Lambda Literary Awards finalists named (11199)

Nominations for the 16th annual Lambda Literary Awards were announced Monday, honoring achievements in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender literature in 2003. Alyson Publications (which, like The Advocate, is a division of LPI Inc.) led the pack among publishers with 15 nominations in 10 categories. The awards will be presented at a gala in Chicago on June 3.

Here is a complete list of the nominees:

Lesbian Fiction: And Then They Were Nuns, by Susan J. Leonardi (Firebrand Books); Southland, by Nina Revoyr (Akashic Books); The Way the Crow Flies, by Anne-Marie MacDonald (HarperCollins); This Wild Silence, by Lucy Jane Bledsoe (Alyson Publications); What Night Brings, by Carla Trujillo (Curbstone Press)

Gay Men's Fiction: Beijing, by Philip Gambone (University of Wisconsin Press); Lives of the Circus Animals, by Christopher Bram (William Morrow); The Book of Salt, by Monique Truong (Houghton Mifflin); War Against the Animals, by Paul Russell (St. Martin's Press); Where the Boys Are, by William J. Mann (Kensington Publishing)

Lesbian Poetry: Embers, by Terry Wolverton (Red Hen Press); Final Girl, by Daphne Gottlieb (Soft Skull Press); Swirl, by Susan McCabe (Red Hen Press); The Beautiful, by Michelle Tea (Manic D Press); The Dirt She Ate, by Minnie Bruce Pratt (University of Pittsburgh Press)

Gay Men's Poetry: Middle Earth, by Henri Cole (Farrar, Straus & Giroux); Otherhood: Poems, by Reginald Shepherd (University of Pittsburgh Press); Saying the World, by Peter Pereira (Copper Canyon Press); Sky Lounge, by Mark Bibbins (Graywolf Press); The Healing Art, by Rafael Campo (W.W. Norton)

Lesbian Mystery: Cry Havoc, by Baxter Clare (Bella Books); Damn Straight, by Elizabeth Sims (Alyson Publications); Epitaph for an Angel, by Lauren Maddison (Alyson Publications); Owl of the Desert, by Ida Swearingen (New Victoria Publishers); The Woman Who Found Grace, by Bett Reece Johnson (Cleis Press)

Gay Men's Mystery: Blind Eye, by John Morgan Wilson (St. Martin's Minotaur); Bourbon Street Blues, by Greg Herren (Kensington Publishing); Dead Egotistical Morons, by Mark Richard Zubro (St. Martin's Minotaur); It Takes Two, by Elliott Mackle (Alyson Publications); Wearing Black to White Party, by David Stukas (Kensington Publishing)

Fiction Anthology: All I Want for Christmas, by Jon Jeffrey, Chris Kenry, William J. Mann, Ben Tyler (Kensington Publishing); Best Lesbian Love Stories 2003, Angela Brown, ed. (Alyson Publications); M2M, Karl Woelz, ed. (AttaGirl Press); Pulp Friction, Michael Bronski, ed. (St. Martin's Press); Telling Moments, Lydia Hall, ed. (University of Wisconsin Press)

Nonfiction Anthology: Boyfriends From Hell, Kevin Bentley, ed. (Green Candy Press); Mortal Secrets, Robert Klitzman and Ronald Bayer, eds. (John Hopkins University Press); Queer Crips, Bob Guter and John R. Killacky, eds. (Harrington Park Press); The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name, Greg Wharton, ed. (Boheme Press); Pinned Down by Pronouns, by Toni Amato and Mary Davies, eds. (Conviction Books)

Memoir/Autobiography: Cleopatra's Wedding Present, by Robert Tewdwr Moss (University of Wisconsin Press); Going the Other Way, by Billy Bean with Chris Bull (Marlowe & Company); Highsmith: A Romance, by Marijane Meaker (Cleis Press); Naked in the Promised Land, by Lillian Faderman (Houghton Mifflin); She's Not There, by Jennifer Finney Boylan (Broadway Books)

Biography: Beautiful Shadow: A Life, by Andrew Wilson (Bloomsbury); Intertwined Lives, by Lois W. Banner (Alfred A. Knopf); Lost Prophet, by John D'Emilio (Free Press); Original Youth, by Keith Fleming (Green Candy Press); That Furious Lesbian, by Robert A. Schanke (Southern Illinois University Press)

