The annual Lord Nose Award is given to a publisher or editor in recognition of a lifetime of work in literary publishing. Recipients receive $1,000 and are presented the award at the annual Firecracker Awards Ceremony, typically held each June.
The award was established in 2017 by CLMP Board Member David Wilk, with support from Jeffery Beam, Stanley Finch, and Tom Meyer, to honor the life and work of poet and independent publisher Jonathan Williams. Along with being the founder and publisher of the now legendary literary press, The Jargon Society, Williams was also an accomplished poet, photographer, raconteur, and cultural observer with a mordant wit and a clear eye for artistic excellence wherever it might be found.
Over a period of more than fifty years, beginning in 1951, Jargon published 85 books and 30 broadsides and booklets, all focused on his unique vision of poetry, prose, and photography that truly mattered—that needed to be discovered, nurtured, and brought into the world. His commitment to making books as compellingly beautiful objects never wavered. Jargon stands as one of the most important literary presses of the twentieth century. It is an exemplar of Williams’s lifelong dedication to words and art, of discovery and joy, the social act of making public the work he believed in.
There is no application process; honorees are chosen based on their work and accomplishments. The award is administered by CLMP.
