(Photos from macmillan publishers’ website)
NEW YORK (AP) | Henry Hoke’s “Open Throat,” a novella about a queer mountain lion living in the shadow of the Hollywood sign, is among the 10 books on the longlist for one of the literary world’s top prizes, the PEN/Faulkner award for fiction.
The settings for nominated books range from a 1930s Pennsylvania community in James McBride’s “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store” to 1960s Saigon in Alice McDermott’s “Absolution.” The list also includes, Jamel Brinkley’s “Witness,” Catherine Lacey’s “Biography of X,” Emma Cline’s “The Guest,” Daniel Clowes’ “Monica,” Claire Jiménez’s “What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez,” Nishanth Injam’s “The Best Possible Experience” and Colin Winnette’s “Users.”
“This year’s list is a powerful reminder that American literature matters more than ever,” awards committee chair Louis Bayard said in a statement Tuesday. “We are delighted to celebrate these gifted authors and the multivarious worlds they have brought to life.”
The list will be pared to five finalists next month, with the winner to be announced in April. Previous PEN/Faulkner winners include Philip Roth, Ann Patchett and Imbolo Mbue.
