Press Releases - Lynd Ward Prize | Pennsylvania Center for the Book

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Press Release - 2021 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel to be awarded at Nov. 16 virtual event

Sarah Mirk will receive the honor for "Guantanamo Voices: True Accounts from the World’s Most Infamous Prison"

November 08, 2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sarah Mirk, 2021 winner of the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year, will receive the award on Tuesday, Nov. 16 for “Guantanamo Voices: True Accounts from the World’s Most Infamous Prison.” Mirk’s talk will include a visual presentation and discussion of her latest work, described on her website as an illustrated oral history that shares the stories of 10 people who spent time at the prison since 2002.

The virtual award ceremony and author talk will be streamed online for viewing via Zoom and begins at 7 p.m.

“'Guantanamo Voices,'” the jury stated, “is a solid example of graphic journalism that gives a voice to the lives touched by the Guantanamo Bay prison, from prisoners and lawyers to social workers and military officers.”

The jury also awarded two honor books: “Dragon Hoops,” by Gene Luen Yang, published by First Second, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; and “Welcome to the New World,” by Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan, published by Henry Holt and Company/Metropolitan Books/Macmillan Publishers.

The Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year is sponsored by the Penn State University Libraries and administered by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress. It is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or nonfiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. or Canadian citizen or resident.

The award’s selection jury includes representatives from various Penn State academic departments who use the graphic novel in their teaching or research, as well as representatives with graphic-novel expertise from among Penn State’s alumni and students.

Established in 2011, the Lynd Ward Prize honors Ward’s formative influence in the development of the graphic novel and celebrates the gift of an extensive collection of Ward’s wood engravings, original book illustrations and other graphic art donated to the Penn State University Libraries by his daughters Robin Ward Savage and Nanda Weedon Ward. Recently, the University Libraries digitized the collection, titled Lynd Ward Wood Engravings and Other Graphic Art, circa 1920-1975, and made it available online.

Ward, creator of the first American wordless novel, “God’s Man,” produced it and five additional groundbreaking wordless novels between 1929 and 1937 — “Madman’s Drum,” “Wild Pilgrimage,” “Prelude to a Million Years,” “Songs without Words” and “Vertigo.” They have been re-issued by the Library of America in a two-volume boxed set titled “Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts,” the first time the nonprofit publisher has included a graphic novelist in its award-winning series.

Co-sponsors with the Pennsylvania Center for the Book for the Lynd Ward Prize include Penn State University Libraries; the Eberly Family Special Collections Library; Library Learning Services; the English Department in the College of the Liberal Arts; and the College of the Liberal Arts.

For more information about the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year, or questions about accommodations at the ceremony, contact Caroline Wermuth at 814-863-5472 or cvw1@psu.edu. For more information about the selection criteria and how to submit books for consideration for the 2020 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, contact Ellysa Stern Cahoy at 814-865-9696 or ellysa@psu.edu, or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book’s website.

Penn State News

Press Release - 2021 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

April 26, 2021
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Guantanamo Voices: True Accounts from the World's Most Infamous Prison” edited by Sarah Mirk and published by Abrams ComicArts has won the 2021 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize. Penn State University Libraries sponsors the juried award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

Jurors called this book “a solid example of graphic journalism that gives a voice to the lives touched by the Guantanamo Bay prison, from prisoners and lawyers to social workers and military officers. The stories — of those tortured by the American justice system or on the “wrong side” of the government’s agenda — are nuanced, not setting up a clear good and evil but instead laying out the details in an honest and thought-provoking, sometimes shocking and often haunting way. Each narrative was created from first-hand interviews and illustrated by a separate artist. The unique styles of each artist create a purposefully jarring effect that keeps the reader unsettled and engaged emphasizing the individuality and humanity represented in each story. Mirk and her team of artists beautifully and painfully bring these stories out of the shadows to remind readers of the cruel and indiscriminate acts of rushing to justice by the American judicial system.”

Sarah Mirk will receive a $2,500 prize and, courtesy of the Library of America, the two-volume set of "Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts" at a forthcoming event.

“Dragon Hoops” by Gene Luen Yang, First Second Books, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group; and “Welcome to the New World” by Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan, Henry Holt and Company/Metropolitan Books/Macmillan Publishers have been named 2021 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize honor books.

In “Dragon Hoops,” said the jury, “Yang presents the tale of Bishop O’Dowd’s High School boys’ basketball team and its journey to the California State Championships in 2014-15 under head coach Lou Richie. Yang’s perspective as a teacher at the school and student of the sport are key elements of his excellent storytelling. His quest to understand why basketball has such an emotional impact on a school and community leads him and his readers to wonderful discoveries. As he explores his own relationship with basketball, the rich history of the sport, and the experiences of various characters, Yang does not shy away from complexity, including references to ways sports have crossed boundaries into politics, brought together people from various cultures and backgrounds despite racism, and wrestled with their own scandals. ‘Dragon Hoops’ is the heartfelt story of the commitment these kids and their coaches have for each other and to their sport. Basketball fans and nonfans alike will find themselves immersed in this smart and engaging novel.”

