You've probably already heard that Patrick Coleman, book lover and book collector extraordinaire, has been honored with this year's Kay Sexton Award. But I'm hoping that you've also taken the time to visit Coleman's blog, which is a delightful look at what he considers to be the 150 most notable books in Minnesota's history -- one or two per blog post. Coleman, the Minnesota Historical Society's acquisitions librarian, chose 150 because last year was the state's sesquicentennial, but here we are, 151 years old now, and he's still plugging away. I count 37 books so far -- so there's still plenty of time for you or me or any one of us to write a book, get it published, and submit it to Coleman and still get it included in his final total. You'd be in good company, along with Jon Hassler, J.F. Powers and Eric Sevareid.
But speed and daily updates aren't the point of this blog. Elegant writing and a broad, deep knowledge of Minnesota books and writers are the point. You can find it here: tinyurl.com/bxe52s.
And if you're looking for a festive evening out, go applaud Coleman and all the other winners -- writers, book designers, lovers of the printed word -- at the Minnesota Book Awards celebration, April 25 in St. Paul.
Also ...
• Chris Heeter will read from her collection of poetry, "Wild Thoughts: Just Outside the Window," at 5 p.m. next Sunday at Birchbark Books in Minneapolis. Heeter lives in Ham Lake. Her book is a beautifully designed little volume, small enough to slip into a pocket or a purse for, you know, poetry on the go, and illustrated with line drawings and a letterpress cover. It was published by Yileen Press of New Jersey.
• The Loft has announced the winners of the 2009 McKnight Artist Fellowships for Writers. Out of 138 applications, five people were chosen. The winners: Trisha Speed Shaskan and John Jodzio, both of Minneapolis; and J.C. Hallman, John Reimringer and Wang Ping, all of St. Paul. Honorable mentions were Mary Casanova of Ranier, Catherine Clark, Nancy Crocker, Phyllis Root, Jack El-Hai, Laura Flynn and Morgan Grayce Willow, all of Minneapolis, and Rebecca Kanner of St. Paul.
