Oscar Lewis Awards 2025
The Book Club of California congratulates the recipients of the 2025 Oscar Lewis Awards:
SHIRLEY ANN WILSON MOORE
Oscar Lewis Award for Western History
Shirley Ann Wilson Moore is an award-winning author and historical consultant specializing in African Americans in the American West. Her most recent book, Sweet Freedom’s Plains African Americans on the Overland Trails, 1841-1869 (University of Oklahoma Press, 2016), won the 2018 Barbara Sudler Award for best non-fiction work on a western American subject authored by a woman. Her first book, To Place Our Deeds: The African American Community in Richmond, California, 1910-1963 (University of California Press, 2000), was the recipient of the Richmond Museum’s Historical Preservation Award, 2000. Her second book, co-edited with Quintard Taylor, African American Women Confront the West, 1600-2000 (University of Oklahoma Press, 2003), received the American Library Association’s CHOICE Award in 2004.
She earned her Ph.D. in American history from UC Berkeley in 1989 and is Professor Emerita of History at California State University, Sacramento where she taught classes and seminars in African American history, African American Western history, and the history of African American Western women. In addition to her books, Dr. Moore is the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters including: “Passing,” Afterword to Robert Chandler’s Black and White: Lithographer and Painter Grafton Tyler Brown, (University of Oklahoma Press, 2014; a work of special interest to San Francisco and book arts specialists); “I Want It to Come Out Right,” Foreword to Rudolph M. Lapp’s Archy Lee: A California Fugitive Slave Case (Berkeley: Heyday Books, 2008); “‘We Feel the Want of Protection’: The Politics of Law and Race in California, 1848-1878,” in Taming the Elephant: Politics, Government and Law in Pioneer California, John F. Burns and Richard J. Orsi, ed. (UC Press and California Historical Society, 2003); and “’Do You Think I’ll Lug Trunks?’ African Americans in Gold Rush California,” in Riches for All: The California Gold Rush and the World, Kenneth Owens, ed. (University of Nebraska Press, 2002).
In 2023 Dr. Moore was the recipient of the Western History Association’s Honorary Lifetime Membership Award in recognition of her notable achievements in the field of Western History over the course of her career. In addition to her service as a trustee or advisory board member to multiple historical organizations, she has served as a consultant and on-camera historian for several documentary films including “African American Motoring: The Green Book,” Donner Memorial State Park, Laurence Campling, Producer/Director, 2017; “Rosie the Riveter WWII Homefront National Historical Park,” (National Park Service), 2012; “Rising Above: Building the Indomitable City,” Laurence Campling, Producer/Director, (in partnership with the Center for Sacramento History and Historic Old Sacramento Foundation), 2011; “Meet Mary Ellen Pleasant: Mother of Civil Rights in California.” (Susheel Bibbs, Producer/Director, MEP Productions, broadcast on PBS), 2008; advisor to the Disney Corporation, California Adventure Theme Park; and advisor to the Disney Corporation’s “Golden Dreams” film, 2000.
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NORMAN CLAYTON
Oscar Lewis Award for the Book Arts
Norman Clayton studied typography and photography at the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated in 1990. Letterpress printing on a Vandercook proof press in the RISD Type Shop Norman Clayton discovered his passion for bookmaking. In the Type Shop his interests in fine paper, graphic design, printing and hand bookbinding came together. It was thrilling for him to discover one place where the vision for an entire book could be brought into form.
After graduating from RISD, he had the good fortune to run a letterpress shop for Michael Osborne in Berkeley, starting in 1991. At One Heart Press, Michael and Norman were motivated to produce the highest quality printing possible. Michael was very generous giving Norman time to develop his skill as a typographer and pressman. Decades passed before Norman considered himself a fine printer. His mentor, Jim Wehlage, who he met in the early 90s, helped him tremendously over the years. Jim sold Norman his shop, Classic Letterpress, when he was ready to retire from printing.