About “Welcome to the New World” the jury wrote, “Following one refugee family’s journey from Syria to the United States as Donald Trump was elected to the White House, this story is both heartbreaking and hopeful. The reader is given a first-hand and personal perspective of the overwhelming sense of change and upheaval a refugee family experiences from leaving their country to becoming settled in the United States. Halpern and Sloan were able to balance the fear and humiliation this family felt with moments of warmth and humor. Halpern’s deep dive into this family’s experience makes it a smart and humanizing piece of journalism while Sloan’s simple, yet evocative illustrations bring that story to life for readers while also leaving space for readers to imagine how the characters’ experiences are not unique to these individuals. If you have never known the challenges, sense of isolation, adventure, and risk of the immigrant experience, this is the perfect place to begin your lesson.”

The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or nonfiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. or Canadian citizen or resident. It honors Ward's influence in the development of the graphic novel and celebrates the gift of an extensive collection of Ward’s wood engravings, original book illustrations and other graphic art donated to Penn State’s University Libraries by his daughters Robin Ward Savage and Nanda Weedon Ward. Between 1929 and 1937, Ward published his six groundbreaking wordless novels: "Gods' Man," "Madman’s Drum," "Wild Pilgrimage," "Prelude to a Million Years," "Song without Words" and "Vertigo."

The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel selection jury includes representatives who have significant graphic novel expertise. Here are the 2021 jurors:

Karen M. Lambert has been a librarian in the adult department at Schlow Centre Region Library since 2010. She evaluates print and online published trade reviews, and purchases and maintains graphic novel collections for the teen and adult libraries. She is also a co-coordinator of BookFestPA, which promotes local comic book creators and illustrators.

Charlotte Land is an assistant professor of education with an emphasis on language and literacy studies at Penn State University. Her research and teaching focus on reading and writing at the intermediate and secondary grade levels. Part of her work on critical and culturally sustaining literacy teaching has included thinking with teachers and young people about expanding definitions of “what counts” as quality literature or writing. She has also had the pleasure of working with various groups of young people in creating graphic novels/comics of their own.

C. Victoria McCrary is an undergraduate student at Penn State and a passionate reader, creator, and game designer. Her love for the arts began at an early age and continues to refine throughout her educational journey.

John Shableski is a publishing industry veteran who has created grant programs, industry awards, and graphic novel-centric professional development programs for national and international trade shows, conferences, and conventions. He currently serves as president of Reading with Pictures, an organization dedicated to getting "comics into schools and schools into comics." His ultimate objective is to help struggling students discover their joy of reading.

Co-sponsors of this award are the Penn State University Libraries; Library Learning Services; the Eberly Family Special Collections Library; the Department of English in the College of the Liberal Arts; and the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State University.

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, encourages Pennsylvania's citizens and residents to study, honor, celebrate and promote books, reading, libraries and literacy. In addition to the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, it also administers the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award; Public Poetry Project; A Baker’s Dozen: The Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy; Poems from Life; Wordstruck: Micro Essays on Literature that Redefined You; and the interactive Literary & Cultural Heritage Maps of Pennsylvania.

For more information about the selection criteria and how to submit books for consideration for the 2021 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, contact Ellysa Cahoy at ellysa@psu.edu or 814-865-9696, or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book's website.

Penn State News

Press Release - 2020 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

Travis Dandro's 'King of King Court' wins 2020 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize
Jury awards honor status to 'New Kid,' by Jerry Craft

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — "King of King Court" by Travis Dandro, published by Drawn & Quarterly, has won the 2020 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year. Penn State University Libraries sponsors the juried award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

"A heartbreaking, masterful debut graphic memoir from Travis Dandro, 'King of King Court' grapples with the complexities of abuse and trauma while still leaving space for childhood innocence, play, and discovery," the 2020 Lynd Ward Prize jury said. "Dandro's life is punctuated by moments of violence and shrouded in omnipresent tension that center around his biological father, 'Dad Dave.' … Dandro's deft intermingling of word and image exemplifies what a graphic novel can do by conveying a deeply personal story that could not be told as effectively in any other form. With his economy of words and his deceptively simple artwork, he leads us through a slow and quiet [tale]…

"Ultimately, Dandro creates a multilayered narrative that is both understanding of Dad Dave's struggles and critical of his abusive actions, resulting in an honest story that invites the reader to sit with discomfort and to contend with ambiguity."

Dandro will receive $2,500 and, courtesy of Library of America, the two-volume set of "Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts" at a future ceremony, with date and place to be announced.

The jury also awarded the honor book: "New Kid" by Jerry Craft, published by Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. The jury said of Craft's 'New Kid,' "Craft presents a nuanced representation of an African-American boy by moving away from a reductive black-white binary that essentializes African American experiences. … As we travel with Jordan through the different spaces in his life — from his home in the city to his new private middle school and to the homes of his new friends — we can perceive a subtle critique on class, race, privilege and access. … Craft knows how to 'show, not tell,' and uses the visual aspect of the graphic novel not only to deliver well-placed gags, but also to illustrate how prejudice can be grounded in the visual and to reveal how toxic our ways of 'reading the other' can be. …"

The award is selected by a diverse panel with graphic novel expertise, including individuals with significant ties to Penn State University. Here is the selection jury for the 2020 Lynd Ward Prize:

— Irenae Aigbedion is a doctoral candidate in comparative literature at Penn State whose research focuses on representations of race and ethnicity in contemporary comics from the Americas. She also teaches courses using comics in order to challenge her students to think about the ways that they have been taught to see and to read.

— Megan Baughman is a Penn State undergraduate majoring in English who has studied both reading and creating graphic novels in her coursework.

— Jason Griffith is an assistant professor of Language and Literacy Education at Penn State. Griffith has a particular interest in graphic memoir and has written about visual composition in his column for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Voices from the Middle.

