A Medal for Joan Didion

The New York Times, September 11, 2007

Joan Didion is to receive the National Book Foundation's annual Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters for "her distinctive blend of spare, elegant prose and fierce intelligence," the foundation announced yesterday. Ms. Didion, who won the National Book Award in 2005 for her most recent book, "The Year of Magical Thinking," is to receive the medal in a presentation by the novelist Michael Cunningham at the National Book Awards ceremony on Nov. 14 at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan. The foundation also announced that Terry Gross, host and executive producer of National Public Radio's "Fresh Air," will receive the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. Ira Glass, host and producer of "This American Life" on NPR, will present the award. On Oct. 10, the author Camille Paglia is to announce the 20 finalists for the 2007 National Book Awards at the Library Company in Philadelphia, which was founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin.