Comments on: The Little Lost Lamb(da)s –Some thoughts by Victor J. Banis http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/ News and updates from MLR Press authors Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:47:29 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Selah March » Blog Archive » Deep in the Bitter Barn, don’t bother to knock. http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/comment-page-2/#comment-257 Selah March » Blog Archive » Deep in the Bitter Barn, don’t bother to knock. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:56:50 +0000 http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/?p=393#comment-257 [...] the opinions of a lot of other people, many of whom are gay, including two past Lammy winners and the guy who founded the award. My opinion is virtually identical to theirs, but they’re not getting identical abuse (that [...] [...] the opinions of a lot of other people, many of whom are gay, including two past Lammy winners and the guy who founded the award. My opinion is virtually identical to theirs, but they’re not getting identical abuse (that [...]

]]> By: The Cake Is A Lie! | The Naughty Bits http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/comment-page-2/#comment-256 The Cake Is A Lie! | The Naughty Bits Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:20:53 +0000 http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/?p=393#comment-256 [...] Victor J. Banis one of the pioneers of Gay Fiction weighed in against the changed mission statement and guidelines. [...] [...] Victor J. Banis one of the pioneers of Gay Fiction weighed in against the changed mission statement and guidelines. [...]

]]> By: M/M: Labels & Branding | The Naughty Bits http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/comment-page-2/#comment-255 M/M: Labels & Branding | The Naughty Bits Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:14:37 +0000 http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/?p=393#comment-255 [...] Victor J. Banis one of the pioneers of Gay Fiction weighed in against the changed mission statement and guidelines. [...] [...] Victor J. Banis one of the pioneers of Gay Fiction weighed in against the changed mission statement and guidelines. [...]

]]> By: JoAnne Soper-Cook http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/comment-page-2/#comment-254 JoAnne Soper-Cook Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:13:26 +0000 http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/?p=393#comment-254 Victor, as always, you make salient points and you make them beautifully. Books are, at bottom (hee) entertainment; the point of writing is to entertain. As you pointed out, Dickens didn't set out to write great literature; he wanted to entertain his readers and keep them enthralled and on the edge of their seats. Anything that brings m/m fiction further into the mainstream can only be helpful to the GLBT cause, methinks. As a woman married to a man, I would like to think that my writing of m/m novels helps enlarge that audience - and also helps, in some small way, to show that love is love and it doesn't have a gender. Thank you for so effectively synthesizing the hot-points of this debate. Shame on Lambda. As always, you rock. :) Victor, as always, you make salient points and you make them beautifully. Books are, at bottom (hee) entertainment; the point of writing is to entertain. As you pointed out, Dickens didn’t set out to write great literature; he wanted to entertain his readers and keep them enthralled and on the edge of their seats. Anything that brings m/m fiction further into the mainstream can only be helpful to the GLBT cause, methinks. As a woman married to a man, I would like to think that my writing of m/m novels helps enlarge that audience – and also helps, in some small way, to show that love is love and it doesn’t have a gender.

Thank you for so effectively synthesizing the hot-points of this debate. Shame on Lambda.

As always, you rock. :)

]]> By: Kris http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/comment-page-2/#comment-253 Kris Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:51:01 +0000 http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/?p=393#comment-253 *waves back* ;) An insightful and thought provoking post, Victor. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on this issue. I find the 'us and them' attitude in any debate ridiculous, but what strikes me as being extremely ironical in this instance is that the only way I, as a 'straight' female, became aware of the Lambda Awards and introduced to the so-called genre of GLBTQ literature was by reading m/m romance of which 'straight' women make up the majority of the authors, editors, publishers, etc. It makes me wonder how many other readers (ie book buyers) out there are like me. *waves back* ;)

An insightful and thought provoking post, Victor. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on this issue.

I find the ‘us and them’ attitude in any debate ridiculous, but what strikes me as being extremely ironical in this instance is that the only way I, as a ’straight’ female, became aware of the Lambda Awards and introduced to the so-called genre of GLBTQ literature was by reading m/m romance of which ’straight’ women make up the majority of the authors, editors, publishers, etc.

It makes me wonder how many other readers (ie book buyers) out there are like me.

]]> By: Selah March » Blog Archive » Lammy Founder Weighs In http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/comment-page-2/#comment-252 Selah March » Blog Archive » Lammy Founder Weighs In Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:47:31 +0000 http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/?p=393#comment-252 [...] entire comment can be found here: http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/ This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 10:47 pm and is filed under [...] [...] entire comment can be found here: http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/ This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 at 10:47 pm and is filed under [...]

]]> By: The Founder Of The Lambda Literary Awards Speaks His Mind | The Naughty Bits http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/comment-page-1/#comment-251 The Founder Of The Lambda Literary Awards Speaks His Mind | The Naughty Bits Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:45:10 +0000 http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/?p=393#comment-251 [...] is his entire comment he made over on The Little Lost Lamb(da)s –Some thoughts by Victor J. Banis Deacon Maccubbin September 30th, 2009 on 9:43 [...] [...] is his entire comment he made over on The Little Lost Lamb(da)s –Some thoughts by Victor J. Banis Deacon Maccubbin September 30th, 2009 on 9:43 [...]

