Attending the Los Angeles Times Book Awards

Margaret A. Burnham and Otto Stallworth Jr. at the 43rd Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony.

 Another award —I DID not WIN— the Los Angeles Times Book award for Memoir!

But my home girl (from Birmingham, now living in Boston) Margaret A. Burnham, did win “Best History” for her book By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners. She’s a law professor and the founder of Northeastern University’s Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project.

Margaret’s book By Hands Now Known: Jim Crow’s Legal Executioners

Margaret A. Burnham accepting her Best History book prize at the 43rd Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony.

Otto E. Stallworth Jr. signing a copy of his book for author Margaret A. Burnham at the 43rd annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony.

And I had to autograph my book for Margaret.

I made a new friend, author James Ellroy, who promised to give me some pointers regarding my next book, Murder at BeautyWorld—a murder mystery. I also met his wonderful ex-wife—now reconciled—author Helen Knode.

James Ellroy enthusiastically accepts the 2022 Robert Kirsch Award for lifetime achievement at the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony Friday.

Otto E. Stallworth Jr. and James Ellroy at the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony.

Los Angeles native Ellroy is perhaps best known for his L.A. Quartet novels (The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz), but has penned several works over the past four decades including his memoir My Dark Places (1997), the Underworld U.S.A. Trilogy (American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand, and Blood's a Rover), and the first two books of the Second L.A. Quartet (Perfidia and This Storm).

Otto E. Stallworth Jr. with author and film critic Helen Knode.

Helen Knode, James Ellroy ex and present wife/partner, put her experiences as a staff writer and film critic for the L.A. Weekly into her first novel, The Ticket Out.

And the winner of an award I hope to win next year:

Alex Segura won the mystery/thriller award for Secret Identity at the 43rd Annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony.

Otto E. Stallworth Jr. and Alex Sugura at the 43rd Annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes ceremony.

In the mystery/thriller category, Alex Segura — best known as a writer of award-winning comics — won for his retro comic-artist crime novel, “Secret Identity.”

“When I first started this book I thought, ‘Oh, this’ll be easy, I know comics,’” Segura said, before adding that this was the most intense journalistic endeavor of his life.

A great event, great people, and had a great time.

Hope to be on that stage next year for my upcoming book Murder at BeautyWorld.