Mygazine

Finalists for 19th Annual Lambda Literary Awards Annouced

After months of anticipation, the Lambda Literary Foundation today announced the finalists in the 19th Annual Lambda Literary Awards. Congratulations to all the finalists. Check out the full list of finalists here. Some of my personal favorites include:

Alternatives to Sex by Stephen McCauley (Simon & Schuster)

Tale of Two Summers by Brian Sloan (Simon & Schuster)

My Lucky Star by Joe Keenan (Little Brown)

Surf 'N Turf by Scott & Scott (Romentics)

Going Down in La-La Land by Andy Zeffer (Harrington Park Press)

The Zookeeper by Alex MacLennan (Alyson)

The winners will be announced May 31 at the annual gala awards ceremony in New York City.

Record Number of Nominations

Looks like it is a another big year for LGBTQ publishing. The Lambda Literary Awards received a record number of nominations for books published during 2006 (including "Column Inches" by yours truly in two categories). Each year, the organization honors the best LGBTQ writers and books during Book Expo America, the annual booksellers convention. This will be the 19th annual presentation of awards.                    

In all, 147 publishers nominated 381 titles for awards in 25 categories. Click here to see the full list of nominees.

Keep your fingers crossed for all of us. The finalists in each category will be announced this Thursday, March 1. Readings by the finalists will take place in San Francisco on April 12 and in New York on April 17. More readings will be announced shortly.                    

Winners will be announced on Thursday, May 31, at a gala awards ceremony in New York City.

The Buzz on Dreamgirls

Unless you are living under a rock, you already know that the film of the holiday season is going to be Dreamgirls. If I can't score a pass to a screening, you know I'll be at the theater on December 15 to get me some Dgirls.

Hopefully all the advance buzz about Jennifer Hudson's Oscar-worthy performance, including the cover story in the issue of The Advocate that arrived in today's mail, won't jinx her as the members of the Academy start hunkering down with their screeners.

Today I read two great Dreamgirls stories on two blogs that are on my daily reading list. On Patmix, you can read about the blogger's love of the original Dreamgirls and the original Dreamgirls diva herself, Jennifer Holiday. Josh&Josh recount Josh H's brush with no other than Gayle King herself at a recent press screening of the film here in NYC.

Check 'em out.

Bond is Still the Winner in My Book

It was a close race at the box office but it looks like Happy Feat beat out the smokin' hot new 007, Daniel Craig, by just over $1.5 million to take the number one box office spot in the US this week. But, you never know. Things could change once the actual numbers are in tomorrow.

Not to worry, though. This showing, which puts Casino Royale in the number two opening weekend position in the Bond franchise, proves that Craig can carry a film. The penguins may be cute, but Bond has a great looking lead, a hot new bond girl and international intrigue on its side.

Long Live Jackie Woodman

If you haven't been watching IFC's excellent new show The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman, all I can say is your bad.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. It is a great reason to fire up your DVR on Friday nights. This week's season finale, which found Jackie on a designer drug bender pledging her allegiance to a right-wing radio host, didn't disappoint. In fact, it was my favorite episode of the season. Catch the replays this week!

Five quick Laura Kightlinger talking points:

1) Born June 13, 1969 in Jamestown, New York.

2) Kightlinger worked as a writer and consulting producer on Will & Grace, and had a recurring guest role on the series as Shelia, a nurse in the fertility clinic.

3) In 1999 she released Quick Shots of False Hope, a collection of short autobiographical stories.

4) She dated comedian Jack Black for several years.

5) She attended Emerson College.

I Don't Feel Like Dancing...

Too bad the Scissor Sisters' new CD isn't coming out until September 26. The first single, "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," from their sophomore disc Ta-Dah is so catchy I can't stop listening to it. I can't wait to get my hands on the whole CD.

With Scissor Sisters on my mind, I found a delicious layout of SS frontman Jake Shears in a recent issue of BUTT magazine. If, like me, you hadn't heard about Butt before, check out the September issue of OUT for a little history behind this super cool pocket-sized, quarterly magazine published out of The Netherlands.

Enough With The Crackberry Addiction

Maybe I'm in denial, but are that many people addicted to their "Crackberries"?

In April of last year, The Washington Post did a story on pain from thumb strain related to Blackberry use.

Sure celebrities are seen carrying them all over the place. And everyone on the subway, including myself, is pounding away on their. But is it that bad? A study done by Rutgers University has kicked up the buzz on this again.

• Yesterday's New York Post crowed "Tech Junkies, Be "Berry" Afraid."
• The story is hot on the other side of the pond too. The Daily Mail says "Blackberry Addiction Similar to Drugs."

Stop the madness.

Seen in P-Town

While my celebrity sightings won't rival the lucky bloke who caught Lance Bass at the Atlantic House in P-town a few weeks ago, there are a few folks of note enjoying the sun and sand here this week.

• Last night, while dining alfresco at Bubala's, we saw Lea Delaria herself out drumming up buzz for her show at the Vixen (we're catching it tonight) and John Waters whizzed by on his bike.
• On several occasions this week (waiting in line for a table for dinner, strolling along Commercial Street, etc.) I've seen makeup artist and L'Oreal Paris spokesperson Collier Strong. Maybe you remember him from his guest appearances in the L'Oreal Paris Makeup Room on Project Runway?
• And later last night in the East End, author and longtime P-town regular Michael Cunningham buzzed by us on his bike.