Welcome the nbcc and to welcome to this Years National book. Critics circles awards. The new school and the nbcc have a long standing relationship going back to the very earliest years of the nbcc. Our faculty have been Board Members and awards recipients and our communities have worked together in classrooms and and events since before the memory of anyone here, the annual awards have been hosted at the new school for over 20 years. This few years have been very challenging for all of us with covid, we are finally back on campus for an in real life nbcc simone and of course at the new school we are emerging from last fall when all of us were tested and our ideals and faith in one another and the future working with the nbcc is something to remind us what were here for and were enormously grateful to have a friendship that extends beyond any of us individually. To begin, i have to thank our teams at. T. A. At the new school for bringing us to this evening. Look out for stuart pennebaker and nina grant of the center, kate tully, priyanka laura cronk, the inestimable laura lind, laura lynne turner. And mary watson from the nbcc. Thank you to the nbcc president Megan Labrise awards. Awards vp Maris Kreizman marilyn winick. David barno and Halima Halima alma sidhu be whos up in the basement. Thank you everyone for being here tonight. And with that, see the microphone to Maris KreizmanMaris Kreizman. Sorry to disappoint you all. Im Megan Labrise. Its an absolute joy to welcome you all to the nbcc awards for publishing year 2022. This is the time weve been able to gather in since 2019 as the 2020 ceremony was canceled due to, you know, thank you so much, john. Thank you, john reed, for the introduction. Thank you to the new school for hosting us for this event. The new school has been a generous partner to the National Book critics circle for many, many years. Special thanks to laurie lynn turner, associate director of the new School Creative writing program, for her tremendous efforts on our behalf. Yeah. She written for. As president of the National Book critics circle i have the honor of telling you our origin story tonight picture it manhattan. 1974 lapel. These were wide collars were the place was with telephone booths nicotine and naga hide perfume the air and gore vidal and merle miller topped the New York Times bestseller list that april john leonard, notable aitkin and ivan sander of met at the algonquin to talk reading criticism and literature. They had so fun talking, reading, criticism, literature they thought, lets take this conversation. And the National Book critics circle was born 49 years later, the nbcc serves around 800 freelance and staff book critics, book review editors, student members, friends. Weve become a5a1c3 Nonprofit Organization with a mission thats simple and sweet honor, outstanding writing and Foster National conversation about criticism and literature. We strive to shine a light on books that deserve your attention. Books wed like to discuss with you. We host various panels and programs throughout the year. And of course, each march we give these awards. They remain the only National Literary awards chosen by critics themselves. We thank. The nbcc has honored the work of e. L. Doctorow katha pollitt, alice Jorge Luis Borges is carol anderson. Louise erdrich and Shirley Hazzard in recent years. Francine jay, cathy park, john diane sues honore vernon jeffers, clint smith, jeremy atherton, lynn and anthony visnic. So just to name a few tonight, were excited to honor the outstanding books of 2022 and six categories poetry, criticism, autobiography, biography, nonfiction and fiction. Well also present the john leonard prize for best first book, the notable larkin citation for excellence in reviewing and the ivan sandrock lifetime award for an individual whose work transformed book culture. Last year, we the Toni Morrison award for institution that has done the same. And this year there are two new honors the greg berrios book and translation prize and nbcc Service Award for individual whose work has transformed our organization. Welcome to inaugural nbcc Service Award winner Barbara Hoffert. Welcome to the finalist for the great berios book in translation prize. Welcome to sandra. Winner joy harjo. Welcome leonard finalists. Welcome to morris and winner city lights. Welcome to billiken. Winner Jennifer WilsonJennifer Wilson. And welcome to the finalists and poetry criticism autobiography, biography, nonfiction and fiction. One second at this time, id like to invite all of this years finalists and winners to stand. You all knew what to do. Thank you. Thank you to those of you in attendance tonight, we are so happy you could make the journey and to of you who wanted to be with us but could not. You are missed. Thank you. To those who participate in our virtual finalists reading which premiered last night on youtube, where it remains for your viewing pleasure. This is a program of 1 to 2 minute readings by a vast of the authors and translators honoring tonight. Theres nothing like it. I wholeheartedly encourage you to check it out. Thank you to the brilliant, indefatigable marian winick for coordinating. For coordinating and emceeing virtual finalists, reading thank you to wild ben live for producing this and all of our special Virtual Events in 2021. Youll some more of their excellent work tonight up on the screen earlier today the board met at the office is of the community of literary magazines and presses and online to complete our deliberations. Thank you to clp for hosting us. It was a Battle Royale of book criticism intense in the best way possible. Polly syllabic adjectives were flying fast and furiously and im not like on put down a bull i mean like pulchritude anise. Everybody brought their best to bear and were excited to reveal the results. By the way, if four and a half hours of passionate taste making sounds like a fun time to you, please consider running for the board. We, a 24 person, all volunteer board whose members are traditionally elected to year terms. Thank you to fellow Board Members. Its been an honor to serve with you. Special thanks to the Board Members who will be cycling off after this years awards ceremony. Their willow curry, diego baez, laurie feathers and tara merrigan. So at this time, id like invite the board to stand. One last thing before i go perpetuating a national controversy, passion about reading, criticism and literature. Means we must welcome more people into the practice and the profession. To that end, the nbcc launched its emerging critics fellowship 2017, seeking, identify, nurture and support. Next generation of book critics. Want to recognize this years of ten emerging critics by name. They are lila benitez, james. Kathy chao. Summer ferrer. Ella fox. Martins. Ricard. Ohara. Meal a day. Essence. Stefan. Maisy wilcher gordon and liz wood. Please look for their bylines. If you an assigning editor, please hire them. And now is my delight and my honor. Welcome the amazing Maris Kreizman vp of awards to this evenings program. Thank you so much. Clean up the board this year. I mean, after tonight. So thank you for all. See and thank. So i get to tell you all the fun stuff. There is a reception at 63 5 avenue just up street on 12th. Around and around the. And tickets can be purchased at the door. If you dont have them already. So please Come Celebrate with us. Even more fun if your name is called tonight because youve won an award. Please use either the staircases to come on stage and accept the award and give a brief speech. If you so choose. We wont play you off like its the oscars, but we would love to get out of here by eight. So just keep that in mind. The recipients of awards for which weve already announced winners will get to take home a plaque tonight. All of the others that we voted on today will be sent to winners once they are inscribed after youve accepted your award, please go backstage for a photograph before returning to your seat. Id also like to ask all winners and board to stick around after the ceremony for a group photo. Speaking of photos, thank you to the universally beloved beowulf sheehan who will be taking photos tonight. Thank you to. Cspan. Booktv for being here. Thank interNational Literary properties cosponsor of tonights award reception based in new york and london. Ill invest globally in the intellectual Property Rights to books, plays and other works in to protect, secure and grow their legacy for future generations. By working closely with publishers, agents and authors. Were very proud to partner with you. Thank you. To Sarah Rousseau and Suzanne Williams for sharing their time and expertise to help us publicize the awards. Thank you to p. A. Knitwear for selling books in the lobby tonight. So please bye from them. You remember thats the best way to show your support for these wonderful authors. And now i am delighted to start prizes by introducing the inaugural greg barrios book and translation prize. Good evening, everyone my name is mandana chaffa. And as one of the deputies for the barrios book in translation prize and especially as an immigrant for whom english a second language, it is a remarkable honor to be here to present this award. As many of you know, the barriers book in translation prize is named after a board member, greg berrios, a latino