"It seems impossible," my latest message from UNC-Wilmington's Lookout Books begins, "but the fairy tale for Edith Pearlman and Lookout Books continues."
On Saturday, Pearlman's "Binocular Vision," a short story collection, was named a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. That makes it the first book to be nominated for that award, the National Book Award and the Story Prize in the same year.
What makes that accomplishment even more amazing is that the book was the very first from Lookout Books, a small new publisher affiliated with UNC-Wilmington's Department of Creative Writing.
Here's more good news: In April, Charlotte-area residents will have the chance to hear Pearlman read from her work. She'll be at Davidson College on 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 17,in the Sloan Music Center's Tyler-Tallman Recital Hall. She'll also do a signing at Park Road Books. Details to come.
The winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award will be announced March 8. The other fiction finalists are Teju Cole's "Open City," Jeffrey Eugenides's "The Marriage Plot," Alan Hollinghurst's "The Stranger's Child" and Dana Spiotta's "Stone Arabia."
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
More good news for UNC-Wilmington's Lookout Books
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Wilmington publisher scores a National Book Award finalist
Back in January, The New York Times Book Review raved about "Binocular Vision," the very first book published by UNC Wilmington's Lookout Books. The glowing review of Edith Pearlman's story collection appeared on the section's front page.
That was pretty amazing. A small, independent press landing a front-page New York Times review with its very first offering was akin to "a rookie stepping up to the plate for the very first time and hitting a grand slam," Lookout Editorial Director Ben George said at the time.
Guess what? The rookie has hit another home run. "Binocular Vision" is now a finalist for the National Book Award. The winner will be announced Nov. 16.
The folks at Lookout are thrilled, as you can imagine. And they should be. Pearlman, 74, has been writing award-winning stories for years, but she wasn't widely known. With hard work and smart marketing, Lookout Books introduced her to a much wider audience of readers.
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