Ronald Sukenick receives Louis-Shores Greenwood Publishing Group Award
Contact: Eileen Hardy
312-280-4398
For Immediate Release
January 21, 2005
Ronald Sukenick receives Louis-Shores Greenwood Publishing Group Award
CHICAGO - Ronald Sukenick, founding editor of the American Book Review (ABR), is posthumously receiving the 2005 Louis Shores -Greenwood Publishing Group Award.
Ronald Sukenick died in July 2004.
The ABR specializes in reviewing books published by independent and smaller presses.
The ABR highlights poetry, unconventional fiction, plays, and literary translations published by independent presses.
The award is administered by the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).
The cash award of $3,000 and a citation is donated by Greenwood Publishing Group and is given to an individual, team or organization to recognize excellence in the reviewing of books and other materials for libraries.
Established in 1990, the award is named for Louis Shores, editor-in-chief of Colliers Encyclopedia from 1960 to 1981, and dean of the Florida State University Library School from 1946 to 1967.
Shores was one of the first and most influential advocates of the use of bibliographic instruction in universities, believing that the library serves as the center of instruction for the academic community.
Ronald Sukenick founded the ABR in 1977. For many years the ABR was the only book review devoted to independent presses. Today it continues to give the most in-depth coverage to these presses.
Over the last half-decade the ABR has reviewed books published by over 200 independent presses, including university presses.
In ABR's Sukenick memorial issue, one contributor wrote, ". . . When it came to giving advice to an emerging fictioneer, he would always help you manage expectations while at the same time champion your best efforts so that you felt like you had a shot - a shot at anything: getting a story published, getting accepted into grad school, getting a novel published, getting an offer for a tenure-track position at the university or college in the town you already lived in, getting early tenure at the same university so you could continue dreaming about the alternative publishing empire striking back."
In his letter of nomination Charles B. Harris, current publisher of ABR writes, "Honoring Ron with the Louis Shores - Greenwood Publishing Group Award will celebrate Ron's life-long commitment to the life of literature. It will also confirm the continuing importance of American Book Review, which Ron founded and to which he devoted his time and energy for thirty years."
The award will be presented at RUSA Awards Ceremony on June 27, 2005, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.