poet, playwright and obviously a book critic who away in 2021. As a board member of the nbcc made an immeasurable impact on our organization. He funded the first balakian book excuse me, the blake prize for book critics. In 2012, he chaired the john leonard Prize Committee, and he also served our first Vice President of diversity and inclusion. He firmly believed that the nbcc should have a prize for literature in translation. And so through this prize, our goal is to highlight the artistic merit of literature in translation and recognize the translators valuable work which expands and enriches American Literary culture by bringing World Literature to english language readers like the leonard prize for best debut, the the barriers is a prize which our membership plays a really Critical Role in determining. Its also an award that is open to work from all genres, and were really immensely proud that the nominees in our inaugural year include books of fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry and even graphic novels. Our Committee Read nearly 300 books this year in translation publishing in the United States from 67 countries of origin and 39 source languages. Without brilliance and leadership of our Vice President and my dear friend terry american, who shepherded this prize from a dream to the reality that we have today, we wouldnt be here. Unfortunately, shes not with us tonight. I also want to commend our thoughtful, passionate, committed, long and short Term Community of panelists and voters, many whom are translators themselves. This process wouldnt exist without them either. And i wish i had the time to name them all. But if you go to our website, youll youll be able to see who they are. One of my personal guiding lights, italo, who this year was translated by ian goldstein, wrote translated, is an art. The transfer of a literary text. Whatever its into another language which always requires some type of miracle. Literary translators are those who stick their entire to translate the. So if the written word connects and elevates and i think it does, then books in translation bring the entire world closer. Sharing both the of the human condition as well as the differences. We celebrate and cherish. I know i speak for our entire board and Committee Members that we have been joyously informed entrants formed by the writers and translators of these. The nominees are grapes by andrei kirchhoff, translated by boris garelick from russian published by deep ellum. People girl by scholastic mocha sonya by mark pulitzer from published by archipelago books. Linea negra an essay on pregnancy and earthquakes by yasmina pereira translated Christina Mcsweeney from spanish published by two lines press. The books of jacob by Olga Tokarczuk translated by Jennifer Croft polish published by Riverhead Books books. When sing mountains dance by irina sola translated by marta faye lethem from the catalan published by gray wolf press. And finally, you can be the last leaf by maya abu alhayat, translated by fadi juda from arabic, published by milkweed editions. In the first burials, book and translation prize goes to gray bees by andrei kirchhoff, translated by boris driver from the original russian and published by gk. Now i know that boris is here with us tonight and i am wondering if there is some representative who might want to come and accept the award . No. Okay. So let me just read our citation. Our beloved teacher american wrote ukrainian author andrei scribes translated from russian into english by warsaw. Our look is a subtle, captivating novel about an isolated man living the gray zone between ukraine and the breakaway donetsk region. And this was prior to the 2022 russian invasion thanks to dreadlocks. Translation creeps and offers anglophone readers a nuanced Human Understanding of the cost. The 2014 aggression against ukraine. The novel which kerckhove calls his personal, fell real to the crimea that may never again. Artfully illuminates the tragedy suffered on ukrainian lands while maintaining a broad humanistic focus on the crisis aftermath. Thank you so much. We accept this award on behalf of boris. Hi, im eric banks. I was president. President of this Outstanding Organization back in 2011 and 2012. And its an honor to be back once again on this great evening. And its great to see so many people since it was founded five decades ago. The National Critics circle has depended on the hard, voluntary work of its members, particularly those elected to serve on its board of directors. Yet there is a significant distinction between those whose dedication it possible for the nbcc to get its work done year in, year out, and those special few who through their great commitment have had a truly transform racial effect. When it comes to the aspiration science and accomplishments of the organization. It is in honor of those very rare individuals that the nhbc has created. The nbcc Service Award being given this year for, the first time in recognition. Extraordinary work on behalf of the organization. The level of service the award speaks to puts me in mind of one of Howard Nemerov finest poems. Indeed, one of the greatest two line poems in the history of the english language. Titled bacon and eggs. The chicken contributes, but the pig gives his all. Im glad that got laughter a little worried about the. What an honor it is and a delight it is for me to introduce the inaugural recipient of the nbcc Service Award. This one who truly over many years given her all. Former wnbc president Barbara Hoffert barbara has worn so many different hats at the nbcc that one worries about overlooking a chapter or two here or there. In addition to serving president of the organization in 1997 and 1998, halcyon for the nbcc membership, she has fielded virtually every position in the nbcc lineup from treasurer in her early days on the board to vp for awards a decade ago among the most onerous and burdensome positions in the organization which she executed, with her signature, no sweat, aplomb. It was in that latter capacity as vp for awards that i first got to know. Barbara, who made my own days as nbcc president , so much easier with her effortless management of the awards process from ordering and tracking the mountain of books, the board requested. And this was in the those before pdfs, including last minute, 20 or 30 titles that are more dilatory Board Members invariably cooked up in the waning days of december, which is always a special time to try and reach Book Publishers and to shepherding flock of winners and worthies across the stage. The annual ceremony. My experience is decided not unique. Barbara makes everyone elses shine, often without their being aware of it, and certainly without the public acknowledgment that she has long deserved. Tonight is the opportunity for the nbcc to show its gratitude to publicly acknowledge what a debt the organization owes barbara for her tireless contributions over the those contributions run the gamut from the big to the small. As jane chapati reminded me the other day. They include such unheralded gestures as writing the press releases when john freeman, as nbcc president in the late aughts and easier tonight marshaled support the ambitious nationwide campaign to book reviewing and even to providing a meeting space for the nbc board during the her long tenure at the library journal. And as i was coming over tonight on the subway, i recalled a story, a ceremony about a decade ago when our sandra if a word that winter that year bob silvers inadvertently left the plaque in the back a taxicab which we later learned i think it was that very evening he had been separated from the award. And as i recall, was barbara who tracked down the the taxi, the dispatcher and taxi driver and reunited the awardee and the award. So hows that for service. In the wnbc newsletter in which barbaras presidency. And yes, we used to send these newsletters out with stamps on them and through the mail in the wnbc newsletter in which barbaras presidency was first announced back in 1997. She will single. She was singled out for praise, for her warmth, her inclusiveness, and her accessible city, as well as her unflagging efforts on behalf of the organization. Its a relief. Realize that in a period of monumental change, the book world and in the world of book reviewing, some things remain the same. Barbara not only helped shape the awards format that we enjoy tonight, she not only guided the nbcc into the new century, she also remains a paragon of collegiality and camaraderie. Please join me in saluting Barbara Hoffert. Thank you all. Thank you for that lovely production. We should get together more often. You know, for that book . I want to thank the board of the National Book critics circle and particularly the Committee Members. Karen long, laurie mutchnick and jacob apel for giving me this award. I am honored and humbled and grateful and delighted. And i can only hope that i really did make a difference for organization because it is so important what the organization does. There are so people who work so hard for this organization and you know, starting with the founding to the recent work in social justice and outreach that i really admire. And so i can feel as honored and humbled to win the inaugural award. And im just really glad that all that work that so many people