Children/Young Adult: Boy Meets Boy, by David Levithan (Knopf Books for Young Readers); Geography Club, by Brent Hartinger (HarperTempest); Gravel Queen, by Tea Benduhn (Simon & Schuster); Keeping You a Secret, by Julie Anne Peters (Little, Brown & Company); Rainbow High, by Alex Sanchez (Simon & Schuster)

Erotica: Best Gay Erotica 2004, Richard Labonte, ed. (Cleis Press); Best Lesbian Erotica 2004, Tristan Taormino, ed. (Cleis Press); Hot and Bothered 4, Karen X. Tulchinsky, ed. (Arsenal Pulp Press); Masters of Midnight, by Michael Thomas Ford, William J. Mann, Sean Wolfe, Jeff Mann (Kensington Publishing); Quickies 3, James Johnstone, ed. (Arsenal Pulp Press)

Humor: Chelsea Boys, by Glen Hanson and Allan Neuwirth (Alyson Publications); Dykes and Sundry Other Carbon-Based Life-Forms to Watch Out For, by Alison Bechdel (Alyson Publications); Men Are Pigs, But We Love Bacon, by Michael Alvear (Kensington Publishing); My Big Fat Queer Life, by Michael Thomas Ford (Alyson Publications); That's Why They're in Cages, People! by Joel Perry (Alyson Publications)

Romance: Best Lesbian Love Stories 2003, Angela Brown, ed. (Alyson Publications); Daytime Drama, by Dave Benbow (Kensington Publishing); Last Summer, by Michael Thomas Ford (Kensington Publishing); Maybe Next Time, by Karin Kallmaker (Bella Books); They Say She Tastes Like Honey, by Michelle Sawyer (Alyson Publications)

Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Elf Child, by David M. Pierce (Southern Tier Editions); Necrologue, Helen Sandler, ed. (Diva Books); The Red Line of Yarmald, by Diana Rivers (Bella Books); The Substance of God, by Perry Brass (Belhue Press); Vampire Thrall, by Michael Schiefelbein (Alyson Publications)

Spirituality: Anything But Straight, by Wayne Bensen (Harrington Park Press); Gay Perspective, by Toby Johnson (Alyson Publications); Gay Witchcraft, by Christopher Penczak (Red Wheel/Weiser); Keeping Faith, by Fenton Johnson (Houghton Mifflin); The Man Jesus Loved, by Theodore W. Jennings (The Pilgrim Press)

LGBT Studies: Anything But Straight, by Wayne Bensen (Harrington Park Press); Love in the Time of HIV, by Michael Mancilla and Lisa Troshinsky (Guilford Press); Queer Street, by James McCourt (W.W. Norton); Strapped for Cash, by Mack Friedman (Alyson Publications); Time on Two Crosses, Devon W. Carbado and Donald Weise, eds. (Cleis Press)

Drama: Forbidden Acts, by Ben Hodges (Applause Theatre & Cinema Books); Motifs and Repetitions, by C.E. Gatchalian (The Writers' Collective); Prok, by Brian Drader (Scirocco Drama); The Band Plays, by Mart Crowley (Alyson Publications); Women in Turmoil: Six Plays, Robert Schanke, ed. (Southern Illinois University Press)

Transgender/GenderQueer: She's Not There, by Jennifer Finney Boylan (Broadway Books); The Drag King Anthology, Donna Troka, Kathleen Lebesco, Jean Noble, eds. (Harrington Park Press); The Man Who Would Be Queen, by J. Michael Bailey (Joseph Henry Press); Trans-gendered, by Justin Tanis (The Pilgrim Press); Transgender Journeys, by Virginia Ramey Mollenkott and Vanessa Sheridan (The Pilgrim Press)

Visual Arts/Photography: A Face in the Crowd, John Peterson and Martin Bedogne, eds. (Prospect Publishing); Familiar Men, by Laurie Toby Edison (Shifting Focus Press); Focus on Living, by Roslyn Banish (University of Massachusetts Press); Vacation in Ibiza, by Lawrence Schimel and Sebas (Eurotica/NBM); Women Seeing Women, Lonthar Schirmer, ed. (W.W.Norton)