— James McCready is an actor, writer and musician living in State College, Pennsylvania. He received a master of fine arts in creative writing with a focus on experimental prose and mixed media writing from Fairfield University. He was recently published in the anthology "Nothing Short Of: Selected Tales from 100 Word Story."

— Colette Slagle is a dual degree doctoral candidate in curriculum and instruction and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at Penn State. She studies girls' quests in fantasy, examining both novellas and graphic novels in her research, and also teaches comics in her literature courses.

Co-sponsors of this award include Barbara Dewey, dean of Penn State University Libraries and Scholarly Communications; the Penn State University Libraries, Library Learning Services and the Eberly Family Special Collections Library; the Department of English in the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State; and the College of the Liberal Arts.

Penn State News

Press Release - 2019 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

Nora Krug's 'Belonging' wins 2019 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize
'On a Sunbeam,' by Tillie Walden, also awarded honor status by jury
The event will also be streamed online for viewing via Mediasite Live.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home,” by Nora Krug and published by Scribner, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, has won the 2019 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the year. Penn State University Libraries sponsors the juried annual award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

“Nora Krug’s ‘Belonging’ is an examination of culpability,” the 2019 Lynd Ward Prize jury said. “The graphic memoir follows Nora as she uncovers her family’s participation in World War II, and the impact the War continues to have on the generations that follow. Her language is poetic, and her assemblage of fading photographs, letters, and vibrant illustrations evoke a palimpsest of history and memory. Employing collage in tandem with her personal illustration style, she negotiates historical space with her own artistic vision. The result is rich storytelling that winnows a human connection out of loss and reckoning. This graphic memoir feels part diary, part archival record, and the outcome is both personal and educational — about German identity — and about the collective cultural aftermath of the Holocaust.”

The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or nonfiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. or Canadian citizen or resident. It honors Ward’s influence in the development of the graphic novel and celebrates the gift of an extensive collection of Ward’s wood engravings, original book illustrations and other graphic art donated to Penn State University Libraries by his daughters Robin Ward Savage and Nanda Weedon Ward. Between 1929 and 1937, Ward published six groundbreaking wordless novels: “God’s Man,” “Madman’s Drum,” “Wild Pilgrimage,” “Prelude to a Million Years,” “Song without Words” and “Vertigo.”

A $2,500 prize and a two-volume set of Ward’s six novels published by the Library of America will be presented to Krug at a ceremony this fall at Pattee and Paterno Library on Penn State’s University Park campus.

The jury also awarded one honor book: “On a Sunbeam,” by Tillie Walden and published by First Second, an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. About it, the jury said, “'On a Sunbeam,' a love epic traveling through space and time, comes alive through sublime art that sweeps the reader through a vibrant, lush world of Tillie Walden’s invention. It is a stunning exploration of space, identity and love that is aesthetically sophisticated and connects with feelings of intimacy and escapism.”

The Lynd Ward Prize 2019 selection jury included representatives from various Penn State academic departments who use the graphic novel in their teaching or research, as well as student and alumni representatives with graphic novel expertise:

Steven Herb, director emeritus of the Pennsylvania Center for the Book and lead founder of Penn State’s Lynd Ward Prize in 2011, has served on a dozen national children’s literature award committees including the Caldecott Committees of1988 and 2012 (chair). Herb has worked with Penn State’s extensive collection of Lynd Ward materials, producing exhibits, lectures, book chapters, and articles.
Maria Burchill is head of Adult Services at Schlow Centre Region Library in State College, Pennsylvania. Graphic novels are her literature of choice when reading for leisure, and she reviews and selects them for the Library's digital branch. She is a coordinator for Book Fest PA, which showcases comic book creators, and has co-led the Pennsylvania Humanities' Council sponsored Teen Reading Lounge at Schlow, which focused on creating, reading, and discussing graphic novels.
Brian Alfred, assistant professor of art and Arts/Design Entrepreneurship Teaching Fellow at Penn State, is an award-winning artist, musician and curator with works in the collections of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among others. Alfred is the creator and host of the "Sound & Vision" podcast and teaches a summer program in Tokyo about art and aesthetics in Japan and manga and anime.
Alise Deveney is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in film, with minors in English and theater. Deveney has always enjoyed reading and analyzing graphic novels and maintains an extensive and diverse collection.
Robyn Engel is a practicing project architect at the firm IKM Inc. in Pittsburgh. Her love of graphic novels has formed a specific interest in analyzing the comic narrative as it relates to spatial and architectural depiction. Her undergraduate architectural thesis applied comics as alternative media to shift mass consciousness about the water crisis in Los Angeles.

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book extended its gratitude to the co-sponsors of this award, including Barbara I Dewey, dean of Penn State University Libraries and Scholarly Communications; the Penn State University Libraries, Library Learning Services and the Eberly Family Special Collections Library; the Department of English in the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State; and the College of the Liberal Arts.

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, encourages Pennsylvania’s citizens and residents to study, honor, celebrate and promote books, reading, libraries and literacy. In addition to the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, it also administers the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award; Public Poetry Project; Letters about Literature; A Baker’s Dozen: The Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy; Poems from Life; and the interactive Literary & Cultural Heritage Map of Pennsylvania.

For more information about the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year, or questions about accommodations at the ceremony, contact Caroline Wermuth at 814-863-5472 or cvw1@psu.edu. For more information about the selection criteria and how to submit books for consideration for the 2020 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, contact Ellysa Cahoy at 814-865-9696 or ellysa@psu.edu, or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book’s website.

