Steve Martin

November 11, 1999
Web posted at: 3:25 p.m. EST (2025 GMT)

By Jamie Allen
CNN Interactive Senior Writer

(CNN) -- Literary and publishing industry giants -- along with two well-known entertainment celebrities -- are gathering in New York next week for the National Book Awards, this year celebrating 50 years of spotlighting the best books printed in the United States.

The awards ceremony, sponsored by the National Book Foundation, was first held in 1950 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. This year's event will be held Wednesday night at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan.

One highlight of the awards will be the presentation of a special 50th Anniversary Gold Medal to talk show host and actress Oprah Winfrey for her "influential contribution" to reading and books. Winfrey uses her television show to call attention to "Oprah's Book Club," which has blossomed into one of the most influential promotional enterprises in the publishing industry.

Steve Martin, the actor, comic, and writer who most recently starred in "Bowfinger" with Eddie Murphy, will serve as master of ceremonies.

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Dozens of top authors are expected to attend the affair, including former National Book Award winners Annie Proulx, William Meredith, and Alice McDermott.

But the traditional purpose of the evening is to honor the best fiction, nonfiction, young people's literature and poetry of the past year.

This year's nominees span the spectrum of taste and subject.

FICTION FINALISTS:

"House of Sand and Fog," by Andre Dubus III: A traditional story of love and immigrant success turned upside-down, Dubus' novel tells the consequences of the choices made by his characters.

"Plainsong," by Kent Haruf: Set in Colorado's high plains, this book weaves the stories of several families to present an American story of overcoming circumstance and fate.

"Hummingbird House," by Patricia Henley: The story of an American midwife who ventures into Mexico for a three-week visit, which turns into an eight-year journey.

"Waiting," by Ha Jin: Set in the political minefield of contemporary China, this novel tells the story of a man caught between the claims of two women.

"Who Do You Love," by Jean Thompson: A collection of 15 short stories, Thompson's work focuses on the bruised lives of Americans, the emotional complexities of love, and the resiliency of the human spirit.

NONFICTION FINALISTS:

"Woman: An Intimate Geography," by Natalie Angier: An investigation into female physiology that draws from scientific fact, history, mythology and literature.

"Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War," by Mark Bowden: Chronicles the 1993 failed Task Force Ranger mission in Somalia.

"Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II," by John W. Dower: A look at Japan during American occupation after WWII.

"Places Left Unfinished at the Time of Creation," by John Phillip Santos: A sweeping saga of a fragile Mexican-American family lineage that spans geographies and centuries.

"Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette," by Judith Thurman: A nuanced and revealing portrait of secretive and notorious French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette.

YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE FINALISTS:

"Speak," by Laurie Halse Anderson: The story of an utterly believable, bitterly ironic heroine who learns that while it's hard to speak up for yourself, keeping your mouth shut is worse.

"The Birchbark House," by Louise Erdrich: Tale of a young Native American girl whose life and that of her family's are shattered when a visitor comes to their lodge one winter night.

"When Zachary Beaver Came to Town," by Kimberly Willis Holt: An honest coming-of-age story about a 13-year-old boy struggling to find himself in an imperfect world.

"The Trolls," by Polly Horvath: The story of an aunt who visits her nieces and nephew, offering them an entrancing view of family history.

"Monster," by Walter Dean Myers: The reader becomes juror and witness to the trial of a 16-year-old accused in the fatal shooting of a convenience-store owner.

POETRY FINALISTS:

"Vice: New and Selected Poems," by Ai: The poet, known as the foremost wordsmith of urban terror, offers this collection of 17 new poems that journey into the human heart.

"Vita Nova: Poems," by Louise Gluck: Written in booklength sequence, this collection is a brutal and luminous book about deaths and beginnings, resignation and hope.

"Configurations: New & Selected Poems 1958-1998," by Clarence Major: Old and new work comprising 40 years of poetry from the award-winning poet.

"The Pilot Star Elegies," by Sherod Santos: Features a centerpiece poem on the suicide of the poet's sister.

"Repair," by C.K. Williams: 40 new poems covering subjects like love, death, social disorder and despair, and the waywardness of thought.

To be eligible for this year's National Book Awards, the books must have been published in America between December 1998 and November 1999. Finalists will receive a bronze medallion and $1,000. Winners of each category will receive an additional $10,000 and a crystal sculpture.