Ian Frazier wins Thurber Prize!

Ian Frazier became the first two-time winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor on Monday, October 5. Frazier was the first recipient of the Thurber Prize in 1997 for Coyote vs. Acme. He won this year for his novel, Lamentations of the Father. The award reception, hosted by Alan Zweibel (2006 Thurber Prize Winner for his novel, The Other Shulman) was held in the Algonuin Hotel in New York City.

Finalists for the 2009 Thurber Prize included Sloane Crosley for her first novel, I Was Told There’d Be Cake, Don Lee’s hilarious, Wrack and Ruin, and Laurie Notaro’s must read, The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death.

And the Winners Are…

The 2009 Columbus Literary Award winners have been announced! Sponsored by the Greater Columbus Arts Council and administered by Thurber House, the biennial Columbus Literary Awards recognize the most outstanding literary works produced by Franklin County writers in the genres of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

The 2009 winners are:

• POETRY: David Culwell. Culwell received the 2008 Thomas Merton Price for Poetry of the Sacred. He has published several poems and works of fiction.
• FICTION: Jaime Lee Moyer. Though her poetry has been nominated for the Rhysling Award the past three years, Moyer won the Columbus Literary Award for her work, Delia’s Shadow.
• NONFICTION: Stephanie Harrison. Editor of the anthology Adaptations: From Short Story to Big Screen, Harrison has published several articles and short works of fiction in many journals, including Poets & Writers magazine.

All three winners will be celebrated at a reception and reading of their works on Wednesday, October 14, at 5:30 p.m. at Thurber Center, next door to Thurber House. The event is free, but reservations must be made by Monday, October 12. To RSVP, call Anne Touvell, (614) 464-1032 x10.

For more about the Columbus Literary Awards, visit www.thurberhouse.org