will now be honored. Theres a way forward now. There is an award to all that work. I really am glad about that. So thank you. Board for that idea. Its a wonderful because it is a volunteer. And yes, i was reminded as i was thinking back how busy it sometimes got, you know, so so i am grateful that it is theres an award here for for everyone contributes. When i first learned about the award, i said, oh, a Service Award. Thats so resonant because what we do as book critics, as book journalists and, as review editors is indeed service to books, to readers, to literature, to critical thinking, to ideas, to beauty and to language itself. And so with another hearty thanks, we will get on with awards. Thank you very much. Hi, im adam dalva and im chair of the john leonard prize for best first book. In any genre. This award is named for cofounder john leonard, who was a longtime champion of debut authors. And its one of the two awards that are determined by our members and not the board. This is the prizes 10th anniversary. I want to our leonard judges for their passion and dedication and hard work in determining both our list and winner. There were zoom calls. There was very heated debate and there was passionate, passionate advocacy for our seven finalists that advocacy reminded me of the vital importance of criticism, people donating their time to read and come together and reach some form of consensus. We had a lot of fun. These finalists made the list out of consideration. Set. Believe it or not, over 110 debuts. So being on this list is a major accomplishment. Now for the finalists, the john leonard prize finalists are jasmine chen for the school good mothers simon and schuster and mary sue richie, both. Jonathan and scott free for if i survive you mcd d farrar, straus and giroux. Tess country for the rabbit hutch can have. Zayn collared for brother alive grow. Mad mad newton for ancestor trouble random house. Morgan talty for night of the living rez tin house. And navara for the immortal king ro norton. For without further ado, oc. We are delighted to present the john leonard prize to morgan talty for his magnificent debut story collection of the living room. I see no one standing, so im going to need to be here. You think youll come up as you make way across that row of people who will have stand to let you out . I will read the citation and and ill leave it here so you can read it after. Okay. Citation morgan talty images frozen in snow, teeth rattling in a jar are as indelible as his brilliance sentences. The collections protagonist is wonderfully depicted throughout, and our leonard voters, particularly appreciated the duality between younger and older selves. These are heartfelt stories and sad ones, as the residents of maines Penobscot Indian nation reservation and struggle with addiction and poverty. But tall tales, deft touch provides humor, beauty in the face of despair. This is a writer to watch. A writer to come back to. As youve heard, morgan is not with us tonight for very good reason. His child was just born. But please. Have. Hi, im becky. Im the publicity director at tin house. I actually have morgan on the phone. Im going to see if the speakerphone will work. Morgan can, you talk and well see if it picks you up. Yeah. Can people hear me. If people want a quick description of where i am, im on couch with a little baby on my legs and hes half asleep, half awake, and hes very cute. And im just very overwhelmed and happy and excited. And i cannot think that nbcc enough for having selected my book and having it be next to all of these finalists. I am just so, so, so grateful. Thank you. Thank you so so much. Thank you. Hi, im colette bancroft, the vp secretary of the nbcc board and it was also my great pleasure year to serve as chair the committee that selects finalists for the known a balakian citation for excellence in reviewing presented each year to an nbc member. We received 54 barium press entries from members and the committee chose five finalists the entire board voted for the winner selecting Jennifer Wilson wilson is written for the nation, the New York Times, the atlantic the new republic. The new yorker, the new york review of books, among other publications. She received a ph. D. From princeton and has written extensively about russian literature and history. Her winning entry for the balakian was the first russian published in the new york review, a deeply knowledgeable and fresh analysis as a new translation of alexander pushkins unfinished novel, peter, the african. Im delighted to present the blake in citation to Jennifer Wilson. I dont know, michael, thank you so much. Someone asked me what i was going to use the prize money for and i said i was going to hire a body double to give this speech for me, but freelance for taxes are due. So here i am, the real me and sweating flesh. I realize ive never had to give a speech before. I guess im not generally speaking a winner. And i suppose none of my friends trusts me to give a wedding toast. But now you all have given me a prize. Your trust and a microphone. Okay, great. Now youre all as nervous as i am. I have an uneasy relationship to first discourse, but i feel the need to note that im the first black recipient of this award. And. I only mention it to explain why i must, if i ever want to home again. Thank my elders. So id like to dedicate this award to my grandmother, zelda taught me how to read. Okay. Now i can thank the National Book critics circle and the league in committee for this tremendous and truly unexpected honor. I also want to congratulate the other finalists, critics whose work read this year with deep, deep envy to sarah to hire Christoph Irmscher lorin, Michele Jackson and ruth margulis. Its a privilege to be in company. Another book critic was giving me advice for this speech and he said, whatever you do do not get political. Do not get hyperbolic about the importance of what do know the role of the book critic during wartime or any nonsense like that. Excellent advice i thought should be easy enough me to follow, right . As a critic who mostly reviews russian literature. This has been an unusual year for me. Like all book critics used to getting frantic texts from friends that say, i have an 11 hour car ride. What audiobooks i download . I still get texts like those, except now theyre interspersed with putins end game. Simple enough questions like which translation of war peace is the best have been replaced by how likely is a Nuclear Attack . And you know the answer to that question, by the way, is the mod translation. As one professor i know put it, its the only one that gets the horses right and that really matters. I wish i could say these friends were barking up the wrong tree that i looked up from my copy of Anna Karenina and replied, maam, is a wendys. However, this this has been a conflict where has been at the fore on putin use the prevalence of russian speaking peoples in Eastern Ukraine as a for this invasion as a result anything to do with language has pulled into the conflict quite quickly including and especially literature. On march 16th, 2022, a russian airstrike bombed a theater in Eastern Ukraine, killing 600 people who were hiding in the basement Occupying Forces covered the damaged facade with a curtain, had the faces of tolstoy and pushkin on it. Many in ukraine have responded by rejecting anything to do with russian culture and language. Across the country, many have emptied their libraries of russian language books and sent them to be pulped. Prominent ukrainian writers and intellectuals have vowed never to write in russian again. As i lay out this contact, im not quite sure how i worked up the courage review anything at all this year. Mistakes like these. I dont think anyone could have blamed me for wanting to throw my laptop in the east river. Thats a dostoyevsky reference, by the way way. This past year i reviewed books by writers from russia, ukraine and belarus available in translation. Thanks to some the very people in this room. Many of these were contemporary writers on the first stages of the invasion, going back to the annexation of crimea in 2014. The proxy war thats been unfolding in Eastern Ukraine since and putins neo imperial machinations across the region. Why . I thought, i didnt writing about all this scare me. Im just a book critic after all. Then i remembered im a book critic. If theres one thing we can do and, you know, there might only be one thing we can do, its write about language. We, as critics, can hear those writers express a longing, the imprecision and indeterminacy of language in their books and know to read that as a rejection of the politicians who have tried to make language determine everything. I want to thank the National Book critics circle. Again, not just on my behalf for instituting a prize for literature in translation this year. I would no occasion to review these books and comment these issues were it not for the work of translator those whove made this writing accessible to English Speaking audiences. Their work has been a constant reminder to me that language is not just a barrier to be broken down, but rather the most central element of our art. The quality that makes writing a living thing worth fighting for. Thank you. Theres a fresh voice these days leading the poetry world. Joy harjo is the