Lambda Literary has announced that Karen Tongson has been named the winner of the 2019 Jeanne Córdova Prize for Lesbian/Queer Nonfiction.
The award, given in memory of the beloved activist and author Jeanne Córdova, honors
lesbian/queer-identified women and trans/gender non-conforming
nonfiction authors. The award goes to a writer committed to nonfiction
work that captures the depth and complexity of lesbian/queer life,
culture and/or history.
Judges
Lynn Harris Ballen, Judith Branzburg, and Alicia Vogl Saenz were
unanimous in choosing Tongson as the winner for this prize from a group
of wonderfully talented lesbian/queer nonfiction writers who submitted
their work.
From
the judges: "We selected Karen Tongson based on her work as a cultural
critic and memoirist. Her two books and essays are written at the
intersection of popular culture, queer politics/culture, and critical
race analysis, and she brings the sensibilities of both a public
intellectual and a queer fan to her work. Karen's beautifully layered
writing is also deeply personal and intimate, weaving in her own life
stories and the lives of other queer people of color in Los Angeles and
beyond. And her forthcoming work shows that she continues to be
committed to producing groundbreaking lesbian/queer nonfiction."
Karen Tongson is the author of Why Karen Carpenter Matters (2019), and Relocations: Queer Suburban Imaginaries (2011).
She is a professor of English, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and
American Studies and Ethnicity at USC, and co-editor of the
award-winning book series, Postmillennial Pop (with Henry Jenkins) at
NYU Press. She has two books in progress: Empty Orchestra: Karaoke, Queer Aesthetics, Queer Theory (Duke University Press), and NORMPORN: Television and the Spectacle of Normalcy (NYU Press). You can hear Karen talk about pop culture, the arts, and entertainment on the weekly Pop Rocket podcast at MaximumFun.org.
The award was introduced in 2018 and includes a cash prize of $2,500. Tongson will be recognized as the winner of the Córdova Prize at the 31st Annual Lambda Literary Awards ceremony on June 3 in New York City.
The awards ceremony is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased here.