Columbia University Press, in conjunction with the Office of the Provost, is pleased to announce that Antagonistic Cooperation: Jazz, Collage, Fiction, and the Shaping of African American Culture by Robert G. O’Meally and Not Exactly Lying: Fake News and Fake Journalism by Andie Tucher are the co-winners of the ninth annual Columbia University Press Distinguished Book Award.
Robert G. O’Meally presented the 2016 Leonard Hastings Schoff Memorial Lectures (co-sponsored by Columbia University Press and The University Seminars) “Fancy Sticks”: The Action-Art of Toni Morrison, Romare Bearden, and Jazz. O’Meally describes these lectures as “the seedbed for this book.”
Robert G. O’Meally is the Zora Neale Hurston Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, where he is also founder and director of the Center for Jazz Studies.
The Columbia University Press Distinguished Book Award is given to the Columbia University faculty member whose book published by the Press in the two years prior brings the highest distinction to Columbia University and Columbia University Press for its outstanding contribution to academic and public discourse. The winner is selected by the Distinguished Book Award jury, which is composed of current members of the Press’s Faculty Publication Committee.
The members of this year’s Distinguished Book Award jury were Professor Manan Ahmed, Professor Frank Guridy, Professor Sheena Iyengar, Professor Rae Silver, chair of the committee, and Professor Gray Tuttle.
A ceremony to honor the winners of the 2023 Columbia University Press Distinguished Book Award was held on October 26 at the Italian Academy at Columbia University. The authors of the winning books each receive a certificate and a cash award of $5,000.
Jennifer Crewe, Associate Provost and Director of Columbia University Press presents Robert O’Meally the 2023 Columbia University Press Distinguished Book Award, photo by Barbara Alper