first native american to serve as poet laureate of the United States. Shes a member of the muscogee creek who grew up in oklahoma. I guess what strikes me is the diversity of the diversity of native poetry, which was here and is here and is still growing. And the diversity of america in poet poetry, which has roots all over the world. Know, you carry several pieces of stories in one form, several in her poems, and exist peacefully in a poem. And so i think of how poetry enables us to maybe to shift our images of each other and to listen. You cannot write poetry. You dont listen. And that is thats probably one of my biggest lessons in this life, is learning how to listen. My mother gave me stash of coins in a sock. She saved from her dishwashing job. And she gave me this. Insight. She said to back in a song, theres power in this, but you have to sing to wake the power up. Then the song fly out circle and protect you. It goes like this. You yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay, yay. Dont forget my red. I tried to give it back. Save yourself. No, baby doesnt work. Do. Anything i say now i will be proof. Totally anticlimactic. I threw ice. Im going to introduce award that then rob will introduce in more detail before. Joy takes the stage. Im jacob appel. Im the nbc treasure even, which will sound profoundly. This is also moment where i mention that we are a largely member supported, so this is a great opportunity for you all to become members or life members or make large donations. I will note that if you have children you wish to disinherit us or a wedding ring youre not using at the moment. Youre just ill gotten. Youre wishing to launder. I will be standing at the door on that note. Ivan sandrock was, one of the three individuals with john leonard, notable ian, who came together in 1974 to found this organization. And he was our first president and donated considerable time and effort while working full time as an editor at the worcester gazette and a book reviewer. And then he died in 1979. And to honor in 1981, the organization set up an award to honor people who contribute to book culture and two years ago we then bifurcated that award to set up another award to honor Toni Morrison so that individuals have contributed and. Organizations wouldnt compete with each other. I will note that under the brilliant leadership of my predecessor, michael schaub, these awards increasingly focused on such factors as support for civil society, Free Expression and people who spent their own capital to raise up unheard voices of others and. It is in that spirit that i turn things over to rob to introduce the sandra award. As probably the only federal employee in the room. Im going to pretend i didnt hear that about the money laundering. Hello. Rob casper, head of poetry and literature at the library of congress. Im honored to introduce joy harjo this years event, sandra Lifetime Achievement award winner on of the library. I first like to congratulate joy on this honor and thank the National Book critics circle board for offering the award to a former poet laureate of the United States as. The librarian of congress, carla said upon announcing her 2018 laureate appointment. Quote, joy harjo has championed the art of poetry soul talk, as she calls for over four decades to her, poems are carriers of dreams, knowledge and and through them she tells an american story of tradition and loss, reckoning and mythmaking her world powerful connects us to the earth and the spiritual world with direct, inventive lyrics, ism that helps us reimagine who we are. I remember how right, joy seemed for the position the time not only her terrific ninth poetry collection, an american sunrise, about to be published, but the landmark Norton Anthology she edited when the light of the world was subdued our songs came through was slated to be published. The following year featuring 161 authors from 90 native nations covering 300 years. Of course, joy has long been for her writing and her advocacy of native poets and writers. But in working with her, i came to see just how committed to both she is. Her laureate project living nations living words, which included a story locating contemporary native america and poets across the country, unmarked by todays state boundaries. A new digital collection, the library, and a corresponding anthology showed how native voices, quote, belong everywhere in the american story. Joyce was a history making laureate ship as her events at the lure at library exemplified in 2019, her opening began with a welcome from the chief of the muskogee creek nation and her career spanning reading and performance with a three piece band set a new standard for a laureate event in 2021. The Librarian Congress hosted joy and her friend and former student deb haaland, the first native american to serve as u. S. Secretary of the interior and joins 2022 closing week of events featured the historic first retreat of enid indigenous nations poets, a new organization mentoring emerging native writers. I would be remiss if i didnt also tell you that joys very last laureate event was a dance on the steps of the library facing the u. S. Capitol, and i feel i should admit to you that midway the party in a particularly vigorous move, i sprained my ankle, but i kept going and afterwards spent eight months in physical therapy without any regret. Such was and is my dedication to joy harjo seriously, i know of no other poet with a network of friends support ears and fans, the apo, faculty and fellows on the steps that evening represented a small, small number. The poets and writers for whom joy is a model and a mentor to her readers. And joy offers wisdom and wonder showcases the beauty of longing and living and captures the truth of who we are as a self, a community, a consciousness this joy has always spoken the planet and to the ancestors, ours and the generations to come. I know the sandra award is given to a person who has over time made significant contributions. Book culture. I argue, just as books can, much more than the words they can. Can they contain our enduring and empowering documents of our being that joy harjo in her writing, her interdisciplinary work and her service created a constellation of connection that continues to expand. Please join me in welcoming joy harjo. I know he sprained his ankle. Thank you. Or modo in our muskogee language, i am so honored to standing here with you and before you in person to accept this for a lifetime of mischief i mean writing. Of course the best writing makes for a kind of mischief that is it runs counter to the expected opens doors of inside that upset the status quo makes a pathway for justice to have its say. Ive always had the greatest respect for this organization for who read closely and Pay Attention to literary witness in the story field. The National Book critics circle was founded in 1974. This means next year. It will be 50 years since its founding. My poems were published in 72 when i was an undergraduate student at the university of new mexico. So i have come of age a poet writer alongside the National Book critics circle. Our generation about making historical adjustment and covering the stories and cultural knowledge that had been a place at the table of american literature. We are all witnesses to history, to the unfoldment and reshaping of mythic structures, of meaning through cultural, societal shift. Through the years i come, i have come to understand that poets are the point. People that is, we are just a little ahead when it comes to the shape of an age and how it will arrange itself around the shoulders of our children and grandchildren. We call out to hear of what is and speak of all. Listen then language, music, phrasing and all the other elements of poetry we create. I had no plans to be a poet to become poet, even as much as i depended utterly on doorways of books to draw me into the creativity of imagining inherent in the story field. Though i to appreciate and enjoy fine poetry and prose. Nothing i read in my Public School and Even University education directly included the experience of the original native peoples or my muskogee culture. All the literature i read or had come across what to had come across was by european or euroamerican writers until. I went to the institute of american arts, which was then a bureau of indian high school, and read poetry. A fellow student poets. I got kicked out of my High School English class because i caused a ruckus with my note passing and limericks about the teacher. I was then taught one on one by a teacher who allowed me to read freely anything i wanted. It was there i buried myself in thomas hardy and other english poets from donated to the indian school. I also wrote lyrics for a campus rock band but didnt yet turn writing poetry that would come a few years later, i am related to the nationally known then nationally known and respected muskogee poet alexander posey, who lived between 1873 and 1908. His poems were part of our Public School curriculum. My earliest education in the state of oklahoma did not include native literature. We were rarely present in any discipline. We appeared briefly on the unit on oklahoma. Then the course continued us to the glorification of the oklahoma land run. In that representation of history, an immense unspoken baxter that was