Mario Acevedo & Shari Caudron at the book awards.
Last night, in a ballroom overfilled with writers who were perhaps too excited to have a reason to wear more than PJs or jeans, I spotted only one man-in-a-kilt. (Thanks for the gin and tonic, Marc!) Shari Caudron seemed genuinely surprised to be awarded the Colorado Book Award for narrative nonfiction, despite the fact that I had a vision that predicted it. (Which, sure, was later confirmed by a tipoff, but still...) She killed with a reading from Who Are You People? and passed on the love to her "home" at LH. Shucks, Shari. You're the best. (I have to get something off my chest, though. It's Shari Co-dron. Like Co-op, or co-conspirator, or co-defendant. Codependent! Not "caw" like what a bird does. Unless I've been wrong for eight years, which wouldn't be unprecedented.) See full list of winners here.
Mario Acevedo was honored with a finalist nod for the first in his Chicano vampire trilogy (but you'll have entries for the next several years, Mario, with your hyperprolific ways. I dare them not to award you with it eventually). Besides, he got a feature here last week--so by definition wins nonetheless. Still scratching my head about the idea of an army reservist sent to Iraq "to make art." There was such a thing? Can anyone elaborate? The more I'm in the world, the more confused I get. Congrats, you two, and friends at Ghost Road Pressfor winning in the anthology category. And to excellent poet David Keplinger for The Prayers of Others.