Penn State News

Press Release - 2018 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “My Favorite Thing is Monsters” by Emil Ferris, published by Fantagraphics Books, has won the 2018 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year. Penn State University Libraries sponsors the juried annual award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

“Part horror, part mystery, part transmuted memoir, ‘My Favorite Thing is Monsters’ resolutely rejects to settle into a particular genre,” the jury said. “This book is a masterwork as determined as its young protagonist to reveal the truth of our sad, misguided, cruel and yet tender species. Its layout defies most comics norms to create a … unique visual experience: a dialogic space for readers to affectively engage with social commentary while witnessing Karen Reyes’ inner and outer worlds as they collapse into each other. The pages of ‘Monsters’ perhaps are to comics paneling what poetry is to prose, and are richly drawn as crosshatched illustrations in ball-point pen, with stylistic nods to film noir, horror magazines and museum art.”

The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or nonfiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. or Canadian citizen or resident. It honors Ward’s influence in the development of the graphic novel and celebrates the gift of an extensive collection of Ward’s wood engravings, original book illustrations and other graphic art donated to Penn State’s University Libraries by his daughters Robin Ward Savage and Nanda Weedon Ward. Between 1929 and 1937, Ward published his six groundbreaking wordless novels: “Gods’ Man,” “Madman’s Drum,” “Wild Pilgrimage,” “Prelude to a Million Years,” “Song without Words” and “Vertigo.”

Ferris will receive $2,500 and a two-volume set of Ward’s six novels published by The Library of America at a ceremony this fall at Pattee and Paterno Library on Penn State’s University Park campus.

The jury also awarded two honor books: “Eartha” by Cathy Malkasian, published by Fantagrahics Books, and “Hostage” by Guy Delisle, published by Drawn & Quarterly. The jury said, “ ‘Eartha’ immerses readers into the … fictional world of Echo Fjord, a haven for unfinished dreams that float there from the dystopian-hued ‘City Across the Sea.’ A fun, fable-like parable about our own greedy, information-saturated world, ‘Eartha’ — both the book and main character — offers readers a temporary reprieve from cynicism by providing a powerful reminder of humankind’s capacity for kindness and love.”

“Hostage” follows Christophe André, a Doctors without Borders worker who is captured in 1997 by Chechen rebels in Russia. The jury said Delisle “masterfully captures the banality and frustration of captivity along with all of the fears and small victories,” and that “ ‘Hostage’ is a meditation on darkness and light, inhumanity and compassion, hopelessness and faith.”

The Lynd Ward Prize 2018 selection jury included Penn State academic department representatives who use the graphic novel in their teaching or research, as well as Penn State alumni and student representatives with graphic novel expertise:

Camila Gutierrez, a Penn State doctoral candidate in comparative literature, focuses on research involving traditions of Anglo comics, Japanese manga and Latin American historieta as observed from East/West and North/South comparative perspectives;
Paul Karasik, author and cartoonist from Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, with David Mazzucchelli adapted Paul Auster’s novel “City of Glass,” named one of the Best Comics of the 20th Century by The Comics Journal, and with Mark Newgarden co-authored “How To Read Nancy,” a recently published lexicon of the language of comics through the deconstruction of a single comic strip from Aug. 8, 1959, among other works;
Lars Stoltzfus-Brown, a Penn State doctoral candidate in mass communications, studies comics and adaptations using intersectional feminist political economy, which explores how comics portray gender, race and sexuality as well as tensions between comics creators and corporate entities through time;
Matt Tucker, a Penn State undergraduate student in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, enjoys learning about different cultures through graphic novels; and
Joseph Michael Valente, author, associate professor of education and co-director of Penn State’s Center for Disability Studies, wrote “d/Deaf and d/Dumb: A Portrait of a Deaf Kid as a Young Superhero,” published in 2011 by Peter Lang, and developed and taught the special topics course “Mutant Methodology: Graphic Novels as a Research Medium.”

For more information about the selection criteria and how to submit books for consideration for the 2019 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, contact Ellysa Cahoy at ellysa@psu.edu or 814-865-9696, or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book’s website.

Press Release - 2017 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

SHORT SUMMARY FOR PENN STATE NEWS / TODAY:

“Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq” by Sarah Glidden has won the 2017 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year. Penn State University Libraries sponsors the juried award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

HEADLINE:

‘Rolling Blackouts’ wins 2017 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria and Iraq” by Sarah Glidden, published by Drawn & Quarterly, has won the 2017 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year. Penn State University Libraries sponsors the juried award and its administrator, the Pennsylvania Center for the Book.

“Part memoir, part travel log, ‘Rolling Blackouts’ is the true story of Sarah Glidden, a cartoonist, accompanying two journalists and a former Marine to Turkey, Syria and Iraq to research the effects of the Iraq War on the Middle East. Yet it is also more than Glidden’s story — ‘Rolling Blackouts’ is ultimately the story of the political officials, civilians and refugees there,” the jury said. “Her book brings her readers to the front lines of war in the Middle East and leads them through the thicket of obstacles journalists encounter to get their story with storytelling that is intimate, engaging and frequently humorous. The images welcome the reader into the complex, many-layered world of the Middle East, and Glidden is a terrific guide.”

