National Book Award notes

I've had a couple of days to see what People On The Internet are saying about the NBA nominees, and I would like to append these conclusions to my original post:

1. The biggest surprise of the list according to People On The Internet was that Jonathan Franzen didn't receive a nomination for FREEDOM. Professionally, for him, it may be kind of a bummer, but I can buy that the committee wanted to go the undiscovered/hidden-treasure route with their picks, and I wouldn't criticize them for doing so. Sure, it would be a big feather in Franzen's cap, but he's already got a best-seller... and "Oprah"... and the Pulitzers... and the NBCC... and all the year-end lists. I'm interested in finding out more about these authors the committee deemed worthy of praise.

OR it could just be backlash because the NBA nominating committee consists of fiction writers who are all SUPER JEALOUS. Take your pick.

2. I expressed my surprise that Patti Smith had scored a nomination for her memoir JUST KIDS, and I should have clarified that I was surprised in a pleasant way: While I haven't gotten around to reading it, I hear great things and having seen her in concert, the woman is a force. If I had dug a little deeper in the nonfiction category, however, I would have discovered this Not Your Mother's National Book Award nominee sooner. Meet SECRET HISTORIAN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SAMUEL STEWARD, PROFESSOR, TATTOO ARTIST AND SEXUAL RENEGADE, by art historian Justin Spring. Now that I have your full attention, Steward was an English teacher, turned novelist (after being fired for one of his scandalous novels), turned pal of Gertrude and Alice's, turned tattoo artist, turned researcher for Kinsey going into the gay scene where he wasn't welcome. Whatta life! You almost want to read the book just to find out why you might have gone all your life without hearing of him.

Do you have any stray opinions about the awards? Does book award season bore you completely?