Congratulations to Seward resident Patricia Cumbie, whose book Where People Like Us Live was released on May 13 by publisher HarperCollins. Written for children approximately 12 years and up, Where People Like Us Live is a novel about friendship and the many challenges that a young girl faces in today’s world. To learn more about the book and Patricia Cumbie’s work, go to www.patriciacumbie.com.

Congratulations as well to Prospect Park resident Paul Zerby, whose book, The Grass, was selected as a finalist for the prestigious Bellwether Prize. The annual prize was established by author Barbara Kingsolver to support literature of social responsibility, issues of social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relations.

Zerby said The Grass is “about the Korean War and America in the 1950s, which was a time of great innocence and pretty overt bigotry and a lot of political repression.” The title, he said, refers to a poem by Carl Sandburg that talks about the grass covering the graves of Civil War veterans. Zerby said that, while he didn’t ultimately win the $25,000 prize, it “was a thrill to have the book considered.” Also, because his manuscript was among the top submissions, a copy will be archived in a collection of socially responsible literature at Duke University, though Zerby retains the copyright and all rights to the book.

Zerby says he will be looking for an agent and a publisher for his book. He welcomes any suggestions by email at pgzerby@yahoo.com.

last revised: June 17, 2008

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