National Book Awards

John F. Baker |

Nov 20, 2000

News
National Book Awards John F. Baker -- 11/20/00 *Sontag, Philbrick Are Big Winners* Susan Sontag was the Fiction winner, for In America,and Nathaniel Philbrick took the Nonfiction prize for In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex at a streamlined National Book Awards ceremony at New York's Marriott Marquis Hotel November 15. The evening was smoothly guided by actor/author Steve Martin, who noted that since he had become known as a writer, his income had dropped and he now got smaller tables at restaurants, accompanied by "people who have not picked up a check in 12 years." In several references during the evening to the presidential standoff in Florida, Nonfiction chair Patricia O'Toole declared that publishers in that category were not "dumbing things down," and that no recount had been necessary to choose Philbrick's book, published by Viking Penguin, as the winner. Philbrick in turn said he was "amazed to be part of this distinguished company," and paid tribute to the many people in Nantucket who had helped with his whaling research, as well as his publisher and agent. P try chair Mark Doty found that "the current range and vitality of American p try is dizzying," and the judges chose Lucille Clifton's Blessing the Boats: P ms 1988-2000, published by BOA Editions,for the prize. Clifton was "amazed at the roller-coaster that is my life" and praised the support of her publisher, which had two p try finalists. In Young People's Literature, chair Norma Fox Mazer noted that this was the category most likely to face later censorship; it had been a difficult choice, she said, but the vote eventually went to Gloria Whelan for Homeless Bird, published by HarperCollins Children's Books. Fiction chair Ron Hansen said the five finalists had all written books "that may one day be classics." The committee's choice was Susan Sontag for In America (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). Both Sontag and the audience seemed surprised by the choice, and the author, visibly shaken, declared she was "amazed, astonished, deeply grateful and very moved"--and paid tribute to FSG, which has been her publisher for 40 years. Ray Bradbury was the popular winner of the National Book Foundation's medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and the 80-year-old author gave a vigorous speech recalling the circumstances of some of his early triumphs 50 years ago. Fahrenheit 451 was written in the basement of the library at UCLA, where he was surrounded by the books of writers he loved, and he was paid $400 for it to appear in early issues of Playboy. His editor at Simon & Schuster, Don Congdon, later became his agent, and they have been "married" ever since. He based TheMartian Chronicles on Winesburg, Ohio, and was paid $750 for it by Doubleday, the same amount he received for TheIllustrated Man. "I thought I was rich," he said. He added that work remains "a surprise and a delight."

News

National Book Awards
John F. Baker -- 11/20/00
Sontag, Philbrick Are Big Winners

Susan Sontag was the Fiction winner, for In America,and Nathaniel Philbrick took the Nonfiction prize for In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex at a streamlined National Book Awards ceremony at New York's Marriott Marquis Hotel November 15.

The evening was smoothly guided by actor/author Steve Martin, who noted that since he had become known as a writer, his income had dropped and he now got smaller tables at restaurants, accompanied by "people who have not picked up a check in 12 years."

In several references during the evening to the presidential standoff in Florida, Nonfiction chair Patricia O'Toole declared that publishers in that category were not "dumbing things down," and that no recount had been necessary to choose Philbrick's book, published by Viking Penguin, as the winner. Philbrick in turn said he was "amazed to be part of this distinguished company," and paid tribute to the many people in Nantucket who had helped with his whaling research, as well as his publisher and agent.

P try chair Mark Doty found that "the current range and vitality of American p try is dizzying," and the judges chose Lucille Clifton's Blessing the Boats: P ms 1988-2000, published by BOA Editions,for the prize. Clifton was "amazed at the roller-coaster that is my life" and praised the support of her publisher, which had two p try finalists.

In Young People's Literature, chair Norma Fox Mazer noted that this was the category most likely to face later censorship; it had been a difficult choice, she said, but the vote eventually went to Gloria Whelan for Homeless Bird, published by HarperCollins Children's Books.

Fiction chair Ron Hansen said the five finalists had all written books "that may one day be classics." The committee's choice was Susan Sontag for In America (Farrar, Straus & Giroux). Both Sontag and the audience seemed surprised by the choice, and the author, visibly shaken, declared she was "amazed, astonished, deeply grateful and very moved"--and paid tribute to FSG, which has been her publisher for 40 years.

Ray Bradbury was the popular winner of the National Book Foundation's medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and the 80-year-old author gave a vigorous speech recalling the circumstances of some of his early triumphs 50 years ago. Fahrenheit 451 was written in the basement of the library at UCLA, where he was surrounded by the books of writers he loved, and he was paid $400 for it to appear in early issues of Playboy. His editor at Simon & Schuster, Don Congdon, later became his agent, and they have been "married" ever since. He based TheMartian Chronicles on Winesburg, Ohio, and was paid $750 for it by Doubleday, the same amount he received for TheIllustrated Man. "I thought I was rich," he said. He added that work remains "a surprise and a delight."

A version of this article appeared in the 11/20/2000 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: