The "IPPY" Awards, launched in 1996, are designed to bring increased recognition to the deserving but often unsung titles published by independent authors and publishers. Established as the first awards program open exclusively to independents, over 2,000 "IPPYs" have been awarded to authors and publishers around the world. The Awards recognize 12 Outstanding Books of the Year in categories such as Most Inspirational to Youth and Most Likely To Save the Planet, and to gold, silver and gold medal winners in 67 categories, ranging from non-fiction categories like Architecture and Religion, to fiction categories like Multicultural and Horror. Our Regional Awards honor books published with a regional focus, and recognize Best Fiction and Best Non-Fiction Book in eight U.S. and two Canadian regions.

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Feature

1999 Independent Publisher Book Awards Results

IPPY Award Winners Exhibit Quality and Daring

Congratulations to all 645 of the independent publishers who participated in this year's Awards! You impressed us beyond all expectations with your entries (1,293 of them) - and proved one thing beyond all doubt - there is some great publishing going on out there.

Across the board, the judges were tremendously impressed with the quality of the entries, and with the positive direction independent publishing is heading. From cover design to writing style, the entries exhibited the highest standards, much as one would expect from the world 's best books.

We did, however, find many of these books to be different fromthose in the front windows of the superstores and from those on the typical bestseller list. Many IPPY winners and finalists are examples of books that stretch the boundaries of their genres - they are books that take chances.

Our sincere thanks to all participants in the 1999 Independent Publisher Book Awards, for your great work, and for being involved in the exciting independent publishing movement.


Editor's Choice Awards

The Cockfighter, by Frank Manley (Coffeehouse Press)

Born to Grill, by Cheryl Alters Jamison & Bill Jamison (Harvard Common Press)

The Vegetarian Grill, by Andrea Chesman (Harvard Common Press)

The Journals: A Message From the Council of the Ancients, by R.T. Stone (DaScribe Literary Marketing Services)

Elvgren: His Life and Art, by Max Allan Collins and Drake Elvgren (Collectors Press, Inc.)

Important Things, by Melissa Spinger (Crane Hill Publishers)

Outdoor Life: 100 Years in Pictures, by Todd W. Smith et. al., editors (Creative Publishing International)

A Chair Full of Heart, by Vicky Cavin; illustrated by Sally R. Simmer (Hara Publishing Group)

The Life of an Oak: An Intimate Portrait, by Glenn Keator; artwork by Susan Bazell (Heyday Books)

The Voice of the Infinite in the Small: Revisioning the Insect-Human Connection, by Joanne Elizaeth Lauck (Swan-Raven & Co.)

The Victorian Internet, by Tom Standage (Walker & Co.)

All About Jeeves, by P.G. Wodehouse; performed by Edward Duke (B & B Audio)


1999 Independent Publisher Book Awards National Medalists

Results listed below by category.


1. Fine Art

Winner: A Luminous Land: Artists Discover Greece, by Richard Stoneman (The J. Paul Getty Museum)

Finalists: Agnes Martin: Works on Paper, by Aline Chipman Brandauer with Harmony Hammond and Ann Wilson (New Mexico Museum of Fine Arts)

Mortality Immortality: The Legacy of 20th Century Art, edited by Miguel Angel Corzo (The Getty Conservation Institute)


2. Performing Arts

Winner: MusicHound Lounge: The Essential Album Guide to Martini Music and Easy Listening, by Steve Knopper (Visible Ink Press)

Finalists: How to Be Your Own Booking Agent AND Save Thousands of Dollars: A Performing Artist’s Guide to a Successful Touring Career, by Jeri Goldstein (The New Times Music, Inc.)

