RR Donnelley Literary Award Announced

The Literary Awards Committee of the Readers’ Section has chosen "The Ghost Mountain Boys: their Epic March and the Terrifying Battle for New Guinea—the Forgotten War of the South Pacific" by James Campbell as the winner of the RR Donnelley Literary Award, given for the highest literary achievement by a Wisconsin author in 2007. Ghost Mountain Boys tells the harrowing story of the 32nd Division’s WWII battle to prevent New Guinea from falling into Japanese hands. The book tells the tale of National Guardsmen whisked from the temperate Midwest and dropped into the dense jungles of New Guinea with little training and with equipment unequal to the task ahead. Through Campbell’s words the reader sees the dramatic and often deadly consequence of poor planning, indecisiveness and ego on both sides of the campaign. The RR Donnelley Literary Award is made possible by RR Donnelley Company of Chicago, IL through a grant to the WLA Foundation.

Two authors were chosen for their body of work as Notable Wisconsin Authors. Larry Watson is the author of multiple fiction titles, including White Crosses, Montana 1948, and Orchard. Also honored is Edward Heth, whose best known works include My Life on Earth and Wisconsin Country Cookbook and Journal.

2008 Outstanding Achievement awards for 2007 titles include the following ten titles by Wisconsin authors. They are:

John Gurda, "Cream City Chronicles: Stories of Milwaukee’s Past"
Douglas Jacobson, "Night of Flames"
Jesse Lee Kercheval, "The Alice Stories"
Martha Kimes, "Ivy Briefs: True Tales of a Neurotic Law Student"
Thomas Maltman, "Night Birds"
Gregg Mitman, "Breathing Space: how Allergies Shape our Lives and Landscapes"
Benjamin Percy, "Refresh, Refresh: Stories"
Jeremy Scahill, "Blackwater: the Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army"
Susan Vreeland, "Luncheon of the Boating Party"
Larry Watson, "Sundown, Yellow Moon: a Novel"

2008 Outstanding Achievement in Poetry awards for 2007 titles include the following five titles:

Robin Chapman, "The Dreamer who Counted the Dead"
Anne-Marie Cusac, "Silkie: Poetry"
Andrea Potos, "Yaya’s Cloth"
Shoshauna Shy, "What the Postcard Didn’t Say"
William Stobb, "Nervous Systems"

The 2008 Literary Awards Committee members are: Ellen Jepson and Edell Schaefer (co-chairs), Jean Anderson, Susan Belsky, Molly Canary, Caroline Haskin, Brian Kopetsky, Deb Shapiro, and Deb Strelka.