'Surviving Sandy' and 'Jersey Shore Impressionists' named silver finalists in Benjamin Franklin Awards competition

Surviving Sandy: Long Beach Island and the Greatest Storm of the Jersey Shore and Jersey Shore Impressionists: The Fascination of Sun and Sea 1880-1940, two books by Down The Shore Publishing of West Creek, have been named silver finalists in the Independent Book Publishers Association’s 2014 Benjamin Franklin Awards competition.

The national book publishing event acknowledges excellence in editorial and design and is regarded as one of the highest national honors for independent publishers.

Photo via IBPA
Two books by Down The Shore Publishing
have been nominated for the 26th Annual
Benjamin Franklin Awards competition.

Both titles were published in 2013 as large-format hardcovers, and are illustrated with art as well as color photographs.

“What I find remarkable is that these books were even produced at all last year, when we were all reeling from (Superstorm) Sandy, especially with Surviving Sandy, where the author, the editor and the contributors were still picking up pieces of their lives,” said Ray Fisk, publisher. “Putting the community’s collective experience together in a book was a challenge, but it also became a positive catharsis.”

Surviving Sandy by Scott Mazzella is a finalist in not just one but four competition categories: nature/environment, political/current events, cover design-large format, and regional. The narrative details the impact of Superstorm Sandy on the lives of residents and first responders in Southern Ocean County.

“I’m super excited, and it really shows how a team can pull together and pull off something special when they put their hearts and souls in it,” said Mazzella. “My name’s on the cover, but it really took a whole bunch of people to make that project happen, and I’m so glad it’s getting the recognition it deserves. It’s not my book; it’s everyone’s book. It’s great to be recognized nationally, and for us to be a finalist in four categories is really something.”

Jersey Shore Impressionists by Roy Pedersen, a finalist in the art/photography category, breaks new ground in American art history by establishing the shore’s significant influence on an important group of Philadelphia and New York Impressionist-era painters. The subject, based on this book, became a major, five-month-long exhibition at the Morven Museum in Princeton attended by over 10,000 people last year.

“For the first time, it gives the people of New Jersey the opportunity to meet the art of New Jersey. I think the response has been overwhelmingly positive in response to that,” said Pedersen. “I think it’s terrific. I’m surprised and pleased. I don’t take credit for it. I think it’s a recognition of the excellence of the painters and the content. The book was put together very intelligently by Down the Shore Publishing.”

The annual Benjamin Franklin Awards competition considers books published in 55 categories from publishers throughout the United States, and categories have up to 100 entries. Over 160 book publishing professionals, including librarians, bookstore owners, reviewers, designers, publicity managers and editors, organize the judging.

“The 154 titles selected as honorees are truly the best of the best,” said Angela Bole, IBPA executive director.

Gold and silver winners will be announced May 28, at an event at New York University’s Kimmel Center in New York City.

–Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.