The Blues Is a Feeling: Voices and Visions of African American Blues Musicians, by James Fraher (Face to Face Books)


3. PHOTOGRAPHY

Winner: Chased by the Light, by Jim Bradenburg (NorthWord Press – Special Editions)

Finalists: Plateau Light, by David Muench (Graphic Arts Publishing Company)

Seeing Is Believing, by Vik Muniz (Arena Editions)


4. ARCHITECTURE / INTERIOR DESIGN

Winner: A Place at the Lake, by Paul Clifford Larson (Afton Historical Society)

Finalists: Caribbean Baroque: Historic Architecture of the Spanish Antilles, by Pamela Gosner (Passeggiata Press)

A Hut of One’s Own, by Ann Cline (MIT Press)


5. FICTION

Winner: Lucky Man, Lucky Woman, by Jack Driscoll (Pushcart Press)

Finalists: Two Guys from Verona, by James Kaplan (Atlantic Monthly Press)

The Geography of Women, by Jack Fritscher (Palm Drive Publishing)


6. SHORT STORY FICTION

Winner: New Southern Harmonies: Four Emerging Fiction Writers, by Rosa Shand, Scott Gould, Deno Trakas, and George Singleton (Holocene Publishing)

Finalists: Thirst, by Ken Kalfus (Milkweed Editions)

The Dirty Shame Hotel and Other Stories, by Ron Block (New Rivers Press)


7. JUVENILE / YOUNG ADULT FICTION

Winner: Ethan Between Us, by Anna Myers (Walker and Company)

Finalists: Ratzo, by Marty Crisp (Rising Moon)

Baby Help, by Marilyn Reynolds (Morning Glory Press)


8. MULTICULTURAL FICTION

Winner: Beyond the Limbo Silence, by Elizabeth Nunez (Seal Press)

Finalists: Odyssey to the North, by Mario Bencastro, translated by Susan Giersbach Rascon (Arte Publico Press)

House of the Winds, by Mia Yun (Interlink Books)


9. VISIONARY FICTION

Winner: The Mt. Pelee Redemption: A Metaphysical Mystery, by Stephen Hawley Martin (Hampton Roads Publishing)

Finalists: I Hated Heaven, by Kenny Kemp (Alta Films Press)

The Bird That Flies Highest, by Brad Johnson (Rutledge Books)


10. ESSAY / CREATIVE NON-FICTION

Winner: Zapata’s Disciple: Essays, by Martin Espada (South End Press)

Finalists: Mark of the Grizzly: True Stories of Recent Bear Attacks and the Hard Lessons Learned, by Scott McMillion (Falcon Press Publishing)

Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea, by Gary Kinder (The Atlantic Monthly Press)


11. JUVENILE / YOUNG ADULT NON-FICTION

Winner: Children of the Midnight Sun: Young Native Voices of Alaska, by Roy Corral (Alaska Northwest Books)

Finalists: Mary Shelley: Frankenstein’s Creator, by Joan Jane Nichols (Conari Press)

The Adventures of Sojourner: The Mission to Mars that Thrilled the World, by Susi Trautmann Wunsch (Mikaya Press)


12. MULTICULTURAL NON-FICTION

Winner: Piñatas & Smiling Skeletons: Celebrating Mexican Festivals, by Zo Harris and Suzanne Williams; illustrated by Yolanda Garfias Woo (Pacific View Press)

Finalists: Immigrants & Refugees: Create Your New Life in America, by Raimonda Mikatavage (Melodija Books)

African American Quiltmaking in Michigan, edited by Marsha L. MacDowell (Michigan State University Press)


13. AUTOBIOGRAPHY / MEMOIR

Winner: Nola: A Memoir of Faith, Art, and Madness, by Robin Hemley (Graywolf Press)

Finalists: Ordinary Paradise, by Laura Furman (Winedale Publishing)

The Books in My Life, by Colin Wilson (Hampton Roads Publishing Company)


14. BIOGRAPHY

Winner: MacMillan: The American Grain Family, by W. Duncan MacMillan with Patricia Condon Johnston and John Steele Gordon (Afton Historical Society Press)

Finalists: The Doing of the Thing, the Brief Brilliant Whitewater Career of Buzz Holmstrom, by Vince Welch, Cort Conley, and Brad Dimock (Fretwater Press)

Betty Friedan and the Making of The Feminine Mystique, by Daniel Horowitz (University of Massachusetts Press)


15. BUSINESS / CAREER

Winner: The Wizard of Ads: Turning Words into Magic and Dreamers into Millionaires, by Roy H. Williams (Bard Press)

