Lambda Literary is pleased to announce that John Waters will receive Lambda's Trustee Award for Excellence in Literature an Rita Mae Brown will receive the Pioneer Award at the 27th
Annual Lambda Literary Awards ("Lammys"). Waters and Brown will be
honored along with the winning authors of 24 separate LGBT literary
categories as determined by over 90 judges. The Lammys bring together
over 450 attendees, sponsors and celebrities to celebrate excellence in
LGBT literature, making it the most glamorous and prestigious LGBT
literary event in the world. The awards will be hosted for the fourth
year in a row by comedienne Kate Clinton on Monday, June 1st
in New York City at The Great Hall at Cooper Union (7 East 7th St @ 3rd
Ave, New York City) with a pre-ceremony reception presented by Penguin
Random House. A VIP After-Party presented by Scholastic will immediately
follow the ceremony.
Waters,
the honoree for Excellence in Literature, is an American filmmaker,
actor, writer, stand-up comedian, journalist, visual artist, art
collector and the author of five books, including Carsick and Role Models. He is best known for his transgressive cult films, Female Trouble, Pink Flamingos, Desperate Living, and Polyester which star the legendary Divine. His mainstream film, Hairspray,
was adapted to a long-running Broadway musical, which was adapted to a
hit musical film. He resides in Baltimore, Maryland where all his films
are set. He (and his trademark pencil-thin mustache) will
be introduced by New York City's "Living Landmark" Smith. Since 1976,
Smith has brought her Texan wit, verve and nerve to a daily column for
several venues and is currently syndicated in many newspapers including
the Chicago Tribune and appears daily on the web, on the
illustrated The New York Social Diary, the Huffington Post, MyWay.com,
Drudge and other sites.
Brown, the Pioneer Award honoree, is The New York Times bestselling author of Rubyfruit Jungle,
a landmark coming-of-age novel that launched her career as one of this
country's most distinctive voices. She's also the bestselling author of
the Sneaky Pie Brown series; the Sister Jane series; A Nose for Justice and Murder Unleashed; In Her Day; Six of One; her memoirs Animal Magnetism and Rita Will, as
well as several other books. An Emmy-nominated screenwriter and a poet,
Brown lives in Afton, Virginia with cats, hounds, horses and big red
foxes. She will be introduced by American feminist,
journalist, and social and political activist Steinem. Steinem became
nationally recognized as a leader and spokeswoman for the feminist
movement in the late 1960s and early 70s after her 1969 article, "After
Black Power, Women's Liberation." She was a columnist for New York magazine and a founder of the ground-breaking Ms. Magazine.
In 2005, Steinem, Jane Fonda, and Robin Morgan co-founded the Women's
Media Center, an organization that works "to make women visible and
powerful in the media." She currently travels internationally as an
organizer and lecturer and is a media spokeswoman on issues of equality.
Steinem is also working on a book about her work as a feminist
organizer, to be titled Road to the Heart: America As if Everyone Mattered.
"This
year's special honorees, John Waters and Rita Mae Brown, have made
immeasurable contributions as writers, multi-media artists and LGBTQ
advocates," said Tony Valenzuela, Executive Director. "We are privileged
to celebrate their tremendous contributions at this year's Lammy
Awards."