The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or nonfiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. or Canadian citizen or resident. It honors Ward’s influence in the development of the graphic novel and celebrates the gift of an extensive collection of Ward’s wood engravings, original book illustrations and other graphic art donated to Penn State’s University Libraries by his daughters Robin Ward Savage and Nanda Weedon Ward. Between 1929 and 1937, Ward published his six groundbreaking wordless novels: “Gods’ Man,” “Madman’s Drum,” “Wild Pilgrimage,” “Prelude to a Million Years,” “Song without Words” and “Vertigo.”

Glidden will receive $2,500 and a two-volume set of Ward’s six novels published by The Library of America at a ceremony this fall at Pattee Library and Paterno Library on Penn State’s University Park campus.

The jury also awarded two honor books: “Cousin Joseph” by Jules Feiffer, published by Liveright Publishing, and “Hot Dog Taste Test,” by Lisa Hanawalt, also published by Drawn & Quarterly. About “Cousin Joseph” the jury said, “Feiffer portrays an important part of American history — anti-union sentiments and the fear of socialists in Hollywood creating films that would shift our culture to the left — one that feels relevant in today’s political climate. It’s a captivating story meshed with gorgeous ink-washed drawings done in Feiffer's characteristic wobbly, lively line.”

Regarding “Hot Dog Taste Test,” the jury said, “Hilarious, quirkily drawn and often musing about taboo topics, Lisa Hanawalt's ‘Hot Dog Taste Test’ is a deliciously amusing read. The author skips from subject to subject in a frenetic, hyper sprint that very much simulates our nanosecond culture,” concluding that it is “a laugh-out-loud celebration of individuality and the goofy everyday thoughts that we tend to keep private.”

The Lynd Ward Prize 2017 selection jury included Penn State academic department representatives who use the graphic novel in their teaching or research, as well as Penn State alumni and student representatives with graphic novel expertise:

Amy Madison, adult services librarian at Schlow Centre Region Library, State College, Pa., and co-organizer of BookFest PA;

Stephanie Orme, doctoral candidate in communications, Penn State. She studies comic books from a feminist media studies approach, which involves examining how gender, race and sexuality intersect with comic book fandom and comic books as texts;

Jessica Sensenig, Penn State sophomore student majoring in English and telecommunications, Chambersburg, Pa. She has a strong appreciation for the interplay of words and images used in graphic novels;

Emily Steinberg, painter and graphic novelist, Philadelphia. She also teaches courses on painting and the graphic novel at Penn State Abington; and

John C. Weaver, English teacher, Williamsport High School, Williamsport, Pa., who has been using comics in his classroom for 15 years. He also has published and presented on the use of comics in the classroom.

The Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, encourages Pennsylvania’s citizens and residents to study, honor, celebrate and promote books, reading, libraries and literacy. In addition to the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, it also administers the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award, whose 2017 winner was announced Feb. 14; the Public Poetry Project, whose 2017 featured poets will offer a reading on April 20; Letters about Literature; A Baker’s Dozen: The Best Children’s Books for Family Literacy; and the interactive Literary & Cultural Heritage Map of Pennsylvania.

For more information about the selection criteria and how to submit books for consideration for the 2018 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, contact Ellysa Cahoy at ellysa@psu.edu or 814-865-9696, or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book’s website at https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/awards-contests/lynd-ward-graphic-novel-prize-introduction.

Media contact:

Jill Shockey, Manager, Public Relations and Marketing Penn State University Libraries, 515 Paterno Library, University Park, PA 16802-1812, jss140@psu.edu; 814-863-4240.

2016 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

Penn State announces winner of the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s University Libraries and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book are pleased to announce that “Unflattening” by Nick Sousanis, published by Harvard University Press, has won the 2016 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year.

“‘Unflattening,’” the jury noted, “is an innovative, multi-layered graphic novel about comics, art and visual thinking. The book’s ‘integrated landscape’ of image and text takes the reader on an Odyssean journey through multiple dimensions, inviting us to view the world from alternate visual vantage points. These perspectives are inspired by a broad range of ideas from astronomy, mathematics, optics, philosophy, ecology, art, literature, cultural studies and comics. The graphic styles and layouts in this work are engaging and impressive and succeed in making the headiest of ideas accessible. In short, ‘Unflattening’ takes sequential art to the next level. It takes graphic narrative into the realm of theory, and it puts theory into practice with this artful presentation of how imaginative thinking can enrich our understanding of the world.”

Sponsored by Penn State’s University Libraries and administered by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or nonfiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. or Canadian citizen or resident. A $2,500 prize and a two-volume set of Ward’s six novels published by The Library of America will be presented to Nick Sousanis at a ceremony at Penn State University in the fall.

The jury also awarded two honor books: “Displacement,” by Lucy Knisley, published by Fantagraphics, and “Russian Olive to Red King,” by Kathryn Immonen and Stuart Immonen, published by AdHouse Books. About “Displacement,” the jury said, “Lucy Knisley's ‘Displacement’ is a perfect memoir comic. Her vibrant watercolor illustration humanizes the reality of caring for loved ones as they age with candor and grace. The narrative of her grandfather’s journal from World War II woven in with harrowing cruise experiences is a crucial touchstone, reminding us that her grandparents are so much more than what they can express to the outside world in the present.”

About “Russian Olive to Red King,” the jury said, “Kathryn and Stuart Immonen’s ‘Russian Olive to Red King’ is that rare work of fine art that succeeds at cross-purposes; it is both successfully avant-garde and profoundly relatable. Stuart’s light, clean and deliberate artistic choices are the ideal counterpoint to Kathryn’s searing and devastating story of loss and grief, all of which leads to the novel’s formally upsetting and innovative coda.”

