Saturday, May 13, 2006

2006 New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards

N.Y. Drama Critics' Circle Gives Awards

Associated Press

NEW YORK - "The History Boys," English playwright Alan Bennett's look at young men trying to get into Oxford or Cambridge and the teachers who inspired them, was named best play Thursday by the New York Drama Critics' Circle.
"The Drowsy Chaperone," a giddy celebration of one fan's favorite 1920s musical, was picked as best musical.
Special awards were given to the current Broadway revival of "Sweeney Todd," in which the performers play all the show's instruments, and to Christine Ebersole for her performance in "Grey Gardens," a musical version of the film documentary about a reclusive mother and daughter who were relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
No prize was given for best American play.
The Circle has the option of giving a best-foreign or best-American play award, depending on what wins the best-play prize.
Founded in 1935, the Circle is composed of 19 drama critics from daily newspapers, magazines and wire services based in the New York metropolitan area.

Friday, May 12, 2006

What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years?

May 21, 2006

What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years?

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Early this year, the Book Review's editor, Sam Tanenhaus, sent out a short letter to a couple of hundred prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary sages, asking them to please identify "the single best work of American fiction published in the last 25 years." [Read A. O. Scott's essay. See a list of the judges.] Following are the results.

THE WINNER:

Beloved
Toni Morrison (1987)
Review

THE RUNNERS-UP:

Underworld
Don DeLillo
(1997)
Review

Blood Meridian
Cormac McCarthy
(1985)
Review

Rabbit Angstrom: The Four Novels
John Updike
(1995)
Review: 'Rabbit at Rest'(1990)
Review: 'Rabbit Is Rich'(1981)
Review: 'Rabbit Redux'(1971)
Review: 'Rabbit, Run'(1960)

American Pastoral
Philip Roth
(1997)
Review

THE FOLLOWING BOOKS ALSO RECEIVED MULTIPLE VOTES:
A Confederacy of Dunces
John Kennedy Toole
(1980)
Review
Housekeeping
Marilynne Robinson
(1980)
(This book was not reviewed by The Times.)
Winter's Tale
Mark Helprin
(1983)
Review
White Noise
Don DeLillo
(1985)
Review
The Counterlife
Philip Roth
(1986)
Review
Libra
Don DeLillo
(1988)
Review
Where I'm Calling From
Raymond Carver
(1988)
Review
The Things They Carried
Tim O'Brien
(1990)
Review
Mating
Norman Rush
(1991)
Review
Jesus' Son
Denis Johnson
(1992)
Review
Operation Shylock
Philip Roth
(1993)
Review
Independence Day
Richard Ford
(1995)
Review
Sabbath's Theater
Philip Roth
(1995)
Review
Border Trilogy
Cormac McCarthy
(1999)
Review: 'Cities of the Plain'(1998)
Review: 'The Crossing'(1994)
Review: 'All the Pretty Horses'(1992)
The Human Stain
Philip Roth
(2000)
Review
The Known World
Edward P. Jones
(2003)
Review
The Plot Against America
Philip Roth
(2004)
Review