Novelist Susan Straight and nonfiction author Mike Davis have both received 2007 Lannan Literary Awards, which come with $150,000 prizes. “This will allow me to take time off from teaching to finish my new novel, the second in a trilogy about slavery and its legacy, motherhood and love,” Straight says. The Lannan website says Davis is working on a book about climate change, water, and power in the U.S. West and northern Mexico.
[via TEV]
From CaliforniaAuthors editor Donna Wares, Great Escapes: Southern California is a collection of exceptional road trips with suggestions for the perfect books to take along. Highlights include first-person passages from Pico Iyer, T. Jefferson Parker, Judith Freeman, Veronique de Turenne and other great guides, plus cover images by renown photographer Rick Rickman. Learn more at Donna’s SoCal So Cool blog or buy yours here
It took a remarkable outpouring of generosity to make My California: Journeys by Great Writers a reality. This anthology of travel and adventure stories donated by 27 of California’s most talented writers benefits the beleaguered California Arts Council and writing programs for children statewide. Learn more about the project and author events at mycaliforniaproject.org or buy the book here.
Meet the authors of the California Authors Directory. Visit the directory to discover writers like Christina Meldrum, a Bay Area attorney whose book Madapple was just released this month. “In debut novelist Christina Meldrum's mesmerizing literary mystery, Madapple (Knopf), the worlds of science and faith collide," says Vanity Fair. Learn more and make the connection with Christina and other exciting California talents in our author directory.
You can shop online from your local independent booksellers. Click to find a store near you.