By Today’s Flyover People column as seen in The Emporia Gazette:
KANSAS NOTABLE BOOK AWARDS
Writers sit alone at their desks and tap words into a computer. But that solitary life and hard work pays off for the author when he or she publishes a book.
For the authors of 15 Kansas books, their efforts have paid off well. The list of winners of the 2010 Kansas Notable Book Awards, the state’s top prize for writing, was announced in July.
On September 10 in the old Kansas Supreme Court Room in the Capitol building, those authors received medallions. I attended the ceremony and also talked to a few of the people involved with the notable books program.
Roy Bird, director of the Kansas Center for the Book, and Joanne Budler, State Librarian, handed out the awards to authors of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
Kevin Rabas, who teaches creative writing at Emporia State University, was one of the authors receiving a bronze medal for his book, “Lisa’s Flying Electric Piano.”
When introducing Rabas, Roy Bird held up a copy of “Lisa’s Flying Electric Piano,” and said, “Denise (Low, former Kansas Poet Laureate) was impressed with this poetry. I was impressed with this poetry. I’m very pleased to have Kevin Rabas as one of our Notable Book authors.”
For a book to be considered for the award, it has to have been published in the previous year and be written by a Kansan, or be about Kansas.
Although this year’s winners fell into a well-balanced variety of genres and reading audiences, that’s not something the 11-member selection committee necessarily strives for.
Budler said that they don’t want to have to be locked into finding a book for each category, “We take advantage of the talent that is available that year.”
“We’re looking for books that are truly outstanding,” Bird said.
Cindy Roupe, Director for Public Services with the State Library, serves as coordinator for the Notable Books committee. Roupe said the committee began the process with about 150 titles.
Bird said he tries to include every eligible book in order “to make the committee’s job as hard as I can.”
Roupe seeks out Kansas books and Kansas authors as well. She finds them from online sources and through recommendations from librarians, booksellers and others.
During the evaluation process, the committee (which is made up of librarians, publishers or members of the media, booksellers, and previous notable book winners) discusses the books about every three weeks, usually online or by video conference.
“Some books fall off and others rise up,” Roupe said, telling me that the committee narrowed the list from 150 to 25. That list of 25 was then given to the state librarian whose job it was to select the final 15.
Kansas mystery writer Nancy Pickard, who won the Notable Book Award in 2008, was the speaker at this year’s awards ceremony.
Pickard told the gathering that the Kansas Notable Book Award is a big deal. For the winners it will mean increased sales and a better chance that their next book will be published. And, she said, on days when writing is not going well for those authors, they can look at that medallion and remember that they have already been successful. And realize that they can be again.
Even as an accomplished author, Pickard herself sometimes faces the challenges of writing. It helps her to recall those past successes. Raising her medal, she said with a smile, “There are days I want to wear this to the grocery store.”
Pickard told the award recipients, “It has enriched my life. I hope it enriches yours. It makes me very proud to have been honored by my own state.”
I asked Kevin Rabas his thoughts on winning the award. He said, “The best thing is getting to talk about poetry, to be an advocate, and to show that good poetry is being made in Kansas.”
The complete 2010 Notable Books List can be found at www.kcfb.info.
Copyright 2010 ~ Cheryl Unruh
(I like that Kevin has ink on his hands. Poetry at work.)