Hilary Tham’s Bad Names for Women was the first book selected for publication in the Capital Collection, founded by Karren Alenier. This unique imprint is open only to poet-volunteers who help literature happen by donating their time to a nonprofit or other organization.
In classic Word Works fashion, Tham was recruited to be an editor at the press. Soon she was Editor-in-Chief, mentoring new authors and bringing many into print. Upon her death, the imprint was renamed in her honor, and shortly expanded to accept submissions not just from the D.C. region but from across the country.
Each year an outside judge selects one to three volumes per year for publication, choosing from the manuscripts by poets who volunteer their time or expertise to support literary ventures such as small presses, literacy programs, literary journals, and reading series. The Word Works accepts nominations of poet-volunteers from organizations in March and April, and invites all nominated poets to submit a manuscript in April. Past judges include Denise Duhamel, Eduardo C. Corral, Jericho Brown, and Kimiko Hahn.
Hilary Tham’s books include nine poetry collections and a short story collection. Her books often explore Tham’s complex cultural and linguistic heritage. Born a Buddhist in Malaysia to Chinese parents, Tham studied English literature there until she married Peace Corps volunteer Joseph Goldberg and moved to the U.S.
Here she taught creative writing and worked in high schools with particular empathy for the struggle of the adolescent and the ways writing can help us grow into our own lives. We remember her with love and gratitude, and the Hilary Tham Capital Collection honors her with superb selections each year.