
Indeed, to be a finalist for the Lammys is to count yourself among many truly unforgettable LGBTQ authors and books. Some of the previous works recognized include Tony Kushner’s Angels in America, Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues, Sarah Waters’ Tipping the Velvet, and Scott Heim’s We Disappear.
And no stranger to the honor that is the Lambda Literary Awards, Hand, Wheeler, and Kailey have been selected as finalists for prior works.“I’m thrilled to be a finalist,” said Wheeler, whose book, Strawberries and Other Erotic Fruits, is up for the award for “Best Gay Erotica.” He was previously a finalist in the same category with Tented: Gay Male Erotica from Under the Big Top.
“It’s great validation for what is a very solitary occupation. And the winner is chosen by other writers, so the peer recognition factor is also something to be excited about. But even being a finalist is wonderful encouragement.”
It could be said “encouragement,” and affirmation, run as themes of Kailey’s “Transgender Nonfiction” finalist title Teeny Weenies. The book is a collection of intimate, sometimes hilarious, and always endearing essays about transitioning. Denver resident Kailey is a nationally known activist for the transgender community, and recently became a pioneer professor upon offering one of the country’s first college courses dedicated specifically to trans* history and the trans* experience at Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Kailey’s first book, Just Add Hormones, was also up for a Lambda Literary Award in 2006. Though he did not take home the honor, the book won him much acclaim by (and friendship of) Chaz Bono.
Like Kailey, Sean Eads is an academic type, boasting two Master’s degrees in literature and library sciences. His science fiction book The Survivors, and chronicling what could be described as an alien “attack” by the culturally heedless and lazy, has been called “imaginative, funny, and ultimately frightening” by Lambda Literary alum Lee Thomas.
The Survivors is hoping to snag the award for the best in “LGBT Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.”
In addition to celebrating the four Denver finalists, and the many other great writers nominated in each category, the 25th annual Lammys, held tonight (June 3rd), will feature special honorees Augusten Burroughs, John Irving and Cherrie Moraga, Master of Ceremonies Kate Clinton, and appearances by Janis Ian, Justin Vivian Bond, Mike Ruiz, and Nina Hartley.
Win or lose, the Lambda Literary Awards promises an enjoyable night to be had by all.Or, according to Hand, “It’s just a terrific reason to come to New York!”
