Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television selected among "Best of Reference, 2005" by New York Public Library

Hey everybody, I'm just recently back from New York City, where on April 29, 2005, The New York Public Library selected my 600+ page 2004 book The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television (McFarland, 2004) as one of the "Best of Reference" for the year 2005. There was a celebration at the Donnell Library Center that morning, and my wife Kathryn and my agent June attended with me. It was great fun.

Every year, the NY Public Library (and a committee of librarians) selects a list of "books, websites and electronic resources" for this distinguished honor. According to their site, the selection criteria include "value and appropriateness for branch collections, organization of material, style of presentation, and authority of authors and editors." It's very cool - and very humbling - to see my book on this select list (which also includes titles such as The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, and The Encyclopedia of the American Presidency).

Just as cool as making the list was attending the ceremony, and seeing the stalwart librarians put on an amusing Buffy the Vampire Slayer skit to celebrate and describe my book for the audience. Very, very cool (and well-performed!).

The NYPL calls The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television "an amazing collection of superhero biographies" and notes that the book is "detailed," so I'm just tinkled pink about the whole thing. Kathryn and I also got to visit my publisher in New York, Applause, and visit with family in New Jersey, so it was a wonderful trip all around.