RALEIGH – Devilish magic, a pilgrim’s journey, and the rough-and-tumble world of North Carolina politics are among winning subjects of books honored with the 2008 North Carolina Book Awards, which will be presented on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Raleigh. The joint meeting of the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association and the Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies will convene in afternoon and evening sessions at the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel.
Rob Christensen exposes many surprises in “The Paradox of Tar Heel Politics,” an examination of a century of North Carolina politics. The title receives the Ragan Old North State Award for Nonfiction. It introduces remarkable characters, including a U.S. Senator who was a Nazi sympathizer, a gubernatorial candidate who was a Soviet agent, and a senator who helped bring down Joe McCarthy and Richard Nixon. Christensen answers the question of how one state could be represented by Jesse Helms and John Edwards at the same time. North Carolina was intensely divided long before talk of red states or blue states, but Christensen helps readers make sense of it all.
“Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician” by Daniel Wallace, receives the Sir Walter Award for Fiction, and is a fanciful tale of Henry Walker’s deal with the devil to win mastery of illusion and magic. Mr. Sebastian teaches the magic, and in the process Walker makes his sister disappear and cannot reclaim her, and has other real and surreal experiences. Author Daniel Wallace also wrote “Big Fish” which was made into a movie, and this tale too weaves a sleight of hand as to what is or is not real in a world of tricksters and duality.
Michael Chitwood takes readers on a spiritual journey in “Spill” his sixth book of poetry, which receives the Roanoke-Chowan Award for Poetry. Grounded in an airport terminal with a broken down church van, Chitwood starts a journey of pious certainty, continues in a search for holiness in the terrestrial, and ends with a contemplative examination of the course of life and the wisdom of the journey. Chitwood’s common tongue and thoughtful dialogue will engage many readers.
“About Habitats: Wetlands” by Cathryn Sill teaches children what wetlands are in simple, easy to understand language, and receives the American Association of University Women Award for Juvenile Literature. The plants and animals that live in wetlands are beautifully detailed by Sill’s husband, noted wildlife illustrator John Sill. In addition to explaining how wetlands help maintain the balance in the environment, the book includes a glossary and afterword with many fascinating details.
John Haley of Wilmington receives the Christopher Crittenden Memorial Award for contributions to North Carolina history. John Ehle of Winston-Salem receives the R. Hunt Parker Memorial Award for lifetime literary achievement.
The Phoenix Society for African American Research in Tarboro and the Greensboro Historical Museum are recipients of the Albert Ray Newsome Award presented by the Federation of North Carolina Historical Societies.
The 2008 Student Publication Awards in the High School Division will be presented to Stone Soup, Enloe High School, Raleigh, first place; Roars and Whispers, Providence High School, Charlotte, second place; The Pegasus, Myers Park High School, Charlotte, third place; and Blutopia, Gaston Day School, Gastonia, honorable mention.
The Middle School Division awards will be presented to Illusions, Martin Middle School, Raleigh, first place; S.M.O.R.S., Smith Middle School, Chapel Hill, and The Tiger’s Den, Randleman Middle School, Randleman, third place.
Registration fee of $45 includes the workshop, evening Awards dinner, and social hour, reservations due by Nov. 1; workshop only is $10; afternoon session is free. Call Parker Backstrom at 919-807-7280 or visit http://www.history.ncdcr.gov/affiliates/lit-hist/lit-hist.htm
On October 23, 1900, in the Olivia Raney Library near the State Capitol, a group of men and women convened the organizational meeting of State Literary and Historical Association. Just as Gov. Charles B. Aycock sought to redeem the state from a legacy of ignorance, the members of the association sought to raise the cultural sights of citizens. A listing of al prior award winners is included at the website
http://www.history.ncdcr.gov/affiliates/lit-hist/lit-hist.htm
The awards to be presented at the N.C. Literary and Historical Association joint meeting continue this tradition and are part of the observance of the 2008 Cultural Resources theme “Telling Our Stories.” The Office of Archives and History in the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources administers the awards. For additional information, call (919) 807-7290. Cultural Resources is a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Now podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at www.ncculture.com.