Wanting It

[susanstinson]

All three of the novels that Firebrand published this year have been nominated for Lambda Literary Awards.

That's Dish It Up, Baby
Crybaby Butch
(which I read not long ago and got all stirred up about. It's got a lot of toughness and beauty and went deep into butch identity and power and sex and reading and mourning. It's lingering with me.)
and mine, Venus of Chalk.

So, first the novel was suggested to be nominated -- by many of you -- thanks again. And now it's on the list of nominated books. Then they choose five finalists, and then there is a winner, announced in June in New York City at a big dinner awards ceremony. I'm picturing a whole table of fatshionistas, rocking the queer literary world. Somebody would teach me how to measure correctly, and I would finally get a strapless bra for the occasion. (A fat girl can dream, can't she?)

You know, I've judged literary awards and prizes. I know that there are lots of variables (including the judges' moods, health and sheer reading fatigue) that influence these choices, and that, even under ideal conditions, they can be pretty arbitrary. Sometimes I think the choices are great and sometimes I've thought that they were biased, bland or insensitive. There's no money that comes with this. But my beloved books have never been among the finalists, and it would make me very deliciously happy if this one were. It would be even more fun to be on these lists with friends. So, knocking on wood, fingers crossed, and don't forget to get your black-eyed peas now to eat for prosperity on New Year's Day. (I've just learned that collard greens are for health and cornbread is for happiness, too.)

Comments

[slantedtruth.livejournal.com]

congratulations susan! what wonderful news!
will keep my fingers crossed- and eat those black-eyed peas!

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Just seeing Alligator Girl in my comments is an award in itself.

[beatgoddess.livejournal.com]

I am sooo proud of you! Hells yes, if you want it, there will be a strapless bra with your name on it; there are a few places I found at the Fetish Fair Flea that could assist in said garment. I could find their contact info easily for you. Try to avoid the bra shop off of Main Street; I went in the other day to see if I could be sized and it was uh, comic.

I support your findings, also. Collard greens have more calcium, iron, and other good stuff in 'em that I can't imagine anything else that could be more healthy; cornbread sure makes me squeal with happy glee! xo

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Oh! Oo! It's too soon to start measuring -- I have bite the bullet, enter my receipts, and face the facts about my financial situation before making another purchase -- but you know, it would be kind of perfect if I can swing it to get black strapless bra after the finalists are announced, whether or not I'm on there.

I've actually been thinking about trying that bra shop again, although the last time I was in there a few years ago lingerie shopping with a friend, the only things that they had that even approached my size were a few long flannel-lined nightgowns in the back. They advertise that they have bras for every size, but guess they just don't mean it. Sorry to hear about the comic fitting episode.

[beatgoddess.livejournal.com]

I really support all the amazing work they do for survivors of breast cancer, and for that I applaud them. There are just a few things that make me less able to shop there. Their lingerie and foundation garment choices really don't appeal to my sense of taste, particularly so in the last few years. More significant to my resistance is my unwillingness to be girlified while shopping or getting fitted for a foundation garment; the counterperson was a wee little flustered when I asked which sales associate had experience properly treating and fitting fat, trans people. She said, "either of the owners have experience with...trans." I couldn't stop giggling.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

I bet that's a seriously tough environment for not being girlified.

[beatgoddess.livejournal.com]

True dat.

[beccawrites.livejournal.com]

congratulations!

that's great. you deserve it.

and the bra too! :)

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

I totally picture yours when I imagine what might be possible.

[pitbull-poet.livejournal.com]

Congrats. The Lammies are an inexplicable big deal. I so wanted Exile and Pride to be a finalist. It's knida embarrassing how much I wanted this, and yet the book wasn't even nominated, and I often don't agree with the choices the judges make, and it seems like a popularity contest, and yet the Lammies are a big deal. All that said, Venus of Chalk is good, full of the kind of detail that reminds me of poetry. It's a book that deserves recognition. Congrats again.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

Thanks a lot, especially for the good words about the book. I know, they really are inexplicable and a big deal, both. In principle, I do think it's possible for us to figure out ways to celebrate and honor and help get each other's work more into the general conversation without that queasy winning and losing thing, and there are so clearly ways in which biases in the larger culture continue to affect which books get attention within queer publishing. And, still. I do want it, yep, so much as to be embarrassing, and my feelings were hurt when my earlier books were completely passed by. It's that -- hey! what? the queers don't want my work, either? -- feeling. Still, it's a beautiful thing for the books that get honored, and it helps queer writers sustain their work, and I really do think that having been in that position of helping choose things (for instance, I judged Astraea -- can never spell that -- one year) will help me keep perspective, no matter what. That, and -- for me -- the (could it really be possible?) dream of a black, long-line, strapless bra that actually fit and also worked...

[fattest.livejournal.com]

Fabulous!!! And ooo, I can't wait to see you in that strapless.

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

All the more reason... if I really manage to get one, I'll bring it when I come to the West coast in March!

[fattest.livejournal.com]

woo hoo!

[ericaceous.livejournal.com]

woo hoo! That is so exciting!

Sturgeon and I have black eyed peas in our freezer. NOw all we ahve to remember to is eat em on the right day!

[susanstinson.livejournal.com]

New Year's Day! Don't forget! But you're already ahead of me -- I think I'm out...