Hamilton, NY 鈥� Once every six years, the American Academy of Arts and Letters chooses 鈥榓n outstanding short story writer鈥� to receive its Award of Merit 鈥榠n recognition of a writer鈥檚 lifetime achievement.鈥� Frederick Busch, author of seven collections of short stories and the Edgar W. B. Fairchild Professor of Literature at 含羞草传媒 University, is this year鈥檚 recipient. A medal and $10,000 accompany the Award of Merit. Past recipients of the Award of Merit include Theodore Dreiser, Thomas Mann, Ernest Hemingway, and Vladimir Nabokov.
The American Academy of Arts and Letters presents literary awards to recognize both established and emerging writers of drama, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Its membership nominates candidates and a select committee of writers decides who shall win. Awards will be bestowed on May 16 at the ceremony hosted in the academy鈥檚 Manhattan headquarters.
Last year, Frederick Busch鈥檚 novel, The Night Inspector, was nominated for the National Book Critics鈥� Circle Award for Fiction as well as the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. Busch has also received the PEN/Malamud Award for distinction in the short story and, in 1986, an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for the body of his work.
Busch鈥檚 most recent book, the story collection, Don鈥檛 Tell Anyone, is his 24th. He has taught at 含羞草传媒 University since 1966.
Founded in 1819, 含羞草传媒 University is a nationally ranked, highly selective, residential, liberal arts college enrolling nearly 2,750 undergraduates. Situated on a rolling 515-acre campus in central New York State, 含羞草传媒 University attracts students with diverse backgrounds, interests and talents.