John Daniel hosts the 22nd Annual Oregon Book Awards

PORTLAND, Ore. - Literary Arts is pleased to announce that Oregon author
John Daniel will serve as master of ceremonies of the 22nd Annual Oregon Book Awards, which take place on Sunday, November 9, 2008 at the Portland Art Museum. Tickets are $15 at www.brownpapertickets.com

Daniel is the author of eight books of memoir, personal essays, and poetry, and his most recent book, Rogue River Journal: A Winter Alone was the winner of a 2006 PNBA Book Award from the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association. Daniel has won a Pushcart Prize, an NEA fellowship and numerous other awards, including two Oregon Book Awards. Daniel is also chair of PEN Northwest, a regional branch of the writers' organization PEN American center.

The Oregon Book Awards recognize the year's finest accomplishments by Oregon writers in the genres of poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, drama and young readers literature. The finalists for the Oregon Book Awards will be announced September 8, and the winners will be announced at the ceremony on November 9.

In addition to recognizing the finest achievements of Oregon authors in several genres, Literary Arts recognizes individual contributions with the C.E.S. Wood Distinguished Writer Award, the Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award and the Walt Morey Young Readers Literary Legacy Award. This year's recipients will receive their awards at the ceremony on November 9.

CHARLES ERSKINE SCOTT WOOD DISTINGUISHED WRITER AWARD

The C.E.S. Wood Award is presented to an Oregon author in recognition of an enduring, substantial literary career. Past recipients include Vi Gale, Ken Kesey and Ursula Le Guin.

2008 recipient: Barry Lopez

Barry Lopez is the author of 15 works of fiction and nonfiction and a long-time Oregon resident. His books include Arctic Dreams, for which he received the National Book Award and an Oregon Book Award, and Of Wolves and Men, which was a National Book Award finalist. His book of short fiction, Resistance, won the H.L. Davis Award for Short Fiction in 2005. He is also the editor of Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape, a contributing writer to National Geographic, and a frequent contributor to Outside, Harper's, Orion and other publications.

THE STEWART H. HOLBROOK LITERARY LEGACY AWARD

The Stewart H. Holbrook Award is presented to a person or organization in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon's literary community. Past recipients include Brian Booth, founder of the Oregon Book Awards, Carla Perry, founder of the Nye Beach Writers Series, Paulann Petersen and Kim Stafford.

2008 recipient: Marlene Howard

Marlene Howard was one of the founders of the Oregon Writer's Colony in 1983. The organization was formed to support writers and to provide a permanent writers retreat on the Oregon coast. Marlene remains on the 12-member OWC board of directors, and the OWC program now sponsors five annual workshops and a spring conference at Sylvia Beach Hotel. Oregon Writers Colony also owns and operates the Colonyhouse in Rockaway Beach, a large log cabin house which provides a writing retreat for its members, as well as a location for workshops and writers gatherings. She is also chairing a three year OWC Capital campaign to raise funds to enlarge the Colonyhouse and make it ADA accessible by 2010.

THE WALT MOREY YOUNG READERS LITERARY LEGACY AWARD

The Walt Morey Award is presented to a person or organization in recognition of contributions to young readers literature. Past recipients include Claudia Jones, Wallowa County youth librarian; Barbara J. McKillip, founder of the Libri Foundation; Jerry Isom, director of Books 4 Kids and Mark Mizell, high school English teacher.

2008 recipient: Young Writers Association

Young Writers Association is a nonprofit organization located in Eugene. YWA was established in 1994, and provides elementary through high school students with interactive literature based experiences. They sponsor in-school workshops and assemblies, as well as after-school writing workshops and "literature camps."
YWA also produces the Glitterary Word Festival, which is annual family celebration that features storytelling, dance, writing and craft activities for kids and families.

Oregon Book Awards Special Awards candidates are nominated by the public, and reviewed by the Oregon Book Awards Advisory Committee and the Literary Arts Board of Directors. For more information, please visit www.literary-arts.org.

The Oregon Book Awards are sponsored by the Oregon Cultural Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts and The Oregonian. Additional support is provided by Brian Booth & Gwyneth Gamble Booth, Betty Bradshaw, Leslie Bradshaw Endowment, The Collins Foundation, Rocky & Julie Dixon, Gray Family Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation, Robert H. & Cecelia Huntington, Keller Foundation, Walt Morey Endowment, Multnomah County Library, Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Center for the Book at the Oregon State Library, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, Regional Arts & Culture Council, Rick and Halle Sadle, Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust, U.S. Bank and Work for Art.

Oregon Book Awards is a program of Literary Arts, a statewide, nonprofit organization that enriches the lives of Oregonians through language and literature. The programs of Literary Arts are Portland Arts & Lectures, Poetry Downtown, Oregon Book Awards, Oregon Literary Fellowships, Poetry in Motion®, Writers in the Schools and Delve: Readers' Seminars. For more information, please contact Monica Burke at 503.227.2583 or visit www.literary-arts.org. Photos and cover art are available at www.literary-arts.org/press/.