Lauren Myracle Drops Out of National Book Award Consideration
RSSBy Debra Lau Whelan
In an unprecedented move, best-selling author Lauren Myracle withdrew her name yesterday as one of the finalists of the 2011 National Book Awards for Young People's Literature after the award sponsor admitted to making a clerical mistake that led to her nomination. Virginia Euwer Wolff on October 12 announced Myracle's Shine as one of five finalists during a live stream on Oregon Public Broadcasting's morning radio program, "Think Out Loud." Only later was Franny Billingsley's Chime (Dial) added to the National Book Awards's website as a sixth finalist. Last week, Harold Augenbraum, executive director of the National Book Foundation said six titles, instead of the usual five, would remain on the shortlist to "not take anything away from anybody." However, after much consideration, a decision was made to just stick with "the judges' choices, and everyone recognized that," Augebraum says. "It was an internal mistake, and I wish it never happened," Augenbraum adds, explaining that going forward, the nomination process will be more rigorous with more checks and balances in place. Typically, the judges and others involved only communicate by telephone so the information doesn't leak and go viral, he says. "Lauren is a wonderful person and a great writer. Nobody regrets this more than I do, and I wish I could turn back the clock. But we tried to do what was best and what was right." Augenbraum declined to comment on how a mishap of this magnitude could have happened between the judges and the National Book Award staff. Surely, those involved just didn't just mention Shine or Chime without the authors' full names or the ISBN numbers of their books? Augebraum replied that's "not usually" the case. An author has never dropped out under these circumstances, Augenbraum adds, althou "When I received the initial call about Shine being a finalist, I was humbled and honored to be in the company of such amazing authors," Myracle says. "I was also deeply moved that in recognizing Shine, the NBF was giving voice to the thousands of disenfranchised youth in America—particularly gay youth—who face massive discrimination and intimidation every day." At Myracle's suggestion, the National Book Foundation will donate $5,000 to the Matthew Shepard Foundation in her name. Shepard, a student at the University of Wyoming, was tortured and murdered in 1998 because of his sexual orientation. The nominated authors are: Billingsley for Chime (Dial); Debby Dahl Edwardson for My Name Is Not Easy (Marshall Cavendish); Thanhha Lai for Inside Out and Back Again (Harper); Albert Marrin for Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy (Knopf); and Gary D. Schmidt for Okay for Now (Clarion). "I wish y'all the very best, just as I wish the very best for every reader, writer, kid, and oldhead in this beautiful, messy, constantly shifting world of ours," says Myracle, who has written more than a dozen novels for middle grade and young adult readers and was honored by the National Coalition Against Censorship in 2010 for her work to protect freedom of speech and kids' right to read. Myracle's publisher, Susan Van Metre, was dismayed by the events of the past week. "This was a week of extraordinary highs and lows, and throughout, all of us at Amulet and Abrams have remained in complete support of our amazing author, who has published great, groundbreaking books with our house for almost a decade," she says. "We are so proud of Shine, a beautiful and important book, and of Lauren, not least for her grace in such a difficult week." Check out the backlash from the NBA debacle on Twitter, under the hashtag #IsupportShine. Author Libba Bray has also expressed outrage about the events on her blog. Teen librarians on the yalsa-bk listserv are already expressing support for Myracle. "If Shine isn't already in your collection—add it today," wrote Annette Birdsall, a youth services consultant for Ithaca's Finger Lakes Library System. Blogger Karen Jensen, wrote "Wow—what a heartbreaking turn of events for Lauren Myracle. I can't imagine, but she handled it with grace. As always some of he comments are as interesting as the news itself. I am glad they are making the donation." And another wrote, "Oh my and my goodness. Poor Lauren Myracle, but what a classy lady." Lauren Myracle is the real deal. Not just an authentic author but a first-class person. I fully agree with Marigold about Lauren Myracle. It's hard to imagine the National Book Foundation making a bigger mess of this than they did. To follow one blunder with another, even more hurtful blunder "to preserve integrity" struck the worst chord of all.
The only shining light in this whole story is the grace with which Lauren handled it and the full-fledged support she has received from the writing community. I hope SHINE finds a huge new audience--that would be some good that could come out of a big, fat stinking mess. My note to NBF --
For Shame -- YOUR mistake should never be visited onto someone who had no part of making the mistake.
"I was over the moon last week after receiving the call telling me that Shine was a finalist for the award," Myracle said in the Huffington post's statement. "I was later informed that Shine had been included in error, but would remain on the list based on its merits. However, on Friday I was asked to withdraw by the National Book Foundation (NBF) to preserve the integrity of the award and the judges' work, and I have agreed to do so."
Your $5000 donation is not sufficient to compensate one for such an error. AND Myracle certainly should not have been asked to withdraw. The $5000 should have been offered for the initial embarrassment of the situation being made public -- and the book should have been allowed to stay on the list. If she won YOU might have been embarrassed to not to have had the foresight to have shortlisted it initially but if it did not win the award she would have been feted to a glorious party -- a small enough compensation for YOUR error.
I think you missed any semblance of "integrity" -- and asking her to withdraw did not preserve it, it only served to put a huge blotch on the little bit of integrity you might have had.
In a response to an e-mail response received from Mr.Augenbraum I further suggested (using some of his own phrases)that he and the NBF immediately issue a follow-up mea culpa and say... -- :
"There is no doubt that we handled this badly. I can only say that we made mistakes. We had no desire to hurt anyone but in trying to make something right we made it even worse. I have apologized to Lauren and would now like to rectify in some small way our gross mistakes and offer that Lauren's book be reinstated as a sixth contender, that the $5000 donation remain intact, she come to celebrate the National Book Award with us, and receive a special award for "Grace Under Fire," and perhaps the National Book Award itself, as her book will be considered along with the five other nominees.
======================================
You've already put a blemish on the award but at least this move would make the NBF seem as if it is indeed a respectable organization worthy of being lauded as THE book award (and perhaps establish some real integrity).
* = Required information
October 17, 2011
"I was over the moon last week after receiving the call telling me that Shine (Amulet, 2011) was a finalist for the award," says Myracle (left), referring to her much-praised gritty novel, which involves a brutal hate crime, poverty, and drugs. "I was later informed that Shine had been included in error, but would remain on the list based on its merits. However, on Friday I was asked to withdraw by the National Book Foundation to preserve the integrity of the award and the judges' work, and I have agreed to do so."
gh years ago one author was forced to do so after it was discovered she was Canadian and not American.
Reader Comments (11)
Posted by Marigold on October 17, 2011 06:14:48PM
Posted by Dan Kleinman of SafeLibraries on October 17, 2011 09:59:10PM
Posted by Audrey Vernick on October 18, 2011 02:55:54PM
Posted by Sharron McElmeel on October 18, 2011 03:43:21PM
