Awards

GREAT LAKES CULTURE PROGRAM ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF FIFTH ANNUAL AWARDS COMPETITION Outstanding books celebrate unique culture of region EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Great Lakes Culture Program at Michigan State University has announced the winners of the fifth annual Great Lakes Culture Awards. The awards recognize books that contribute to an understanding and appreciation of the cultures of the Great Lakes region. "There is a growing body of new work on the culture of the Great Lakes and creative expressions related to life in this region. This group of awardees represents a rich resource for those interested in better understanding life and the people of the Great Lakes region," says C. Kurt Dewhurst, director of the program. Established in 1999, the Great Lakes Culture Program is dedicated to the understanding and interpretation of the cultural history and expressions of the diverse peoples, traditions and customs of the Great Lakes region and the region's interaction with the world. The program is housed in the MSU Museum in East Lansing, Michigan. The nomination deadline for next year's competition is Dec. 1; nominations should be made directly to the Great Lakes Culture Program. Further information is available at http://www.greatlakes.msu.edu. Winners of the fifth annual the Great Lakes Culture Program Awards include: CGLC BEST BOOK AWARD FOR NON-FICTION/BIOGRAPHY: Made in Detroit: A South of Detroit Memoir, by Paul Clemens. Published by Doubleday. This memoir offers a personal account of growing up in Detroit, providing insights into the complexities of the changing life of a major American city. Clemens recounts growing up Catholic in a majority Black city offering a perspective about the cultural experience of daily life, race relations, and class conflict. CGLC BEST BOOK AWARD FOR POETRY: Forever the Last Time, by Jim Slominski. Published by Wolsak and Wynn. This volume of poetry captures a sense of the Great Lakes region with a Canadian perspective. Poems focus on family relations, everyday life, sense of place, and powerful personal stories that enhance the reader's understanding of life in the Great Lakes region. Best Book Non-Fiction Winners 2005: Made in Detroit: A South of Detroit Memoir by Paul Clemens. Published by Doubleday. This memoir offers a personal account of growing up in Detroit, providing insights into the complexities of the changing life of a major American city. Clemens recounts growing up Catholic in a majority Black city offering a perspective about the cultural experience of daily life, race relations, and class conflict. 2004-"The Living Great Lakes: Searching for the Heart of the Inland Seas " 2003-"Windjammers: Songs of the Great Lakes Sailors" 2002-"Barrios Norteños: St. Paul and Midwestern Mexican Communities in the Twentieth Century" 2001-"Ojibwe Singers: Hymns, Grief, and a Native Culture in Motion" Best Book (Fiction/Poetry) Winners Poetry 2005: Forever the Last Time, by Jim Slominski. Published by Wolsak and Wynn. this volume of poetry describes the experience of youthful summers in Wisconsin at Camp Nebagamon for Boys. The poems capture the camp experience and the lasting impact of this popular phenomenon in the Great Lakes region. 2004-"How to Fly" 2004-"You Can't Go back, exactly" 2003-"Borealis"   Best Exhibit Winners: 2004: “Shared Waters: Natives and French Newcomers on the Great Lakes,” an exhibition sponsored and exhibited by the Fort Miami Heritage Society in St. Joseph, Michigan. Although the exhibit focuses on events in the coastal region of southwest Michigan, specifically Fort Miami and Fort St. Joseph, its subject is regional in scope, addressing interactions between native nations and the French as they moved through the Great Lakes region to develop trade, establish missions and colonize this part of the "New World." The exhibition also serves as a catalyst for the presentation and discussion of themes and issues of cultural diversity and inclusiveness. 2003-"Schooner in the Sand: Unlocking the Secrets of a Great Lakes Shipwreck." 2002 - not awarded 2001-"Illusions of Eden: Visions of the American Heartland"   Best Website Winners 2003-Seeing the Light: Lighthouses of the Western Great Lakes 2002-Wisconsin's Great Lakes Shipwrecks 2001-Great Lakes Information Network Any comments or concerns should be directed to Peter Knupfer .