Finalists: The Inheritor’s Handbook: A Definitive Guide for Beneficiaries, by Dan Rottenberg (Bloomberg Press)

Play to Win: Choosing Growth Over Fear in Work and Life, by Larry Wilson and Hersch Wilson (Bard Press)


16. CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK

Winner: A Caldecott Celebration: Six Artists and Their Paths to the Caldecott Medal, by Leonard S. Marcus (Walker and Company)

Finalists: The Legend of Sleeping Bear, by Kathy-jo Wargin, illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen (Sleeping Bear Press)

The Enormous Potato, retold by Aubrey Davis, illustrated by Dusan Petricic (Kids Can Press)


17. COFFEETABLE BOOK

Winner: Pool Light, by Howard Schatz (Schatz/Ornstein Studio)

Finalists: The Mercator Atlas of Europe, edited by Marcel Watelet (Walking Tree Press)

By Chance? Landscapes from the Canvas of the Creator, by John MacMurray (Multnomah Press)


18. COMPUTER / INTERNET

Winner: Cracking the Gender Code: Who Rules the Wired World? by Melanie Stewart Miller (Second Story Press)

Finalists: 1001 Windows 98 Tips, by Kris Jamsa (Jamsa Press)

The Millennium Countdown, by Lynn Craig and Mike Kusmirak (Kogan Page)


19. COOKBOOK

Winner: El Charro Café: The Tastes and Traditions of Tucson, by Carlotta Dunn Flores (Fisher Books)

Finalists: 72 Market St. Dishes It Out! by Roland Gibert with Robert Lia (Wave Publishing)

Fit to Cook: Why “Waist” Time in the Kitchen? by Denise Hamilton, Chantal Jakel and Cynthia Kereluk (Fit to Cook Inc.)


20. CURRENT EVENTS

Winner: Azim’s Bardo: A Father’s Journey from Murder to Forgiveness, by Azim Khamisa with Carl Goldman (Rising Star Press)

Finalists: Gay Happiness: How to Get It, by Lee Dode (Arete Publishing)

What in the World is Going On? by Sherryl Gunnels-Perry (Concepts Graphics & Publishing)


21. EDUCATION

Winner: Cultural Haunting: Ghosts and Ethnicity in Recent American Literature, by Kathleen Brogan (University Press of Virginia)

Finalists: Dimensions of Forgiveness: Psychological Research and Theological Perspectives, by Everett L. Worthington (Templeton Foundation Press)

Lessons from the Field: Applying Appreciative Inquiry, by Sue Annis Hammond and Cathy Royal (Practical Press Inc.)


22. ENVIRONMENT / NATURE

Winner: Bison: Monarch of the Plains, photography by David Fitzgeral; text by Linda Hasselstrom (Graphic Arts Center Publishing)

Finalists: Black Bear Country, by Michael Furtman (Creative Publishing International)

Science Under Siege: The Politicians’ War on Nature and Truth, by Todd Wilkinson (Johnson Books)


23. GAY / LESBIAN

Winner: Improper Bostonians: Lesbians and Gay History from the Puritans to Playland, compiled by The History Project (Beacon Press)

Finalists: Someone Bought the House on the Island, by Ken Anderson (Florida Literary Foundation and STARbooks Press)

The Lover of My Soul: A Search for Ecstasy and Wisdom, by Perry Brass (Belhue Press)


24. HEALTH / MEDICINE

Winner: 101 Medicinal Herbs, by Steven Foster (Interweave Press)

Finalists: The Tai Chi Book: Refining and Enjoying a Lifetime of Practice, by Robert Chuckrow (YMAA Publications)

Chi Gung, by L.V. Carnie (Llewellyn Publications)


25. HISTORY

Winner: Sisterhood of Spies: The Woman of the OSS, by Elizabeth P. McIntosh (Naval Institute Press)

Finalists: America and the Sea: A Maritime History, by Benjamin W. Larabee, William M. Fowler, Jr., John B. Hattendorf, Jeffrey J. Safford, Edward W. Sloan, and Andrew W. German (Mystic Seaport Museum)

The American Counterrevolution: A Retreat from Liberty, by Larry E. Tise (Stackpole Books)


26. HOME / GARDEN

Winner: I’ll Never Marry a Farmer, by Lois Hole (Hole’s Greenhouse Publishing)

Finalists: Maria Rodale’s Organic Gardening: Your Seasonal Companion to Creating a Beautiful And Delicious Garden, by Maria Rodale (Rodale Press)

Colors for Your Every Mood: Discover Your True Decorating Colors, by Leatrice Eiseman (Capital Books, Inc.)