hidden to protect American Dream story from tarnish oklahoma passed state. Law 1775 in 2021, a law that essentially was created to keep it that way. And i just got a letter, an email from a young muskogee educator who asked me if i would help her start a book club for band books in oklahoma. So it starts going on there to. Those years of the early seventies, i began a national towards cultural, racial and gender reckoning. I came age in that arc of change, a spool of transformation that is still unwinding and getting caught up on. I was a studio art major at the university of new mexico and a member of the native student club, the cuba club. We were engaged in securing native rights in the surrounding tribal communities and nationally local native communities us to help them to be present at negotiations with cole and urana, alum companies to share their story. I heard eloquent testimony his with i heard eloquent testimonies of the poets and story keepers from various tribal nations as they told the stories and sing of their presence in lands and underlined their responsibilities. Wounded knee went down 1973. Many made trek to stand for human rights. These were the times bertha kiowa, poet and writer in Scott Muhammad day, whos the novel house maid of dawn, won the Pulitzer Prize and james james welch blackfeet, published his first novelist, but published his first and only book of poetry writing the earth boy 40, which is a classic in american poetry. Laguna pueblo writer leslie mormon silk rose novel ceremony was threaded with oratorical reference as to classical myths. Lagunas she was awarded one of the first macarthur genius grants. That novel became part of the american canon. This is how i came to poetry the one semester leslie simcoe was a visiting writer at the university of new mexico. She brought in ishmael reed, the africanamerican satirist and novelist, to. He was a force in calling attention to multiculturalism. The multiculturalism, american literature. My first visit to new york city was participate in one of the first multicourse cultural poetry and is memorialized on an lp from folkways records. At that time, any book by a native author could not be found in the literature sections at bookstores. They were always shelved under anthropology. Sometimes they still are. We were not seen as literary. And one very wellknown critic told my italian translator there were no native poets worth attention. It has been about 50 years, and here we are at the top of the loop of the next coming of age. There is a generation students now poetry of many peoples who call this country, their home. They are more present in the literary. Lately long, soldier was a finalist for the National Book award in poetry into 2017. Natalie diaz won a Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 2021 a new native Poetry Organization in a poem launched last year. Last year, at the final event of my poet laureate ship inspired the success of kavi khanum in growing black writers and poets, consciousness and quality during the pandemic, the citizens of this country turned to poetry in numbers unseen in recent years because they needed what poetry could give them a place to grieve express a joy, fury and, certainty, and to do what poetry has always done offer a doorway, the unspeakable through the artistry of words. I am honored have been part of this poetry story of my generation. The story of literature in this country and its contradictory. A poet of the muskogee creek nation. I have had many assist along the way, including my editor of 30 years, jill, by a law school. Are you here, jill . I think shes here. And there are. There are so many along the way who have who are part of this story of this Lifetime Achievement. Thank you. Deeply for this recognition for a lifetime of achievement. I am not yet. Do you. Consider your. Best selling of the hanging. Painting the passport from, the beauty parlor is to the sailors. The circus is in town. Lets start about this place. Well, it was founded in 1953 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and it was modeled after the european, which had a publishing as well as a bookstore in the same operation lawrence. His partner was a guy by the name of peter de martin. Peter de martin was mostly interested in the journal. Ferlinghetti really had a broader vision, which was to create Publishing House at issue for quality paperbacks. Hardcovers were very expensive. Yeah. And the great thing about a paperback is that, you know, you didnt have to spend a weeks worth of wages on it. You wanted to make something that just some kid would come in and with an allowance money, be able to pick up and open up and just like an you wanted to inspire generation of people to look at poetry differently. First and foremost were a cultural center. And this is really the nexus, the literary and the political meet. And so our job is to keep the avant garde alive. Yes, sir. I received your letter yesterday about the time that donna broke when you asked me how i was doing. Yes, thats some kind of joke. All these people that you mentioned. Yes, i know them. Theyre quite lame. I had to read, arrange their faces and gives them all another name. Right now. I cant read too good. Dont send me no more letters. Give it up for our interpreters. As for the night, theyve been amazing. Thank you for that. My name is john freeman. Its my pleasure to be presenting the Toni MorrisonAchievement Award to city lights tonight. And its a huge honor to be standing in a space that joy harjo recently vacated. Im hoping that some of your poetry music rubs off on me. It was in city lights that i was first given a copy of one of your books by a bookseller, and thats how it works, isnt it . All of us here, because someone gave us book. A grandmother, a librarian. Could have been a bookseller. Someone said to us, read this. Or they read it to us. Books. Travel a long way to us. But the close part very special. Because in that hand over these roles sometimes get mixed up. The Poetry Reading starts to feel like family. Or maybe the bookseller acts like a librarian and says, hey, you can hang out here and read. Heres a chair and oh yeah, check this out. The bookstore becomes a house of where we read to and where were safe. That spirit of total commitment, of nurturing the community and the person and the mind and the spirit is why were to acknowledge city lights tonight. I would venture to say in the history of bookselling, at least in country, no room full books for sale has ever been treated so warmly and lovingly, like the extended classroom political rally spot. Cozy and yes. Sanctuary as its four walls and basement of books. They opened years ago with that democratic in mind. They would sell paperback books because they were cheap and available to more. They would be open late because while most of us work all this time while San Francisco and the nation changed around them, they have kept to wonderful formula and they have showed a model for how to be together. I cant be the only in this audience whose. Parents treated city lights like a last minute babysitter who lost 2 to 3 hours in the poetry room and was encouraged to stay longer. Who discovered antonin marto and daisy zamora and their elegant addition, our marxism in their basement. And then was a brief lecture and why that applies to america by Paul Yamazaki who attended events marshaled by peter marvelous. And who founded and who discovered the power of the freedom of expression from their example, who started with their line early poets of gary snyder and allen and ann waldman and moved on to some as denman medina, which tango eyes and Martin Christina period ross rossi and mosab abu toha. Congratulations on your finalists tonight. Their light burns ever bright today even as our country gets ever hotter and as the eco poetics of their lists seems ever more necessary and present. Three decades ago, Elaine Katzenberger stepped across that urine soaked alley from vesuvio bar and city lights and never looked back. Shes been a captain, organizer, a curator, par excellence. We are extremely lucky to you, elaine. Please come and accept this richly deserved award. Also host kai of the hanging there painting the passport brown the beauty. Food. I didnt. I would get all teary eyed, but seeing all those pictures of lawrence and yeah, its been its been a lifetime for me at that organization and its been a gift and privilege to spend my life there and to learn how to live there and when we were told that we were going to receive this award and i really i didnt take it very personally. Citylights has been around for 70 years doing the work. It does and ive been involved for half. But, you know, its lawrence. So i thought, well, but you know, there theyre giving this this award and that that those of us who have been doing this for him all these years havent screwed it up, you know, were doing a good job. So thank you very much for recognizing us and its great to be here with so many esteemed and colleagues and following joy harjo in particular. I didnt know that that would be the lineup and. I wanted to say a few words about poetry, but youve said everything so eloquently, so will, just lets just remember what joyce said, because because thats but its the holy truth. I mean, really, first, i want to obviously thank the board and