By Emily Witt 10/19/11 12:24pm

National Book Award

LaValle.

Victor LaValle, National Book Award Judge, Says Awards Not Irrelevant

After the National Book Awards finalists were named last week, Laura Miller wrote a column for Slate called “How the National Book Awards Made Themselves Irrelevant.” Calling the award “the Newbery Medal for adults” she stated that “whatever policy each panel of judges embraces, over the years, the impression has arisen that already-successful titles are automatically sidelined in favor of books that the judges feel deserve an extra boost of attention.” Read More

By Noelle Hancock 11/17/03 12:00am

Eight Day Week

Wednesday 12th

Ah, the scent of November! Wood fires wafting up through chimney tops … the tacit agreement among New Yorkers to order dessert (everyone’s in dark, bulky sweaters, so who cares?) … the rise in anxiety as related to upcoming family events -all these conspire to make this fair city’s residents horny as Read More

By Sara Nelson 10/28/02 12:00am

The National Book Awards: Big Guns Go AWOL

O.K., it’s official: The National Book Awards are publishing’s version of the Oscars, right down to the it’s-an-honor-just-to-be-nominated demurrals by authors when they don’t expect to win the $10,000 prize, and the overlong, prepared speeches when they do. And then there’s the special Lifetime Achievement Award-this year it’ll go to Philip Roth, but one year Read More

By Celia Mcgee 12/01/97 12:00am

Naumann Nixes N.B.A. Because of Pynchon Snub

When publishing toffs and literary celebrities opened their invitations to the 48th National Book Awards ceremony this fall and saw the words “Marriott Marquis,” an audible sniff was heard. But they got over themselves, and on the evening of Nov. 18, they gamely made their way to Times Square to mark a year of bombs Read More