The traditional publishing industry is a monopoly. Even though he is gone now, every day he inspires me to be the best husband I can be, to be a better man, to put family first. He taught me that family is greater than the sum of its members, that stronger families makes stronger communities that there is no problem too great to solve, if we work together. When our Aunt, who had also walked to our place with a flashlight and the moon to light her way, opened the door, he fell into her arms. Opening the door, moonlight told him he climbed too far, was on the roof. Once he got home, he climbed twenty-one flights of stairs in the dark to reach us. Once he was off the train he proceeded to walk home by the light of the moon and matches. Dad was on the subway on his way home from work. That being part of a family sometimes requires sacrifice that doesn’t feel like sacrifice.

I never heard him curse or even raise his voice.

A Korean War veteran, carpenter, husband, father, he taught me it takes more strength to hold your tongue than to loose it. Like my mother you won’t recognize his name, you won’t find his name in history books, but his name is forever engraved on my heart. I hope this award can be a first step towards changing that.Īs #BlackHistoryMonth draws to a close, I want to share Part 2 of who inspires me. I’m especially pleased to be judging for this award because I feel so often those over 50 are overlooked, unseen, by community and employers.

Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50 award is made possible by writer and philanthropist Chuck Forester, who created it out of the firmly held belief that “Writers who start late are just as good as other writers, it just took the buggers more time.” The prize will go to an unpublished LGBTQ writer over 50 working in any genre. These cash prizes are made possible by the generosity of our donors and announced around the Lammys. In addition to the Lammy Awards, Lambda Literary hosts several special prizes recognizing the outstanding contributions made by individuals to LGBTQ+ literature, culture, and community.

Michael Samuel Prize for Emerging Writers Over 50. I’m proud to share I’ve been invited to be a judge for Lambda Literary’s 2023 J.

Excellent Sons by Larry Benjamin