members of the National Book critics circle award for your work and the work you do to nurture and develop our community of writers, readers, publishers and booksellers. As Toni Morrison herself is described, its a wild faculty of sorts dedicated to books, and theyre scrutiny. Passionate, eager, laud and reward, the best this cohort readers who are devoted to the astute criticism of books provides a critical to the writing. Publishing and bookselling world. And we are all enriched by the work. Do special things to change arbitrary Maris Kreizman who have been extremely helpful to us and basically walked us through the door tonight. Were especially grateful to millie chai, who nominated us for this award. And id also like to thank jacob appel now for announcing our selection despite the fact that were located west of the hudson river, he describes citylights as a guiding flair for readers and writers across the globe who dream of a better world. And thats really those are lovely words. Its an honor to stand before you tonight representing city lights and accepting this award for significant contributions, book culture and this comes at a auspicious moment as youve been told. Thats our 70th anniversary year this year. And tomorrow, march 24th is Lawrence Ferlinghettis birthday. So happy 104 to Lawrence Ferlinghetti. And. Of course, first and foremost, im accepting this award on behalf of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, whose name is basically synonymous with city lights, his vision and his example and the consistency of, his commitment are in large part whats being honored here tonight. But there are others who deserve to share this honor. And i know that lawrence would want me to mention them. Nancy peters, my predecessor and my mentor was a significant force in shaping trajectory of our institution. And she worked alongside lawrence for more than 40 years, infusing it with her own formidable intelligence acumen and vision. And as lawrence put it in an interview that took place as nancy was to retire and pass the torch. Me well, there many years when i was just traveling around Poetry Readings, running here and there, and basically had my head up in the clouds and nancy was there steering the ship. The time we would have gone under without her. So thank you, nancy peters. And then theres Paul Yamazaki. Give it up for paul for years, i knew this room would be filled with yamazaki fans and. He most definitely wishes that he were here with all of us tonight. And really wish that he was here sharing this stage with me and helping to give this speech paul has been working at city lights for over 50 years. A of dedication to his craft, choosing exactly which titles will fill the shelves of our bookstore, executing a complex between backlist and front list. Whats new and whats essential and always whats imperative us to share. We wouldnt be who we are now without paul. Im also here to represent all the folks who working at city lights right now, both as booksellers and as publishers. Without them and all of those who collaborate in the project of bringing city lights forward after year, working hard for not much money, choosing to find gratification in the of our work this is for all of you to quick shout to my colleagues who are here with me, stacy lewis and Greg Ruggiero and two of our authors, amelia alkali and mosab toha, who, as youve heard, is a finalist for tonights poetry award. Were extremely proud of that honor as well. And his book represent, exactly what is at the core of our sin city is, after all, the work of a poet, Lawrence Ferlinghetti believed fervently in the of human creativity to unlock closed doors to us, inspire and encourage and to demonstrate the best what humans are capable of. Poetry is the heart of city lights. Personally, i. Im astonished at the journey that has brought me to this stage after the gift and privilege of working for years with the Extraordinary People ive just mentioned, i now find myself sharing honor with covid kind of and getting an award thats meant to honor Toni Morrison. I, i dont, i was not raised as a in an where books were paramount. I was an avid reader and books were the way i found myself into the world. And yes, indeed, i did stumble across a it wasnt urine soaked alley into city lights and it was home it home immediately and what ive come to understand and know and experience and witness for all the years ive been there is that thats certainly not a unique experience. Me people come all the time and find home there and there are people who dont even come there and think of it as their home and its uncanny and, and beautiful, and important to protect. Speaking of Toni Morrison, of course, i remember the first time i ever saw toni in person. I mean, who doesnt that it was an event held at the main branch of the new Public Library celebrating, the publication of a new city lights edition of narrative of the life of frederick douglass, which includes two lectures on liberation by angela davis that night, angela and toni had an extended about what they called the three ls literacy, liberation and libraries, which me to the most important thing that all of us who understand the power and the potential of books have to confront now the atmosphere of intimidation and, the attempt to control what were able to read. This is not the first time that those who seek power attempted to gain it by limiting access to knowledge and ideas. But this phase of book burning is something much more cynical and dangerous, and unfortunately more successful than what weve had to fight in the past. On one hand, its gratifying to see how those who would seek ban books seem to understand the actual power they have to transform culture. But without readers books cannot do their freedom of expression only goes so far if there is no of access. And while the libraries and librarians are under attack, we in the bookselling, publishing and critical world must do our part to keep access dissent must turn to defiance in many ways as possible. Id like to take a cue from, toni and angela, and propose the three cs that i would say define. The role we strive to play at city lights, creativity, curiosity and critical. Thats what were to stimulate and protect. Ferlinghetti has quoted. I think its socrates saying that the poet is the gadfly to the state. And he adds and sometimes the firefly too we do our work in the face of some other very daunting seas, namely the commodification of consumer capitalism. I always balk at the phrase more than ever when people want to talk about the importance of a long standing. There is more than ever. Theres just always its always important to do what we do. The work is important. Someone wrote about our anniversary recently saying that city lights, unlike city changing all around us is preserved in amber. Well, thats not quite it, but take it. I think part of whats being recognized here tonight, that we are still here fighting the fight and its still the work at hand to. Open hearts, open minds, open doors with books. And id like to close with a few lines from one of lawrences most popular called poetry as insurgent art, which is a compilation various writings about the role of poetry in our lives published by our friends at new directions apologies in advance and again that i am not Lawrence Ferlinghetti, but ill do it my best. I am signaling you through the flames. The north pole is not. It used to be manifested. Sydney is no longer manifest civilization Self Destruct nemesis is knocking at the door. What are poets for in such an age . What is the use of poetry . The state of the world calls for poetry to save it. If you would be a poet, create works capable of answering the challenge of apocalyptic. Even if this means sounding apocalyptic. If you would be a poet write living newspapers, be a reporter from outer space, filling dispatches to some managing editor who believes in full disclosure and has a low tolerance for. If you call yourself a poet, dont just sit there. Poetry is not a sedentary occupation, not a take your seat practice, stand up and let them have it. Have wide vision each look a world glance express the vast of the outside world the sun that sees us all. And the moon that strus its shadows on us quiet garden ponds willows where the hidden thrush the dusk falling along the river run and the great spaces that open out upon the sea high tide in herons calm and the people. The people, yes all around the earth speaking battle tones give voice to them all. Thank you so much. Good evening. Im Rebecca Morgan frank and it is my great pleasure to kick off the single genre that some of you im sure finalists have been waiting patiently for. Its id like to start celebrating our. Five finals last. Things you may find hidden my ear by mosab abu city lights books. Hotel oblivion by cynthia cruise for way books. Hello. I must be going by david hernandez, poet poetry series. Banana by lava szabos also hit poetry series. And milkweed smithereens by Bernadette Mayer new directions. And the winner of the National Critics circle award in poetry is simply a. Cynthia cruise is in germany and can join us tonight. But the director of four way books, ryan, is coming to accept on her behalf. And ill start by reading the congratulations to four rebels. Cynthia cruise by reading the citation the body as animal