November 2020 Newsletter

23rd Annual Library of Virginia Literary Award Winners Announced

Last month the Library of Virginia honored Virginia authors as we celebrated the 23rd Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards for the first time virtually. We extend our thanks to Dominion Energy once again for its annual support as the presenting sponsor. The events kicked off on Tuesday, October 13 with discussion panels featuring the Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction Award finalists through Thursday, October 15.

On Friday, October 16, the Library and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts presented the Art in Literature: The Mary Lynn Kotz Award for an outstanding literary work with art or works of art as its primary subject. This year's recipient, Philip J. Deloria, spoke about his book Becoming Mary Sully: Toward an American Indian Abstract. The 23rd Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards Celebration took place on Saturday evening, October 17, with the following finalists announced as award winners:

POETRY
Benjamín Naka–Hasebe Kingsley | Colonize Me

FICTION
Christopher Tilghman | Thomas and Beal in the Midi

NONFICTION
Tressie McMillan Cottom | Thick: And Other Essays

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD FOR FICTION
Martin Clark | The Substitution Order

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD FOR NONFICTION
Craig Shirley | Mary Ball Washington

ART IN LITERATURE: THE MARY LYNN KOTZ AWARD
Philip J. Deloria | Becoming Mary Sully: Toward an American Indian Abstract

Best–selling author Adriana Trigiani once again served as host for the evening, making this her 13th year. Featured speaker Douglas Brinkley was honored with an award recognizing his outstanding contributions to American history and literature as an award–winning, best–selling author and U.S. presidential historian.

If you missed viewing any of these live events, you can visit our 2020 Literary Awards video collection here and watch at your convenience.

We are now accepting nominations for the 2021 awards for books published in 2020. Nominations may be submitted by completing the online form. The form may also be printed and mailed to:

Library of Virginia Literary Awards
Attn: Nancy Orr
Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219

During this Giving Season, Support the Library of Virginia

Thanks in part to our supporters, the Library of Virginia is able to enrich the lives of those we serve. As we near the end of 2020, don't forget to renew your annual support. Haven't joined yet? Why wait? Become a member or renew today. Visit here for more information on giving and benefits.

You can make your gift by calling 804.692.3813 or by visiting our online donation page.

Thank you for your support!

An Archives for All Seasons: 2021 Monthly Calendar

Losing track of the day, month, or even the year during the pandemic? Give time meaning again with the 2021 "An Archives for All Seasons" monthly calendar. For just $12 you can support two great causes and organize your upcoming year with an intriguing wall calendar featuring images that highlight Virginia's rich historical and cultural traditions from 19 archives and manuscript repositories across the state. It was created in honor of Virginia Archives Month (October) by the Library of Virginia, the Mid–Atlantic Regional Archives Conference Virginia Caucus, and the Friends of the Virginia State Archives.

Funds from the sale benefit the Archival Workers Emergency Fund (to support archival workers experiencing financial hardship during the COVID-19 crisis) and Books Behind Bars (a volunteer organization that matches up donated books with requests from Virginia's incarcerated population). The calendars are available exclusively at the Virginia Shop.

Learn more about Archives Month in Virginia.

"Finding Her" with Melissa Tennant

Family history researchers know that female names can be hard to trace prior to the 20th century because they don't show up in records related to voting or property ownership—and because of surname changes after marriage. Melissa Tennant, assistant manager of the Genealogy Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana, leads an upcoming virtual genealogy workshop offering techniques to aid in finding elusive women in family histories. Finding Her: Our Female Ancestors, on November 20, 2020, 10:00–11:00 AM, is $15 ($10 for Library members). Registration is required at https://findingheratlva.eventbrite.com/.

This workshop complements the Library's exhibition We Demand: Women's Suffrage in Virginia. For more information, contact Ashley Ramey at ashley.ramey@lva.virginia.gov or 804.692.3001.

History Can Hide in the Pages of a Cookbook

Some family and community cookbooks can hold as much history as a family Bible! Beloved recipes get notated and dog–eared, stained and personalized from years of use. What a community chooses to assemble into a cookbook often tells a tale of both tastes and values. Then there are cookbooks by editors who intentionally delve into cultural identities, both present and past. The Library has a large collection of family and community cookbooks. A sampling can be viewed by flipping through the updated items on our Pinterest Board. These pins will now take you straight to our catalog entry for the cookbook. Many more cookbooks can also be found using the search feature of the catalog. Make your research appointment to come and connect with these touchstones from the past!