2009 Thurber Prize for American Humor

Ian Frazier has won the 2009 Thurber Prize for American Humor for his book Lamentations of the Father. (Find this book in our catalog)
The frequent contributor to the New Yorker won the first Thurber prize in 1997 for his Coyote vs. Acme.

This is what it says in our catalog about Lamentations of the Father:
"When The Atlantic Monthly celebrated its 150th anniversary by publishing excerpts from the best writing ever to appear in the magazine, in the category of the humorous essay it chose only four pieces—one by Mark Twain, one by James Thurber, one by Kurt Vonnegut, and Ian Frazier’s 1997 essay “Lamentations of the Father.” The title piece of this new collection has had an ongoing life in anthologies, in radio performances, in audio recordings, on the Internet, and in photocopies held by hamburger magnets on the doors of people’s refrigerators. The august company in which The Atlantic put Frazier gives an idea of where on the literary spectrum his humorous pieces lie. Frazier’s work is funny and elegant and poetic and of the highest literary aspiration, all at the same time. More serious than a “gag” writer, funnier than most essayists of equal accomplishment, Frazier is of a classical originality. This collection, a companion to his previous humor collections, Dating Your Mom(1985) and Coyote v. Acme(1996), contains thirty-three pieces gathered from the last thirteen years."

Runners-up for the Thurber Prize this year were:
* Sloane Crosley for I Was Told There'd Be Cake.
* Don Lee for Wrack and Ruin.
* Laurie Notaro for The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death:
Reflections on Revenge, Germaphobia, and Laser Hair Removal.

Shortlist for Thurber Prize for American Humor

The finalists for the $5,000 Thurber Prize for American Humor are:

Lamentations of the Father by Ian Frazier Find this book in our catalog
"Frazier’s work is funny and elegant and poetic and of the highest literary aspiration, all at the same time. More serious than a “gag” writer, funnier than most essayists of equal accomplishment, Frazier is of a classical originality." (catalog notes)

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley Find this book in our catalog
"Wry, hilarious, and profoundly genuine, this debut collection of literary essays is a celebration of fallibility and haplessness in all their glory. From despoiling an exhibit at the Natural History Museum to provoking the ire of her first boss to siccing the cops on her mysterious neighbor, Crosley can do no right despite the best of intentions-or perhaps because of them. Together, these essays create a startlingly funny and revealing portrait of a complex and utterly recognizable character that's aiming for the stars but hits the ceiling, and the inimitable city that has helped shape who she is. I Was Told There'd Be Cake introduces a strikingly original voice, chronicling the struggles and unexpected beauty of modern urban life." (catalog notes)

Wrack and Ruin by Don Lee Find this book in our catalog
"The trick to reading Don Lee's wonderfully silly second novel... is to take nothing seriously, even when you should. The book concerns the eccentric sculptor-turned-brussels sprout farmer, Lyndon Song, and his estranged brother, Woody, an uptight Hollywood producer. Lyndon's refusal to sell his farmland to a golf course developer results in an unwelcome visit from his brother, who has been secretly hired by the developer." (extract from PW review in catalog)

The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death : reflections on revenge, germophobia, and laser hair removal by Laurie Notaro Find this book in our catalog
"The "New York Times" bestselling author of "The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club" returns with her first collection of all new essays and personal observations in three years--and her funniest yet." (catalog notes)



The winner will be announced October 1


See Readers Place for my suggestion list of more recent American humor, called "Generation Gap."

Awards Round Up October 2008

Aravind Adiga has won the 2008 Man Booker prize for his debut novel, White Tiger. The prize was awarded at the Frankfurt Book Fair on Tuesday, October 14. Click here for more information.

Michael Connelly has won the 2009 Carvalho Prize. The prize is awarded by a jury of Spanish writers, booksellers and journalists. The prize is named for a literary private detective, Pepe Carvalho, created by the late Manuel Vázquez Montalbán. Connelly's new book, The Brass Verdict was published October 14.

Larry Doyle has won the 2008 Thurber Prize for American Humor for his first novel, I Love You, Beth Cooper. One judge, Firoozeh Dumas, called the book "a hilarious yet painfully accurate account of high school in all its pimply glory."

Awards Round-up September 2008

Finalists for the 2008 Thurber Prize AnnouncedThe Thurber Prize for American Humor will be presented at a ceremony at New York’s Algonquin Hotel on October 6.

Man Booker Shortlist announced September 9 Click here for the official news article
The shortlisted titles for the 2008 Man Booker Prize, which "promotes the
finest in fiction," are:
* The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
* The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
* Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
* The Clothes on Their Backs by Linda Grant
* The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher
* A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
The winning title will be chosen and announced Tuesday, October 14.