Misstatement Corrected Very Politely

Sun., Dec. 3, 2000

By Dan Webster danw@spokesman.com

Two weeks ago I noted that John Marshall, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s book reporter, had written an article complaining about the recent Governor’s Writers Awards. In his article, Marshall expressed surprise that Jonathan Raban’s book “Passage to Juneau,” which he described as “a risk-taking and evocative meditation on the Northwest coast,” was overlooked.

I then complained about those who would second-guess such awards, a practice that - confession time - I have been known to do myself once or three times. I in no way meant to say that Raban’s book wasn’t deserving, only that I - as a two-time Governor’s Writers Award jury member - didn’t feel comfortable criticizing this current jury’s choices.

In doing so, however, I inadvertently misrepresented something that Marshall wrote. What I wrote was that Raban had already won a Seattle literary award for “Passage to Juneau.” But as Raban pointed out to me in an exceedingly polite e-mail, that isn’t exactly the case.

“The Maxine Cushing Gray award is not for a particular book; it’s given to people for the body of their work in general,” Raban wrote.

“It’s worth saying that I was not in (the) least bit cast down because `Passage to Juneau’ did not receive a Governor’s Award,” Raban added. “My last book, `Bad Land,’ did; and I feel strongly that prizes like these should be spread around among authors in the state. I hope the fact that I had already been given a Governor’s Award figured in the jury’s calculations, and that they were keen to make the work of other writers better known to Washington readers. I thought the list of winners was a good one.”

Spoken like a consummate gentleman.

Prizes for writers

Speaking of literary prizes, the Pacific Northwest Writers Association is offering an array of prizes worth more than $11,000 in its 2001 literary competition.

The PNWA annually hands out awards in 11 categories, ranging from screenwriting to fiction, nonfiction to poetry. In addition to cash, winners can expect to receive attention from editors and agents during the PNWA summer conference, July 26-29 at the Tacoma Sheraton.

The playwriting winner will have his or her work performed in a staged reading July 29 during the Pierce County Playwrights Festival.

Entry deadline is Feb. 16. For more information, write to Pacific Northwest Writers Association, 9594 First Ave. NE, No. 522, Seattle, WA 98115-2012. E-mail to pnwa@pnwa.org. Call (206) 728-8570. Or access the Web site at www.pnwa.org.

Book clubs

Gay and Lesbian Book Club, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Auntie’s Bookstore, Main and Washington (838-0206): “Tipping the Velvet” by Sarah Waters.

Valley Readers Group, 7 p.m. Thursday, Valley Hastings, 15312 E. Sprague (924-0667): “John Glenn, a Memoir” by John Glenn.

What’s your signing?

Brian Wizard (“Nigerian 419 Scam - Game Over”), signing, noon today, Valley Hastings.

Danna Beal (“The Tragedy of the Workplace”), signing, 3 p.m. today, Shadle Park Hastings, 1704 W. Wellesley (327-6008); 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

Robin Valaitis Heflin (“The Messenger”), signing, 7 p.m. Thursday, NorthTown Barnes & Noble (482-4235); 1 p.m. Saturday, Valley Hastings.

Richard Myers (“The Carpenter’s Son”), signing, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

Steve Hughes (“Wolf of Albion”), signing, 6-9 p.m., Friday, Shadle Park Hastings.

Fredric A. Stern (“The Sigma Project”), signing, 6 p.m. Friday, North Side Hastings, 7706 N. Division (483-2154); noon Saturday, Shadle Park Hastings.

Joann Bovey (“Survival of the Wittiest: Bedtime Stories for Teachers”), signing, 2 p.m. Saturday, Shadle Park Hastings.

Vicky Cavin (“A Chair Full of Heart”), signing, noon Saturday, North Side Hastings.

Tony and Suzanne Schaeffer Bamonte (“Miss Spokane: Elegant Ambassadors and Their City”), signing, 3 p.m. Saturday, North Side Hastings.

Bill Elston (“120 Years of Inland Northwest Sports”), signing, 4 p.m. Saturday, Valley Hastings.

The reader board

The Rev. Robert Spitzer (“Healing the Culture: A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom and the Life Issues”), reading, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

Tony and Suzanne Schaeffer Bamonte (“Miss Spokane: Elegant Ambassadors and Their City”), reading, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

John Roskelley (“Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition”), reading and slide show, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

Gordon Jackson (“Quotes for the Journey, Wisdom for the Way”), reading, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Auntie’s Bookstore.

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