a living thing but separate from the mind singing or child not held when small left alone turns changes. The speaker of cynthia Cruises Hotel oblivion inhabits hotel rooms in warsaw, berlin and belgrade anonymous rooms serving as archives of memory ephemera of text and films. She has a synthetic shape virtuoso transfer warming from star of an estonian underground experimental film to a young jean janay, a scene in a photograph two other versions of herself in enclosures of hotel and through collection of fragments, the speaker manifests new language for the trauma beneath, quote the cut that made in me was made when i was small. Everything that happened after was just play. Acting. Dont be deceived. This is no straightforward confession in all but carefully curated. What is a body . How can it possibly contain us . How does language emerge from fragments of, memory, knowledge and images within watch as i transform the speaker of Hotel Oblivion says, then vanish before you. Congratulations to cynthia cruz and. Thank you so much. I know cynthia wishes. She could be here, but is living in berlin. She says that she wanted to express her gratitude to the National Book critics circle for Hotel Oblivion and shes honored and humbled to be included among the luminous writers awarded this prize before her. Thank you very much. Have a great. Good evening. Im j howard rosier here to announce the winner of the National Book. Critics award and and what a Wonderful Group finalists they are. Rachel aviv for strangers to ourselves from farrar, straus and gro. To timothy buse for friend from columbia. Peter brookes for seduced by story from new york review books. Margo jefferson for constructing a nervous system from pantheon pantheon. And alia tribute around for when women kill by Sophie Hughes from coffee press. And the winner. Timothy buse for free and direct. Im sorry i missed you on door duty i would just you can read the citation bus groundbreaking work interrogates the boundary the boundary between reality and fiction which is culminated in a unique type of novel that, subverts both the genre and the study of it by reconsidering the novel not as a form but as logic free indirect cast it as in organic and autonomous form that acts as subject rather than a vehicle. And at a time when the state of the humanities is being called into question, buse proves that literary remains a Fertile Ground for examining esthetics and human perception. Congratulations. Im im stunned. Thank you. That was a lovely citation to write an acceptance speech like this in advance of the award. Indeed, perhaps even before the award has even been decided. Feels presumptuous, but to do so is enter into a region that my book argues. We dwell in all the time one that is inherent to all mental and discursive life fiction ality. I a novelist. The fact of this award was not necessary to prove the validity of my argument. A speech by any one of my fully fellow finalists would have demonstrated that. Nevertheless, this enables me to thank publicly my editor, Columbia UniversityPhilip Philip leventhal for his faith in this project. Thank you, philip. The editors, the Serious Literature now in which my book appears my wife thangam revealed jonathan, who was me from the beginning of the project and is accompanied me through it and many friends and supporters, including branca, ozick, mother, emory, jed, sd joanna, howard, young guy, and addie ophir. I dedicate the award to, the nationwide community of academic literary critics, of which i am proud to be a member that award has gone to a work of literary. Literary means more to me than that. It went to my book, although i am honored and thrilled beyond measure for that. About that too. Thank you. Finally, the National Book critics circle, especially the Prize Committee and the board for reading my work and those of the other finalists. And for this extraordinary gesture of support for the work we do. Thank you so much much. Hello, im heather scott. Turning ten. I have a bit of laryngitis, so bear with me. Im the autobiography committee chair. Please join me in celebrating our autobiography finals. For 2022. They are linnea negra an essay on pregnancy c and earthquakes by hasnt mina pereira translate it by Kristina Mcsweeney two lines press. The man who can move clouds a memoir by Ingrid Contreras double date. Stayed true a memoir by hua hsu. 17 a line the world a year on the north sea coast by norths. Translated by Carolyn Waite gray press and come back in september for a literary education on west 67th street, manhattan by Darryl Pinckney for our straus and giroux. And its my great honor to announce that the winner of the 2022 award for autobiography fee is state. True. My hua hsu. Stayed true by is a clear eyed vulnerable exploration a platonic friendship and lifelong loss was to writes of his college aged friendship with ken forged over music and smoke breaks at uc to illuminate its a particular moment in bay area culture. He how earnest teens seek to define themselves in difficult amies and how its our routines that create our identities. Oh, now he lost me. Please. When ken is tragically killed in carjacking, sue is left to reckon with both a senseless death and his own memories. This is a memoir borne out of both loss and imperative to write as nbcs board member kate took, i said sue earns the trust of readers by and by revealing that tender intimacy of male friendship in a vulnerable coming of age memoir. Sues memoir is a celebrated of life and the marks we leave on each others souls. Its exceptional work. Congratulate since. This very weird. Im sorry you had to speak so much thank you to the asl ellis interpreters and all the finalists not just in this category whove inspired me so much, but just in all the categories its very cool to be here. Yeah. So this book would not have existed without my agent chris whos not here right now. My editor, thomas, a beautiful, humane, very eligible person. And back there, im always here at doubleday, just an Incredible Group of folks. Elena, johanna, kayla and everyone else. Readers, booksellers. Its just ive never done something like, so its very weird. I feel like thinking everyone ive ever met. Not did everyone at doubleday really just support the book . But youre also friends me, which if youve read my book, means it means a lot because im actually not a very good friend. I want to thank the editors who the past 20 or so years has, as i was writing criticism and reporting annoying, put me in a position to finally write this, particularly willing. And David Haglund staffs of the wire and or magazines o dubs and i dont know if any of you are watching this, my friends, my friends really held me down all these years, even when i was nowhere to be found. So thanks to you my family, carol, zeek, my parents model, the kind of person i wanted to be. So its been bewildering the past few months. Im so grateful to wnbc and everyone whos this book. Its still a trip to me that any Single Person has this book. Its a book that i started writing this 25 years ago in journal, and it wasnt a book. It was just sort of something that i had to do. It was just something that a weird, sad 21 year old had to get down. And now its done. And people who never knew my friend ken, well never forget him. And its a trip i just wanted to hang out a little longer and i hope that you find as amusing and strange as i do, i remain changed and i remain grateful. So thanks to you and thanks to kent, so. Evening, Elizabeth Taylor for biography was a great year for biography a great set of finalists. Gman, j. Edgar hoover and the making of the american century. Lee gage, viking. The turin. His legacy of slavery in American Family by carrie greenidge. And later, he writes. Mr. B, George Balanchines 20 a century by jennifer homans, a grandiose. Metaphysical animals have for women brought philosophy back to life by Clare Mccombe hill and Rachel Wiseman and again doubleday. And finally, up from the depths, Herman MelvilleLewis Mumford and rediscovery in dark times by aaron sachs from Princeton University press. So the winner is in the is not here but her editor is i think she is to present the receive this award but gman j. Edgar hoover and the making the american century. In this in this towering biography beverly, gage tells the story the quintessential government man j. Edgar hoover, one of the most powerful officials. American history. He shaped the fbi by in his image. We cannot know our own story without understood his. It all its high aspiration in terrible cruelty and many human contradictions, writes beverly gage. Beverly gage has miraculously untangled those contradictions and her own paradoxical National Story involving american anxieties over security, race. Its a big, ambitious and is written with a Propulsive Energy and a wan. Its she weaves through archival revelations historic while nuanced to and psychological keenness. It is really suspenseful biography. Washington dc is to her understanding of hoover and his biography is also the biography story of his hometown as it ran swarmed from a sleepy parochial into the center of the global power gauge herself understands power, she writes. It does not arrive. It has to be create it policy by policy law law step by a crucial, excruciating step in in revelations that resonate today. Each found