Five titles published by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press have been named finalists in the 19th annual Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Awards.
- “Ghost of Good Times: South Louisiana Dance Halls Past and Present,” by Herman Fuselier and Philip Gould, in the Photography category, examines vanishing venues and the modern dance hall scene.
- “The Land South of the Clouds,” by Genaro Kỳ Lý Smith, in the General category, is a novel that explores the childhood of a half-black, half-Vietnamese, 10-year-old in Los Angeles in years after the Vietnam War.
- “A Legacy Preserved: Contemporary Louisiana Decoy Carvers,” by Harvey J. Lewis, in the Crafts and Hobbies category, documents the artistry and skill of Louisiana’s wildfowl decoy carvers.
- “Madame Grand Doigt,” by Yvette Landry, with illustrations by Cullen Bernard, in the Children’s category, is a spine-chilling tale that is steeped in Cajun tradition.
- “Martha Wright Ambrose (1914-2000): The Rediscovery of a Southern Regional Artist,” by Roulhac Toledano and Scott Veazey, in the Art category, details the artist’s life and work, and the discovery of a trove of forgotten paintings.
Librarians and booksellers will determine winners in 65 categories.
Winners in each genre – along with Editor’s Choice winners, and Foreword’s INDIE Publisher of the Year – will be announced on June 24 during the American Library Association annual conference in Chicago.
“Choosing finalists for the INDIES is always the highlight of our year, but the choice was more difficult this time around due to the high quality of submissions,” stated Victoria Sutherland, publisher of Foreword Reviews, in a press release.
Foreword Reviews is the only review magazine solely dedicated to reviewing titles by small, independent and university presses. The complete list of the finalists can be found at:
UL Press is part of the University's Center for Louisiana Studies. Learn more about the press at