Local Authors to be Honored at 5th Annual Literary Legends Event
Local authors Frankie Y. Bailey and Alice P. Green will be honored at the fifth annual Literary Legends gala on Saturday, Oct. 20, hosted by the Albany Public Library Foundation. In addition, Youth FX will be honored with the library’s first Community Partner Award.
The event will start at 7:00 pm at the library’s Howe Branch, which is located in the historic South End at the corner of Schuyler and Broad streets, and the awards ceremony will take place at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased online through the APL Foundation’s website, at any of the library’s seven branches prior to the event, or at the door the evening of Oct. 20.
The event includes the awards ceremony and remarks by the honorees, a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, and an open bar featuring wine, beer, and soft drinks at the Howe Branch. In addition, guests are invited to tour the nearby Schuyler Mansion between 5:30 and 7:30 pm.
Bailey is a distinguished scholar and professor of criminal justice at the University at Albany. She is also a mystery writer whose novels include the “Hannah McCabe” series, The Red Queen Dies, and What the Fly Saw.
Green is executive director of the Center for Law and Justice and a champion of literature. She founded the Paden Institute, a residency for writers of color in the Adirondacks, as well as The South End Scene, one of Albany’s longest running black newspapers.
Together, Green and Bailey have written three books. Wicked Albany (2009) and Wicked Danville (2011) are popular nonfiction works that explore crime and justice in the Prohibition Era. Law Never Here: A Social History of African American Responses to Crime and Justice (1999) is a scholarly nonfiction work that traces the evolution of the criminal justice system from slavery through the 20th century.
The Literary Legends event recognizes outstanding local authors, illustrators, and publishers for their extraordinary contributions to the art of letters. The event raises funds for the APL Foundation, which in turn supports special projects and programs at the library. More than $100,000 has been raised through the annual event. This year’s honorees join previous Literary Legends award recipients: Athena V. Lord (2017), Marion Roach Smith and Leonard Slade, Jr. (2016), Gregory Maguire and Barbara Smith (2015), and Paul Grondahl, Amy Biancolli, and William Kennedy (2014).
Youth FX is the first recipient of the new APL Community Partner Award, which was created to recognize the contributions of schools, businesses, agencies, and organizations that make the work of the library possible. Youth FX empowers young people by teaching them the technical and creative aspects of digital film making and media production. The organization is a valued APL collaborator that develops and delivers popular programming at our branches that inspires Albany’s teens and young adults. The partnership goes back to the early days of Youth FX, when APL provided bridge space and a place for the organization to grow and develop.
This year’s Literary Legends event sponsors are: First Light; The University at Albany Foundation; Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP; Brad Rose Landscaping; CDTA; KeyBank; MVP Health Care; Behan Communications; Global Partners; Kasselman Electric; Kate, Dave, and William Kruk; Overdrive; Lesley and Joe Paparone; and Shenker, Russo & Clark LLP.
Additional details about the Literary Legends event are available on the APL Foundation’s website at www.albanypubliclibraryfoundation.org.
Stephanie Simon
Stephanie Simon is manager of APL's Communication and Creative Services Department, which provides content and information for the library's website, social media, publications, videos, podcasts, and other outlets. Stephanie also manages APL's public relations and marketing efforts.