]]> By: Deacon Maccubbin http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/comment-page-1/#comment-250 Deacon Maccubbin Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:43:59 +0000 http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/?p=393#comment-250 Just to keep the historical record clear, when I founded the Lambda Literary Awards in 1988, they were specifically intended to honor "the writers, editors and publishers of gay and lesbian literature". There was no litmus test of the sexual or affectional orientation of those writers, editors and publishers. It was only necessary that a nominated book be of interest to gays and lesbians (and, later, to bisexuals and transgenders as additional categories were added). That was true for the first five years of the Lammy Awards. I believe it was true even after we turned the awards program over to the new non-profit Lambda Literary Foundation; I don't know at what point the criteria might have changed, but I think it would be wise to return to the original vision. Also, in those heady early years of the Lammys, they were definitely not New York-centric. The awards program was developed in Washington DC under the auspices of the Lambda Book Report and Lambda Rising Bookstores. It was built on the extensive framework of more than 200 glbt and lesbian feminist bookstores that then existed around the country, who helped gather nominations and also provided a large number of the judges, chosen in part for their geographical representation as well as their experience in the literary marketplace. That's the way the Lammys operated over its first five years under my guidance and, I believe, for some years after. But I have not been actively involved with the Foundation in recent years, haven't been able to even attend the Lammy Awards for several years, and have no insight into its current operations. Just to keep the historical record clear, when I founded the Lambda Literary Awards in 1988, they were specifically intended to honor “the writers, editors and publishers of gay and lesbian literature”. There was no litmus test of the sexual or affectional orientation of those writers, editors and publishers. It was only necessary that a nominated book be of interest to gays and lesbians (and, later, to bisexuals and transgenders as additional categories were added). That was true for the first five years of the Lammy Awards. I believe it was true even after we turned the awards program over to the new non-profit Lambda Literary Foundation; I don’t know at what point the criteria might have changed, but I think it would be wise to return to the original vision.

Also, in those heady early years of the Lammys, they were definitely not New York-centric. The awards program was developed in Washington DC under the auspices of the Lambda Book Report and Lambda Rising Bookstores. It was built on the extensive framework of more than 200 glbt and lesbian feminist bookstores that then existed around the country, who helped gather nominations and also provided a large number of the judges, chosen in part for their geographical representation as well as their experience in the literary marketplace. That’s the way the Lammys operated over its first five years under my guidance and, I believe, for some years after. But I have not been actively involved with the Foundation in recent years, haven’t been able to even attend the Lammy Awards for several years, and have no insight into its current operations.

]]> By: Selah March » Blog Archive » More re: Lambda Lit versus The Breeders http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/comment-page-1/#comment-249 Selah March » Blog Archive » More re: Lambda Lit versus The Breeders Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:17:08 +0000 http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/?p=393#comment-249 [...] Victor J. Banis says this: http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/ [...] [...] Victor J. Banis says this: http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/ [...]

]]> By: Lynn Lorenz http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/2009/09/the-little-lost-lambdas-some-thoughts-by-victor-j-banis/comment-page-1/#comment-248 Lynn Lorenz Tue, 29 Sep 2009 13:00:27 +0000 http://www.mlrpressauthors.com/?p=393#comment-248 Great post Victor! And for those who know about the RWA chapter Rainbow Writers (that's Romance Writers of Amercia) - I'm one of many on a recently formed committee to hold a chapter contest for GLBT work. Hopefully, we'll have more info about the contest in the near future, once we've determined all the bits and pieces. (Keep an eye on our website for more news and info.) http://www.rainbowromancewriters.com And no, this contest was thought of long before the LLA mess - it was one of the first things the membership of the Rainbow Writers asked for when it was formed earlier this year - a contest for GLBT content. Such contests are held each year to raise money for chapters - to invite (and pay) for workshops, speakers, and instructors. For me, the LLA can put whatever rules they want into place, it's their contest. More and more contests are opening up to GLBT content, and I'd like to thank those RWA chapters who have said, "sure, enter, and we'll find fair and equitable judges" and to those who were honest enought to say "don't bother." The times are changing... Great post Victor!

And for those who know about the RWA chapter Rainbow Writers (that’s Romance Writers of Amercia) – I’m one of many on a recently formed committee to hold a chapter contest for GLBT work. Hopefully, we’ll have more info about the contest in the near future, once we’ve determined all the bits and pieces. (Keep an eye on our website for more news and info.) http://www.rainbowromancewriters.com

And no, this contest was thought of long before the LLA mess – it was one of the first things the membership of the Rainbow Writers asked for when it was formed earlier this year – a contest for GLBT content.

Such contests are held each year to raise money for chapters – to invite (and pay) for workshops, speakers, and instructors.

For me, the LLA can put whatever rules they want into place, it’s their contest.

More and more contests are opening up to GLBT content, and I’d like to thank those RWA chapters who have said, “sure, enter, and we’ll find fair and equitable judges” and to those who were honest enought to say “don’t bother.”

The times are changing…

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