Gore Vidal, Dave Eggers to be honored at National Book Awards

SEPTEMBER 15, 2009

Some early word on the National Book Awards, coming up on Nov. 18. The honorary medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters will go to novelist, essayist, screenwriter, public intellectual and perpetual burr under the saddle Gore Vidal. Vidal, right, who wil be 84 in October, has written more than 50 books, notably Burr, Lincoln and Myra Breckenridge (there's range for you).

Author, publisher and all-around admirable fellow Dave Eggers (Zeitoun, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) will receive the Literarian Award for community service for his founding of 826 Valencia, a project that helps young people develop writing skills, with centers in New York, San Francisco and several other cities.

Finalists for the 2009 National Book Awards will be announced Oct. 13.

Posted by at 5:31:32 pm on September 15, 2009 in

| Permalink | Comments | | Edit Post

Join the discussion: Click to view comments, add yours

Most Recent Blog Posts

Critics Circle is closing February 04

Authoring 'O': not exactly 'in the room' January 27

Puccini in St. Petersburg January 25

Florida Orchestra does the monster mash January 17

Retired USF professor wins American Library Association honor January 10

LA Phil on the big screen January 10

Censoring 'Huck' for all the wrong reasons January 04

'Wonderland' diary: Showstoppers prevail December 28

'The Nutcracker': Seasonal rite of passage December 23

USF flutist up for YouTube orchestra December 16

About the bloggers

Join the arts critics of the Tampa Bay Times for the latest news and notes about Tampa theater productions, American Stage, the Florida Orchestra, Tampa museums and art galleries, book news and Tampa area bookstore events.

Meet the authors

THE AUTHORS

Comment Policy

Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that:

Is libelous

Is abusive, harassing, or threatening

Is obscene, vulgar, or profane

Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive

Is illegal or encourages criminal acts

Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution

Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others

Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious)

Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises

The Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy.

Registration FAQ

Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site.