In 2010, Norman moved his family and shop southward to Ojai. In sunny Southern California, he happily continues designing, printing, teaching and publishing. Alongside Classic Letterpress, he began Providence Press with the aim of publishing the world’s wisdom and poetry in fine press limited editions. To date, he has published two books with Stephen Mitchell and two poetry chapbooks with Dana Gioia.
Norman has designed and printed books for clients and himself over the years. Many of the beautiful fine press publications that he collaborated on with Suntup Editions are out of print. For the Book Club of California he has designed and printed Poetry at the Edge: Five Contemporary California Poets (2014), The Life and Times of Jo Mora: Iconic Artist of the American West (2019), and printed the text for From California: Poems by Dana Gioia; Engravings by Richard Wagener (2024). He has designed and printed at least six previous volumes of the Book Club’s Quarterly News-Letter and he has designed and printed many, many invitations, award certificates, bookmarks, keepsakes, and other ephemera for the Book Club. He has been a Book Club member since 2006 and served on the board from 2018-2024. He chaired the Oscar Lewis Awards Committee from 2022-2024.
He enjoys creating books that serve an uplifting vision, especially in collaboration with master craftspeople and brilliant minds.
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The Oscar Lewis Awards were established by the Book Club of California in 1994 in honor of Oscar Lewis (1893-1992), San Francisco author, historian, and club secretary from 1921-1946.
Past recipients of the Oscar Lewis Award for Western History:
Dr. Albert L. Hurtado (2024)
Dorothy Lazard (2023)
Charles Wollenberg (2022)
Charles Fracchia (2021)
John Briscoe (2020)
Dr. Rose Marie Beebe and Dr. Robert Senkewicz (2019)
Brewster Kahle (2018)
Robert Bringhurst (2017)
James Karman (2016)
Dr. Gray Brechin (2015)
Rebecca Solnit (2014)
W. Michael Mathes (2012)
Philip P. Choy (2011)
Thomas Pinney (2010)
Robert J. Chandler (2009)
Malcolm Margolin (2008)
Carl Nolte (2007)
Robert V. Hine (2006)
David F. Myrick (2005)
Robert G. Harlan (2004)
Kevin Starr (2003)
Ferol Egan (2002)
Muir Dawson (2001) and Glen Dawson (2001)
J. S. Holliday (2000), Msgr. Francis J. Weber (2000)
Allan R. Ottley (1999)
Gary F. Kurutz (1998)
Richard H. Dillon (1997)
Lawrence Clark Powell (1996)
Doyce B. Nunis, Jr., (1996)
Michael Harrison (1995)
Dr. Albert Shumate (1994)
Past recipients of the Oscar Lewis Award for the Book Arts:
Lawrence G. Van Velzer and Peggy Gotthold (2024)
Richard Seibert (2023)
Mary Risala Laird (2022)
Wesley B. Tanner (2021)
Mary Austin & Kathleen Burch (2020)
Fred and Barbara Voltmer (2019)
Betsy Davids (2018)
Kitty Maryatt (2017)
Richard Wagener (2016)
Harry & Sandra Reese (2015)
Johanna Drucker (2014)
Carolee Campbell (2013)
Jonathan Clark (2012)
Clifford Burke (2011)
Charles Hobson (2010)
Graham Mackintosh (2009)
David Lance Goines (2008)
Patrick W. Reagh (2007)
Peter Rutledge Koch (2006)
Joseph J. D’Ambrosio (2005)
Eleanore Edwards Ramsey (2004)
Joanne Margarethe Sonnichsen (2003)
Carolyn and James Robertson (2002)
Wolfgang Lederer (2001)
Andrew Hoyem (2000)
Jack W. Stauffacher (1999)
S. Gale Herrick (1998)
Sandra Kirshenbaum (1998)
Marjorie G. Stern (1997)
Lewis and Dorothy Allen (1996)
Albert Sperisen (1995)
Stella Patri (1995)
Ward Ritchie (1994)