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Society of Midland Authors Announces Awards

By Melissa Feldsher in Arts & Entertainment on May 6, 2009 4:00PM

2009_05_midlandsociety.gif The Society of Midland Authors is kind of like the literary Mensa of the Midwest. Since its founding in 1915, members have included Poetry magazine founder Harriet Monroe, founder of the U.S. Settlement House movement Jane Addams, social theorist Daniel J. Boorstin, and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Carl Sandburg.

Next Tuesday at its annual banquet and awards presentation, the Society will honor this year's authors who live in, were born in, or are strongly tied to the Midwest. Past winners have included Saul Bellow, Studs Terkel, and Gwendolyn Brooks. This year the following authors will be added to the Society of Midland Authors' illustrious ranks:

Additionally, the Society will present the James Friend Memorial Award for Literary Criticism to Teresa Budasi of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Complimentary copies of the winning books will be available to guests.

The Society of Midland Authors awards banquet, Tuesday, May 12, Congress Hotel, Buckingham Room, 520 S. Michigan Ave, Cocktails begin at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. $65.