Michael Pietsch

The National Book Awards were held last night at the Marriot Marquee, bringing hordes of agents and editors--along with authors like Toni Morrison, Jonathan Franzen, and Joan Didion, who received a lifetime achievement award--to Times Square.

As widely predicted, Denis Johnson won the fiction prize for Tree of Smoke. Mr. Johnson’s wife accepted the award on his behalf because he is on assignment in Iraq.

In non-fiction, New York Times reporter Tim Weiner won for Legacy of Ashes, and in poetry, Robert Hass won for Time and Materials. Sherman Alexie won in the young adult category for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.  read more »