27. HOW TO (CRAFT / HOBBY)

Winner: Dyes & Paints: A Hands on Guide to Coloring Fabric, by Elin Noble (Fiber Studio Press, Martingale & Co.)

Finalists: Tiny Treasures: Amazing Miniatures You Can Make, edited by Trula Magruder and Michelle Watkins (American Girl Library, Pleasant Company Publications)

Wheel-Thrown Ceramics, by Don Davis (Lark Books)


28. HUMOR

Winner: There’s No Toilet Paper… On the Road Less Traveled, edited by Doug Lansky (Traveler’s Tales)

Finalists: When I Cook They Run! The Art of Miserable Meal Making, by Karen Kallet (Twenty12 Publishing)

The Traveller’s Guide to Hell, by Mark Pauls and Dana Facaros (Cadogan Guides, Globe Pequot Press)


29. INSPIRATIONAL / SPIRITUAL

Winner: Seeking Peace: Notes and Conversations Along the Way, by Johann Christoph Arnold (Plough Publishing)

Finalists: The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seekers Guide to Making Travel Sacred, by Phil Cousineau (Conari Press)

Landscapes of the Heart, by Cathy Cummings Chisholm (Bridge Resources)


30. NEW AGE

Winner: Letter to Earth, by Elia Wise (Inspired Company)

Finalists: Spirit Guides & Angel Guardians: Contact Your Invisible Helpers, by Richard Webster (Llewellyn Publications)

Waking Up in Time: Finding Inner Peace in Times of Accelerating Change, by Peter Russell (Origin Press)


31. PARENTING

Winner: Pregnancy to Parenthood: Your Personal Step-by-Step Journey through the Childbirth Experience, by Linda Goldberg, Ginny Brinkley, and Janice Kukar (Avery Publishing Group)

Finalists: In-Home Child Care: A Step-by-Step Guide to Quality, Affordable Care, by Debra K. Shatoff (Family CareWare)

Raising Teenagers: The Best Resources to Help Yours Succeed, edited by John Ganz (Resource Pathways)


32. POETRY

Winner: Walt Whitman: The Measure of His Song, edited by Jim Perlman, Ed Folsom, and Dan Campion (Holy Cow! Press)

Finalists: Bathwater Wine, by Wanda Coleman (Black Sparrow Press)

Gratitude, by Sam Hamill (BOA Editions)


33. POPULAR CULTURE

Winner: Pulp Culture: The Art of Fiction Magazines, by Frank M. Robinson and Lawrence Davidson (Collector’s Press, Inc.)

Finalists: The Beauty Box: A Tribute to the Legendary Beauty Parlors of the South, by Kathy Kemp; photographed by Karim Shamsi-Basha (Crane Hill Publishers)

100 Years of Filmmaking in New Mexico, edited by Kelly Cosandaey and Jon Bowman (University of New Mexico Press)


34. RECREATION / SPORTS

Winner: Ultimate Sailing, by Sharon Green with Douglas Hunter (Firefly Books)

Finalists: Reflections of the Game: Lives in Baseball, by Ronald C. Modra (Willow Creek Press)

The Best of Benson: A Twenty-year Anthology of Sports Writing, by Lee Benson (Deseret Book Company)


35. REFERENCE

Winner: Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War: A Political, Social, and Military History, edited by Spencer C. Tucker (ABC-CLIO)

Finalists: An Encyclopedia of Women Artists of the American West, by Phil Kovinick and Marian Yoshiki-Kovinick (University of Texas Press)

Colt Blackpowder Reproductions & Replicas: A Collector’s & Shooter’s Guide, by Dennis Adler (Blue Book Publications)