The selection jury had representatives from various Penn State academic departments who use the graphic novel in their teaching or research, as well as representatives with graphic novel expertise from among Penn State’s alumni and students.

The following comprise the selection jury for the 2016 prize:

Chair John McComas has a bachelor of arts degree in English from Penn State, and puts his 20-year “fascination for all facets of the comics medium” to good use as a full-time staffer at the Comic Swap in State College, Pa.;
Kendra Boileau is editor-in-chief of the Penn State University Press and the acquiring editor for the Press’ graphic medicine book series;
Collin Colsher of Brooklyn, N.Y., is creator of the “Real Batman Chronology Project,” and has a master of arts degree in cinema studies from NYU;
Dustin Perna is an undergraduate student at Penn State majoring in advertising and public relations with a fervent interest in comics and graphic novels; and
Beth Theobald is a reference and instruction librarian at Penn State’s Beaver campus.

For more information about the selection criteria and how to submit books for consideration for the 2017 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, contact Ellysa Cahoy at ellysa@psu.edu or 814-865-9696, or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book website:

https://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/awards-contests/lynd-ward-graphic-novel...

Editor’s contact: Jill Shockey, Manager Libraries Publications and Public Relations, Penn State University Libraries, 515 Paterno Library, University Park, PA 16802-1812, jss140@psu.edu; 814-863-4240.

2015 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

Penn State announces winner of the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

University Park, PA--Penn State’s University Libraries and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book are pleased to announce that “This One Summer ” by Mariko Tamaki (writer) and Jillian Tamaki (artist), published by First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, has won the 2015 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year.

“It’s an honor to have this book recognized and we are thrilled to accept,” said co-creators Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki. “Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki are major talents, and it’s wonderful that the power of their work is resonating across the whole literary landscape,” says Mark Siegel, editorial director of First Second.

“This One Summer,” says the jury, “is a beautifully drawn, keenly observed story. It is told with a fluid line and a sensitive eye to the emblematic moments that convey character, time, and place—the surf at night, the sound of flip-flops, a guarded sigh—all at the meandering pace of a summer’s vacation. The Tamakis astutely orchestrate the formal complexities of the graphic novel in the service of an evocative, immersive story. At first blush a coming of age story centered on two young girls, the book belongs equally to all its cast of characters, any of whom feel realized enough to have supported a narrative in their own right. Striking, relatable, and poignant, this graphic novel lingers with readers long after their eyes have left the pages.”

The jury also awarded one honor book: “Here,” by Richard McGuire and published by Pantheon Books, a division of Random House. Of “Here" the jury says, “Making literal the idiom ‘if these walls could
talk…’ McGuire’s ‘Here’ curates the long history of events transpiring in one location. Through the subtle transposition of objects and individuals in a room, the book teaches us that space is defined over time. … Evoking our longing for place, the book performs this cumulative effect for the reader, by layering people, experiences, and events in the context of a single environment. …”

The selection jury for the 2015 prize included Chair, Brandon Hyde, an undergraduate student majoring in English with a longstanding interest in comics and graphic novels; Joel D. Priddy, an associate professor of Graphic Design; Veronica Hicks, a dual PhD candidate in Art Education and Women's Studies; Brent Book, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church, Boalsburg, PA, who received his Liberal Arts baccalaureate degree from Penn State, and maintains a strong interest in the art and structure of storytelling through graphic novels; and Jonathan E. Abel, an assistant professor of Comparative Literature and Japanese.

For more information about the selection criteria and how to submit books for consideration for the 2016
Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, contact Ellysa Cahoy at ellysa@psu.edu or 814-865-9696 or visit the
Pennsylvania Center for the Book website:

Editor's contact: Lana Munip, assistant editor, Public Relations and Marketing, Penn State University
Libraries. 814-863-4265.

2014 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

Penn State announces winner of the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

University Park, PA--Penn State University Libraries and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book are pleased to announce that “Fran,” by Jim Woodring and published by Fantagraphics Books, has won the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year for 2014.

“Woodring's pen-and-ink technique is staggeringly lush and absorbing, yet he is equally proficient at ordering his panels into sequential art, thus driving his wordless story. These formal elements are critical to the book's episodes of hilariously violent slapstick, distortions of time and space and depictions of a bizarre world vibrating with psychedelic energy. Characters seem like embodied archetypes or allegories of psychological states, expressing themselves through their interactions with the fluid and unpredictable world they inhabit. Hypnotic and subliminal while entertaining and compelling, ‘Fran’s’ dream world is at once familiar and unsettling, a conduit to mental states that, in many ways, only the graphic novel can achieve. Woodring’s work poses a refreshing change from the trend towards wordy graphic memoir, entreating the reader to reckon with a world whose language we cannot capture in our own,” comments the jury.

Sponsored by Penn State's University Libraries and administered by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or non-fiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. or Canadian citizen or resident. Woodring will receive a cash prize of $2500, the two-volume set of Ward’s six novels published by The Library of America, and a suitable commemorative at a ceremony at Penn State in the fall.

