November 18, 1999
Web posted at: 12:26 a.m. EST (0526 GMT)

By Jamie Allen
CNN Interactive Senior Writer

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Patricia Henley, author of "Hummingbird House," is often reminded of her reaction when she found out her book had been chosen by the National Book Foundation as a finalist for the 1999 National Book Awards.

"My husband says, 'When you got the phone call, I saw you go through several stages,'" Henley says during a Tuesday book signing in Manhattan. "'The first stage, you cried; the second stage you said, 'I get to meet Steve Martin!'"

Martin, the former "wild and crazy guy" turned actor-writer, is hosting the 50th annual National Book Awards ceremony on Wednesday night. He's just one celebrity scheduled to attend this year's event. Another is Oprah Winfrey, who will be given a medal honoring her contribution to reading and books.

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Henley can't wait to talk to her, either.

"Isn't she great?" Henley says. "I love her. I think she's an amazing woman. She does everything she can to empower women."

While Henley spoke, book fans buzzed from table to table to get autographs from other finalists in the National Book Foundation's four categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and young people's literature. On Wednesday, the foundation will narrow down each section to one "best" work for 1999.

"There's 60,000 books published every year," says Barnes & Noble vice chairman Steve Riggio, "and what you have here is 20 books selected out of that. It represents a truly great achievement of these writers."

The book signing was put together by B&N to showcase its sponsorship of the National Book Awards and promote media coverage of books and authors.

"We'd like to see an era of author as celebrity," says Riggio. "These are very interesting people here."

The finalists followed the book signing with a evening reading at The New School in the trendy West Village. Wearing medallions presented by the foundation, each writer stood behind a podium on a stage before a packed auditorium and read from their award-winning work.

John W. Dower, author of the nonfiction finalist "Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II," says for him the reading is the highlight of the week.

"I think that listening to other people read what they take out of their own work is what interests me," he says. "It interests me to think of hearing others, hear their voice literally instead of reading it."

Dower was a finalist in 1987 for his book "War Without Mercy," and he says the times have changed. Back then, the presentation was a small one-night event without celebrity hosts or honorees.

"I didn't even come to New York that time," he says.

Now, authors react differently when their book is chosen as a finalist. Mark Bowden, who penned "Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War," says he was excited just to get the book published. Now this.

"I was flabbergasted and very honored," he says. But Bowden says he's not expecting on Wednesday night to take home the foundation's honor for "best" nonfiction work.

"I'm going to lose, I'm certain of it," he says. "I have one chance out of five. I wouldn't wager a whole lot on that. But if I win it I'll be obviously thrilled. If I don't, I'm already happy as I could be about it."