36. RELIGION

Winner: Spiritual Evolution: Scientists Discuss Their Beliefs, edited by John Marks Templeton and Kenneth Seeman Giniger (Templeton Foundation Press)

Finalists: From Eden to Armageddon: A Biblical History of the World in Classic Art and Illustration, edited by Denny L. Brown (Deseret Book Company)

Islam: Origin and Belief, by Emory C. Bogle (University of Texas Press)


37. SCIENCE

Winner: Taking the Stars: Celestial Navigation from Argonauts to Astronauts, by Peter Ifland (Krieger Publishing Company)

Finalists: The Handy Physics Answer Book, by P. Erik Gunderson (Visible Ink Press)

Rocks From Space: Meteorites and Meteorite Hunters, 2nd Edition, by O. Richard Norton (Mountain Press Publishing Company)


38. SELF-HELP

Winner: Good Grief: Healing Through the Shadow of Loss, by Deborah Morris Coryell (The Shiva Foundation)

Finalists: Depression: How it Happens, How it’s Healed, by John Medina, Ph.D. (New Harbinger Publications)

Sex Smart: How Your Childhood Shaped Your Sexual Life and What To Do About It, by Aline P. Zoldbrod, Ph.D. (New Harbinger Publications)


39. TRAVEL

Winner: The People’s Guide to Mexico – 25th Anniversary Edition, by Carl Franz; edited by Lorena Havens & Steve Rogers (John Muir Publications)

Finalists: The Ladies, the Gwich’in, and the Rat, by Clara Vyvyan; edited by I.S. MacLaren and Lisa N. LaFramboise (The University of Alberta Press) 

Hitchhiking Vietnam: A Woman’s Solo Journey in an Elusive Land, by Karin Muller (Globe Pequot Press)

Dream Sleeps: Castle & Palace Hotels of Europe, by Pamela L. Barrus (Carousel Press)


40. WOMEN’S ISSUES

Winner: Finding Fran: History and Memory in the Lives of Two Women, by Lois W. Banner (Columbia Univeristy Press)

Finalists: ReVisions: Seeing Torah Through a Feminist Lens, by Rabbi Elyse Goldstein (Jewish Lights Publishing)

The Woman Awake: Feminine Wisdom for Spiritual Life, by Regina Sara Ryan (Hohm Press)


41. AUDIO FICTION – ABRIDGED

Winner: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson (Monterey soundWorks, The Monterey Movie Company)

Finalists: No Physical Evidence, by Gus Lee; read by Dick Hill (Brilliance Audio Corporation) 

High Crimes, by William Deverell; read by Steve and Maggie Scherf (Jim Dandy Productions)


42. AUDIO FICTION – UNABRIDGED

Winner: The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver; read by Dean Robertson (Brilliance Audio Corporation)

Finalists: The Time Is Now, by Melody Sumner Carnahan (Burning Books / Frog Peak Music)

The World’s Shortest Stories, read by Frank Muller, Suzanne Toren and Kathy Garver (Listen & Live Audio)


43. AUDIO NON-FICTION

Winner: The Golden Rule of Schmoozing, by Aye Jaye; read by Penn Gillette (Listen & Live Audio)

Finalists: King of the World, by David Remnick; read by Dick Hill (Brilliance Audio)

Colder Than Hell: A Marine Rifle Company at Chosin Reservoir, by Joseph R. Owen; read by Richard Rohan (Naval Institute Press)


44. CHILDREN’S AUDIO

Winner: Hank the Cowdog #30: The Case of the Haystack Kitties, by John Erickson (Maverick Books)

Finalists: Running Out of Time, by Margaret Peterson Haddix; read by Kimberly Schraf (Listening Library, Inc.)

The Daylight Limited, by Lin Oliver; read by Levar Burton; illustrations by Charles Pyle (Learning Curve International)


45. DIRECT TO AUDIO

Winner: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, written and produced by Yuri Rasovsky (Tangled Web Audio)

Finalists: Brick Mallery, Private Investigator, by Mark Bornstein; music by Chester Jankowski (Scenario Productions)

The Rocket Men, by Daniel Cline (Ziplow Productions)