Lammy Finalists, etc.

1. Not quite a cover girl

Got my printed catalog for the Fine Arts Work Center's summer program today. There I am, on the inside front cover, right next to Hunter O'Hanian's signature. Je suis arrivée. Or, uh, something. Anyway, I'm sure they will send you a catalog if you write to them and ask for one, and then you too can gigglesnort at me in my oh-so-touristy aloha shirt trying to look all writerly in that comfy Adirondack chair in the FAWC courtyard. (I was scribbling in my journal and waiting for the caffeine to kick in, is what I was doing.)

2. Lambda Literary Award Finalists

The list of 2005 Lammy finalists came out today. (For those who may be out of this particular loop, they're awards for GLBT literature, in a bunch of different categories, awarded by the Lambda Literary Foundation. The awards ceremony is in May.)

Finalists in poetry:

Gay Men's Poetry
School of the Arts by Mark Doty (HarperCollins)
For Dust Thou Art by Timothy Liu (Southern Illinois)
Sugar by Martin Pousson (Suspect Thoughts)
Crush by Richard Siken (Yale)
Blue on Blue Ground by Aaron Smith (Pittsburgh)

Lesbian Poetry
Where the Apple Falls by Samiya Bashir (redbone press)
Directed by Desire: Collected Poems by June Jordan (Copper Canyon)
Life Mask by Jackie Kay (Bloodaxe Books)
New and Selected Poems, Volume II by Mary Oliver (Beacon Press)
Eye of Water by Amber Flora Thomas (Pittsburgh)

There are a few people here I don't know. Never heard of Martin Pousson; anyone know him? Samiya Bashir's name sounds familiar, but I can't think where I might have heard of her; same for Jackie Kay. I'm not familiar with Amber Flora Thomas, but looking her up on amazon.com I see that she won the Cave Canem prize in 2004, and has blurbs from no less than Yusef Komunyakaa, Carl Phillips, and Molly Peacock. Her book also has a really gorgeous cover. Looks worth checking out.

If anyone hasn't seen the full list of nominees in all categories and wants it, either comment with your email, or backchannel me, and I'll be happy to forward it along.