This Just In: An Award for Francine Prose

I’ve only just written about Francine Prose’s latest novel, My New American Life (Harper: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780061713767. $25.99) and only just received the galley‚ it’s darkly hilarious and quite engrossing‚ and now there’s word that Prose has won the Washington University International Humanities Medal. Awarded biennially, this hefty prize (it’s worth $25,000) acknowledges the lifetime contribution of a scholar, writer, or artist. I wish I could hear the address she will give when accepting the award on November 30 at Washington University in St. Louis; it’s titled Ten Things Art Can Do. As she’s shown, art can do a lot. A refreshing change from speakers that drone on about themselves.