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Michael Craft Johnson (born 1950), [1] who publishes under the pen name Michael Craft, is an American author of more than 20 novels, many of which are in the mystery genre, with gay protagonists. The first installment of his Dante & Jazz mystery series, Desert Getaway, was a 2023 MWA Edgars nominee for the Lilian Jackson Braun Award. The second installment, Desert Deadline, was a Gold Winner of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for LGBTQ, [2] as was his 2019 mystery, ChoirMaster. Four of the books in his Mark Manning mystery series were finalists for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Mystery. [3] [4] [5] [6]
In 1950, Craft was born in Elgin, Illinois, where he remained until he ventured to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. [1] In the 1980s, he moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin, [1] where he met his life partner and future husband, Leon, in 1982. [1]
In 2005, Craft moved to California, near Palm Springs. [1] When California legalized same-sex marriage in 2013, Craft and Leon were wed. [1] The couple now lives in Rancho Mirage, California. [7]
As a child, Craft attended Catholic grade school for eight years, then high school at Elgin Academy, where he graduated in 1968 as class valedictorian. [1]
Craft studied graphic design at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, [1] graduating with highest honors in 1972. He remained in Urbana to pursue a graduate degree at the Institute for Communications Research but left the program to accept a job in Chicago in 1976. [1]
Later, in 2007, Craft received a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from Antioch University, Los Angeles. [7]
Craft began his career at the Chicago Tribune as a graphic designer and art director for the newspaper’s various features sections, a position he held for 10 years. [1] While at the Tribune, he moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin, traveling to and from Chicago by train, and during those commutes he wrote the first draft of his debut novel. [1]
Craft left the Tribune in 1987 to work for his partner's family-owned business, which manufactured musical wind instruments. During that time, he was able to focus in earnest on his writing.
In 1991, Craft's debut novel, Rehearsing, was accepted by Los Hombres Press, a small publisher of gay-interest books, based in San Diego. [1] The book was released in February 1993.
In the early 2000s, Craft began playwriting and screenwriting. [1] His stage play Photo Flash was produced in 2003 in Wisconsin, then in 2008 in California. [1] In 2011, he was involved in the production of Pink Squirrels, a feature-length independent film. [1]
| Year | Title | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Rehearsing | Society of Midland Authors' Adult Fiction Award | Finalist | [7] |
| 2001 | Name Games | Lambda Literary Award for Gay Mystery | Finalist | [3] |
| 2002 | Boy Toy | Lambda Literary Award for Gay Mystery | Finalist | [4] |
| 2003 | Hot Spot | Lambda Literary Award for Gay Mystery | Finalist | [5] |
| 2018 | FlabberGassed | Muse Medallion for Cat Mystery | Finalist | [8] |
| 2019 | ChoirMaster | Muse Medallion for Mystery Novel | Finalist | [9] |
| 2020 | Lambda Literary Award for Gay Mystery | Finalist | [10] [6] | |
| IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for LGBTQ | Gold | [2] | ||
| 2023 | Desert Getaway | MWA Lilian Jackson Braun Award | Finalist | [11] |
| 2024 | Desert Deadline | IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for LGBTQ | Gold | [2] |
Michael Angel Nava is an American attorney and writer. He has worked on the staff for the California Supreme Court, and ran for a Superior Court position in 2010. He authored a ten-volume mystery series featuring Henry Rios, an openly gay protagonist who is a criminal defense lawyer. His novels have received seven Lambda Literary Awards and critical acclaim in the GLBT and Latino communities.
Sandra Scoppettone is an American author whose career spans the 1960s through the 2000s. She is known for her mystery and young adult books.
Katherine V. Forrest is a Canadian-born American writer, best known for her novels about lesbian police detective Kate Delafield. Her books have won and been finalists for Lambda Literary Award twelve times, as well as other awards. She has been referred to by some "a founding mother of lesbian fiction writing."
Ellen Hart is the award-winning mystery author of the Jane Lawless and Sophie Greenway series. Born in Maine, she was a professional chef for 14 years. Hart's mysteries include culinary elements similar to those of Diane Mott Davidson.
Richard Stevenson Lipez, commonly known by his pen name Richard Stevenson, was an American journalist and mystery author, most recently residing in Massachusetts. He was best known for his Donald Strachey mysteries.
Lambda Literary Awards are awarded yearly by the United States–based Lambda Literary Foundation to published works that celebrate or explore LGBTQ themes. The awards are presented annually for books published in the previous year. The Lambda Literary Foundation states that its mission is "to celebrate LGBT literature and provide resources for writers, readers, booksellers, publishers, and librarians—the whole literary community."
George Baxt was an American screenwriter and author of crime fiction, best remembered for creating the gay black detective, Pharaoh Love. Four of his novels were finalists for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Mystery.
Greg Herren is an American writer and editor, who publishes work in a variety of genres, including mystery novels, young adult literature and erotica. He publishes work both as Greg Herren and under the pseudonym Todd Gregory.
The Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation to a work of fiction on gay male themes. As the award is presented based on themes in the work, not the sexuality or gender of the writer, women and heterosexual men may also be nominated for or win the award.
The Lambda Literary Award for Drama is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation to an LGBTQ-related literary or theatrical work. Most nominees are plays, or anthologies of plays; however, non-fiction works on theatre or drama have also sometimes been nominated for the award.
Randy Boyd is an American novelist and essayist. His writings explore the intersections of race and sexuality, pulling from his experience as a black gay man who is HIV-positive.
The Lambda Literary Award for Debut Fiction is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation to a debut work of fiction on LGBT themes. Formerly presented in two separate categories for gay male and lesbian debut fiction, beginning the 25th Lambda Literary Awards in 2013 a single award, inclusive of both male and female writers, was presented. The award was, however, discontinued after the 28th Lambda Literary Awards in 2016.
The Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry is an annual literary award presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation to a gay-themed book of poetry by a male writer.
The Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Poetry is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation to a lesbian-themed book of poetry by a female writer. At the first two Lambda Literary Awards in 1989 and 1990, a single award for LGBT Poetry, irrespective of gender, was presented. Beginning with the 3rd Lambda Literary Awards in 1991, the poetry award was split into two separate awards for Lesbian Poetry and Gay Poetry, which have been presented continuously since then except at the 20th Lambda Literary Awards in 2008, when a merged LGBTQ poetry award was again presented for that year only.
The Lambda Literary Awards are awarded yearly by the US-based Lambda Literary Foundation to published works that celebrate or explore LGBT themes. The organization is considered to be one of the main promoters of new and emerging LGBT writers.
The Lambda Literary Award for Anthology is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation, that awards "[c]ollections of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry" with LGBT content. The award has been included since the first Lambda Literary Award ceremony but has included different iterations.
The Lambda Literary Award for Gay Memoir/Biography is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation, to a memoir, biography, autobiography, or works of creative nonfiction by or about gay men. Works published posthumously and/or written with co-authors are eligible, but anthologies are not.
The Lambda Literary Award for Mystery is an annual literary award, presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation, to a mystery novel by or about people in the LGBT community. Prior to 2021, the award was separated into separate categories for Gay and Lesbian Mystery.
The Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Romance & Erotica is an annual literary award established in 2002 and presented by the Lambda Literary Foundation that awards books with LGBTQ+ characters and "whose content is principally of an erotic nature." "Anthologies, novels, novellas, graphic novels, memoirs, and short story collections" are eligible for the award.
Michael Schiefelbein is an American pastor in the United Church of Christ and a writer of science fiction. His novels have twice been finalists for the Lambda Literary Award for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.
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