The jury also awarded two honor books: “Boxers & Saints,” by Gene Luen Yang and published by First Second Books, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, and “Heck,” by Zander Cannon and published by Top Shelf Productions. Of “Boxers & Saints" the jury says, “In its exploration of the Boxer Rebellion, ‘Boxers & Saints’ works against the serial format so ingrained in the comics tradition. Yang uses each text to refract the other, showing the contradictions and failures of both sides as well as their resonances.” Of “Heck,” the jury says, “It is a thoroughly engaging story despite its seemingly simple presentation. It draws its intellectual inheritance from Dante’s ‘Inferno’ to explore memory, amnesia and morality with grace and wit. Cannon’s style is characterized by deft and confident thick line work combined with dark shadows, creating a stark black and white affair that hides nothing.”

The selection jury for the 2014 prize included Chair J. Harlan Ritchey, freelance illustrator, designer, videographer and library assistant, Engineering Library, University Libraries; B. Stephen Carpenter, II, professor of art education and professor in charge of the Art Education Program; Michelle N. Huang, University graduate fellow and Ph.D. candidate, Department of English; Benjamin Schreier, the Malvin and Lea Bank Assistant Professor of English and Jewish Studies and Kaity Watts, senior majoring in English, with emphases in publishing and creative writing, and minoring in world literature.

For more information about the selection criteria and how to submit books for consideration for the 2015 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, contact Ellysa Cahoy at ellysa@psu.edu or 814-865-9696 or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book website:http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/activities/ward/index.html.

Editor's contact: Catherine Grigor, manager, Public Relations and Marketing, Penn State University Libraries. 814-863-4240,cqg3@psu.edu

2013 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

Penn State announces winner of the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

University Park, PA--Penn State University Libraries and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book are pleased to announce that “Building Stories,” by Chris Ware and published by Pantheon, has won the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year for 2013.

“Ware's astute and precise renderings, composed with a tender yet unblinking clinical eye and fleshed out with pristine and evocative coloring, trace the mundane routines and moments of small crisis that his characters inhabit. In so doing, he produces not a document but a monument, a work whose narrative logic is architectural rather than chronological: a set of lives to be encountered, traversed, and returned to as the rooms and floors of a building might be over the years, still sequentially but not in a limited or decided-upon sequence. Stories, here, are meant not to be told but to be built, explored, inhabited—not merely visited but lived in," observes the award jury.

The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize honors Ward’s influence in the development of the graphic novel and celebrates the gift of an extensive collection of Ward’s wood engravings, original book illustrations and other graphic art donated to Penn State's University Libraries by his daughters Robin Ward Savage and Nanda Weedon Ward. Between 1929 and 1937, Ward published his six groundbreaking wordless novels—“Gods’ Man,” “Madman’s Drum,” “Wild Pilgrimage,” “Prelude to a Million Years,” “Song without Words” and “Vertigo.” The six books were re-issued in October 2010, by The Library of America in a two-volume boxed set entitled “Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts,” the first time this nonprofit publisher included a graphic novelist in its award-winning series.

Sponsored by Penn State's University Libraries and administered by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or non-fiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. or Canadian citizen or resident. Chris Ware will receive a cash prize of $2500, the two-volume set of Ward’s six novels published by The Library of America, and a suitable commemorative—at a ceremony at Penn State to be scheduled later this year.

The jury also awarded two honor books: “Heads or Tails,” by Lilli Carré and published by Fantagraphics Books, and “The Understanding Monster—Book One,” by Theo Ellsworth and published by Secret Acres. Of “Heads or Tails" a juror says, “Each story is exquisitely crafted, demonstrating both a compelling literary style and a rich, engaging design sense that can seem deceptively naïve or childlike on first glance but in context reveals striking sophistication and complexity.” “The Understanding Monster” says a juror,“is an endlessly captivating and rewarding piece of visual and narrative art.”

The selection jury for the 2013 prize included Chair Adam Haley, Ph.D., lecturer in English, College of the Liberal Arts; Sadie Buckallew, senior majoring in Communication Arts and Sciences, College of the Liberal Arts; Amanda Clossen, learning design librarian, Library Learning Services, University Libraries; Michael Jay Green, M.D., M.S., professor of humanities and medicine, College of Medicine; and J. Jeff Ungar, rare books cataloger, Cataloging and Metadata Services, University Libraries.

For more information about the selection criteria and how to submit books for consideration for the 2014 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, contact Ellysa Cahoy at ellysa@psu.edu or 814-865-9696 or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book website:http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/activities/ward/index.html.

Editor's contact: Catherine Grigor, manager, Public Relations and Marketing, Penn State University Libraries. 814-863-4240,cqg3@psu.edu

2012 Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

Penn State announces winner of the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

University Park, PA--Penn State University Libraries and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book are pleased to announce that “Big Questions” by Anders Nilsen, published by Drawn & Quarterly, has won the Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year. Says one judge, “In its poetic, even elemental grasp of the workings of life at a range of scales, from the molecular to the universal, this comic opens up a potent space for meditation on the human/animal continuum, the origins and meanings of violence, and the inexorable, consoling cycle of life.”

The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize honors Ward’s influence in the development of the graphic novel and celebrates the gift of an extensive collection of Ward’s wood engravings, original book illustrations and other graphic art donated to the Libraries by his daughters Robin Ward Savage and Nanda Weedon Ward. Between 1929 and 1937, Ward published his six groundbreaking wordless novels—“Gods’ Man,” “Madman’s Drum,” “Wild Pilgrimage,” “Prelude to a Million Years,” “Song without Words” and “Vertigo.” The six books were re-issued in October 2010, by The Library of America in a two-volume boxed set entitled “Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts,” the first time this nonprofit publisher has included a graphic novelist in its award-winning series.

