Behind the Scenes at Book Awards
The Nobel and Man Booker literature prizes have been announced, and now the U.S. awaits the announcement of the winners of the National Book Awards. The surprise nonminees in non-fiction include The 9/11 Commission Report; in fiction all five nominees are women from New York. "Maybe it should be called the Municipal Book Awards," said novelist Thomas McGuane. How are the winners chosen? It's not pretty. The New Yorker talks to a few past committee members for the dirt on America's top book honor after the Pulitzer Prize.