that hoovers world was framed by the southern fraternity, kappa alpha and liberty. Herbert. Now, i think so. Got oh, my god. See, thats kappa alpha raising its ugly head. His, his. Because it hoovers chief source, sustenance and friendship and informed hoovers values, especially about race, segregation and the honor of the old south beverly. Gage chronicles his many of power committed during reign. But its its really important, she points out that hoover was no lone ranger or that he had Public Opinion on his side with everything. He did, as gage articulates beautifully to look at him is also to look at ourselves at what American Value and fought over during those and what we tolerate and what we refused to see. So thank you and. Wendy wolf. Beverly was unable to be with us tonight for health reasons, but she is going to be really excited when i have a chance to text her. Scott moyers sorry to started. Beverly and i on this path together 40 years ago. Andrew wylie source across the line everybody in bevs family everybody in bethesda, everybody at viking us the whole way through we never thought we wouldnt get here and we thank everyone we the other finalists its an honor to be in their company. We thank at the nbc series. We thank all of the writers and the readers understood why hoovers had to be told for to understand the story of america. Thank you. Good evening. Im reuben casella, the vp diversity, equity and inclusion. And its my honor to have served as the nonfiction this year. The finalists for are isaac butler. The method how the 20th century learned to act. Bloomsbury bloomsbury. Kelly Lytle Hernandez bad mexicans race, empire and revolution in the borderlands norton. Joseph osments and virology essays for the living, the dead and the small things between norton. And annie through fen bog and swamp. A short history of peatland destruction and its role in the climate. Scribner. Editor young in a mans world how animals senses reveal the hidden realms around us. Random house. And the winner is isaac butler method how the 20th century learned to act linked. To decades ago. Film historian russo analyzed the representation of characters in film providing audiences with a way to understand and each other through the identity and experience of characters isaac butler his book, the method, builds on this understanding by exploring the concept of petty. Hes villainy. Im butchering. This is a technique where actors imaginatively the world and experience their characters to create sense of reality in their performances the method is based on this foundation. Its an insightful exploration of an Artistic Movement that challenge conventional presentations of emotion and instead prioritized experiencing the real life emotions. The individual, this movement broke with past stylistic, dramatic conventions, resulting in a stunning transfer motion before the era of blockbuster. Sorry, lost my place. This book is an outstanding, astounding intellectual and social that poses intriguing of inquiry about identity and dramatizes the sparkling contradictions between character, selfperception and public perceptions. Congratulations. Wow. Okay. And. Its a little past eight. Sorry, maris. Ill try not to keep you here too long as reader and buyer of books, the nbc states sticker is the one that matters the most to me, its an immense, immense honor to to get this award. Thank you so much. Thank you to the to the board and to the committee and to book critics. Holy moly. I mean, just to be nominated, you know, these these books that invited us to see the world through different lenses and to reexamine it, whether it was the, the, um, vault of the Animal Kingdom or the life cycle and vital importance of peat bogs, the contested border and its wild history or lives during the eternal present of the pandemic. It is an honor to my fellow nominees to be in your company. Thank you. I share this prize with a lot of people. Ben hyman, a bloomsbury, my editor. I love you. Thank you so much for everything you did this book too. Morgan jones, thank you so much to Emily Fishman and Marie Kuhlmann for all your incredible work publicizing the book, Lauren Mosley and everyone in marketing nancy miller and everyone in the production team. My incredible, incredible aliyah, hannah habib. Thank you so, so much, sophie jones also a gernhardt thank you my mom and dad are here. Thank you, mom and dad thank you for making me a reader. Thank you for housing me during the pandemic. While i finished this book. Thank you as well on that score to my mother in law, patty love, Mark Armstrong of the most important friends and readers in my life is also here tonight. Mark, thank you so much. And i also must thank kathryn nichols, read every page of the first draft of this book and gave me voluminous and of course, to my daughter iris, who kept saying, saying, youre going to lose. You were right. Im sorry. And to my incredible wife and who is the reader . I think of every time i put my fingers to the keystrokes. One last thing i just wanted to say 21 years ago, tony kushner wrote, the past cant be erased and can be effaced if we agree, forget and what has been should not be forgotten. I fear the forces in our nation want to forget everything that is in convenient to their beliefs. Everything adds complexity to the way that they see the world. The thing that unites all of us in this room is the art form we are here to celebrate. One that enshrines sins and is impossible memory. Thank you the nbcc for all the ways that you refuse to forget. Thank you to everyone in this room for fighting those who would have faced the complex of our world. Thank you all so much for this incredible, incredible. Thank. Good evening. My name is Anita Felicelli and im honored to present the award for fiction on behalf of the National Book critics circle. Here are the five wonderful finalists, dr. No by Percival Gray wolf. A new name cytology through 7 billion fossa. Translated Damien Searls transit books. All the lovers in the night by mieko kawakami, translated by sam bet and david europa editions. Bliss montage by klingman, farrar, straus and giroux. The furrows by nampalys serpell, hogarth. And, the winner of the National Book critics circle fiction award, is lingman for bliss montage. And here to accept the award on, lehmans behalf is Jenna Johnson fsg. But i will read the citation in laymans montage is a sublime, short story collection. Ma and unspools as not only quiet tender moments, also lifes amusing and humorous and ridiculous notes and its absurdity. Her book portrays the sometimes startling indignities of race and immigrant and the challenges of being in a body, navigating the strangeness of the human condition, whether writing about yetis or mothers. Maya pulls us into a world where everything been called into question. Where even the genre in which she works, her literary magic not always clear shes tropes of speculum fiction, magic, realism, surrealism and realism, comingling and with these elements. My stories are individually brilliant, but the collections architecture as a whole is equally remarkable. She invites you into a fantastic multistory house of emotional resonance in which you open the door. One room, the room where a narrator lives with her husband and her 100 exboyfriends that unfolds into another room that unfolds another and yet another. Until you reach final room. Having encountered zany furnishings and inhabitants unlike any other, congratulations on. Everyone and is very sorry not to be here tonight. But im glad to be here so i can tell that i read this collection when it was first submitted with her novel severance. And as much as i loved severance, i loved this more. And i was desperate to publish it for the years that i was waiting for it. And when it came in, i hadnt anything in a long time that made me have the full range of human emotions. And that was this moment from the very first page. And i just almost cried with relief that i could read like that again at length and a it says theres deep seated fear that writers have that your work will never reach the right readers and that even if it does reach them, the white noise of everyday circumstances, the endless scroll, the will drown it out anyway. Were afraid that our demanding cant compete in the attention. Just being shortlisted for National Book critics circle awards is meaningful. It signifies not only that people are paying attention, but that there are critical engaging with your work on a deep level. Who can perceive with crystal clarity the facets your work that may even a mystery to yourself at times. That kind of attention is intimidating, but its also exactly what i want as a writer. I hope to continue to make writing thats worthy of that attention. Thank you for this award. Thanks, joanna. Thus concludes the National Book critics circle awards for publishing year 2022. We ask you all please to join us in celebration at a reception just down the road at 63 5 avenue. Who would . The winners and the Board Members, please stay for a few minutes for a couple of group portrait. Thank you all so much for joining us. Were thrilled to celebrate with you. Thank on about books. We delve into the latest news about the Publishing Industry with interesting insight or interviews with Publishing Industry experts. Well also give you updates on current