Sponsored by Penn State University Libraries and administered by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or non-fiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. citizen or resident. Anders Nilsen will receive a cash prize of $2500, the two-volume set of Ward’s six novels published by The Library of America and a suitable commemorative at a ceremony to be held at Penn State later this year.

The jury also awarded four honor books prizes: “Freeway” by Mark Kalesniko, published by Fantagraphics Books; “Habibi” by Craig Thompson, published by Pantheon, an imprint of Random House; “Life With Mr. Dangerous” by Paul Hornschemeier, published by Villard, an imprint of Random House; and “Zahra’s Paradise” by Amir & Khalil, published by First Second, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers.

The selection jury for the prize has representatives from various Penn State academic departments who use the graphic novel in their teaching or research, as well as representatives with graphic novel expertise from among Penn State’s alumni. The selection jury for 2012 included Chair, Susan Squier, a Julia Greg Brill Professor of Women’s Studies, English, and Science, Technology and Society in the College of the Liberal Arts; Glenn Masuchika, an information literacy librarian in Library Learning Services, University Libraries; Henry Pisciotta, head of the Architecture Library and the assistant head of the Arts and Humanities Library, University Libraries; Esther Prins, an associate professor of education in adult education, in the College of Education, and the co-director of the Goodling Institute for Research in Family Literacy and the Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy; and John Secreto, owner of Comic Swap, a popular and thriving comics store operating in State College since 1976.

For more information about the selection criteria and how to submit books for consideration for the 2013 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, contact Steven Herb at 814-863-2141 or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book website: http://www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu/activities/ward/index.html.

Editor's contact: Catherine Grigor, manager, Public Relations and Marketing, Penn State University Libraries. 814-863-4240;cqg3@psu.edu

Penn State Announces Winner of the Inaugural Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year

Duncan the Wonder Dog is at once a breath-taking art book, a beautifully rendered comic and a story of the ethics of human relationships with animals. Jurors commented, "I was surprised and astounded at each page: the composition, layout, drawings and writing were so masterfully done, and Hines opens up new possibilities for comics as a creative medium. The content and form of the book are challenging but always rewarding, and the range of compositional techniques are ambitious and innovative. This book presents an experience of reading unlike any I have ever encountered in comics—a visually smart book. The author’s understanding of fine art printmaking, intaglio and lithography, is apparent and his techniques seamlessly recall these traditional forms of printmaking. Each of the 400 pages is a remarkable pastiche of printmaking techniques that are not self conscious nor gimmicky, but purposeful in conveying the sober content of this narrative. Not an easy book—it takes time to absorb the work, but it is time in which to savor the nuances of each page."University Park, PA—Penn State University Libraries and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book are pleased to announce that “Duncan the Wonder Dog” by Adam Hines, published by AdHouse Books, has won the inaugural Lynd Ward Prize for Graphic Novel of the Year.

The Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize honors Ward’s seminal influence in the development of the graphic novel and celebrates the gift of an extensive collection of Ward’s wood engravings, original book illustrations and other graphic art donated to the Libraries by his daughters Robin Ward Savage and Nanda Weedon Ward. Between 1929 and 1937, Ward published his six groundbreaking wordless novels—Gods’ Man, Madman’s Drum, Wild Pilgrimage, Prelude to a Million Years, Song without Words, and Vertigo. The six books were re-issued last October by The Library of America in a two-volume boxed set entitled Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts, the first time this nonprofit publisher has included a graphic novelist in its award-winning series.

Sponsored by Penn State University Libraries and administered by the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, the Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize is presented annually to the best graphic novel, fiction or non-fiction, published in the previous calendar year by a living U.S. citizen or resident. Adam Hines will receive a cash prize of $2500, the two-volume set of Ward’s six novels published by (and thanks to) The Library of America, and a suitable commemorative at a ceremony to be held at Penn State later this year.

The selection jury for the prize has representatives from various Penn State academic departments who use the graphic novel in their teaching or research, as well as representatives with graphic novel expertise from among Penn State’s alumni. The selection jury for 2011 included John Meier, an assistant librarian in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library; Jarod Rosello, a cartoonist, writer and doctoral student in curriculum and instruction in the College of Education; Jean Sanders, an associate professor of art in the School of Visual Arts; Scott T. Smith, an assistant professor of English and comparative literature in the College of the Liberal Arts; and Jerry Zolten, an associate professor of communication arts and sciences and American studies at Penn State Altoona.The prize jury also awarded an honor book prize to Drew Weing for Set to Sea, published by Fantagraphics. In this book, small in size but large in vision, the art of storytelling through pure visual image is at its height. Described by jurors as "a small wonder of visual narrative, the book's superbly executed single-panel pages combine iconic cartooning and realistic detail to deliver a quietly moving story that unfolds primarily through image. It epitomizes the whole notion of the graphic novel set forth by Lynd Ward—the illustrations are brilliant and the balance between word and image is spot on. The book encapsulates the power of comics to combine an aesthetic experience with a lovely story with strength and beauty that lies with its simplicity and subtlety.” Weing will accept his honor prize at an event co-sponsored by Penn State and the Pennsylvania Humanities Council at 6 p.m., on May 23, in Foster Auditorium on the Penn State University Park campus.

For more information about the selection criteria and how to submit books for consideration for the 2012 Lynd Ward Graphic Novel Prize, contact Steven Herb at 814-863-2141 or visit the Pennsylvania Center for the Book website:http://www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu/activities/ward/index.html.

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