Critical Notes

NBCC Awards Finalists announced! …and, of course, plenty of criticism

By Eric Liebetrau

Your reviews seed this roundup; please send items, including new about your new publications and recent honors, to NBCCCritics@gmail.com. Make sure to send links that do not require a subscription or username and password.

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After 9 hours of deliberation last week, the NBCC board of directors has named the 30 finalists for this year's awards. Here's a sampling of the news coverage (since most publications used the AP report, we have included only those outlets that provided a different perspective on the list):

Associated Press… Washington Post… Los Angeles TimesNew York TimesNBC NewsLitHub…  Flavorwire… Minneapolis Star Tribune… St. Paul Pioneer PressLexington Herald LeaderBelfast Telegraph

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Joe Peschel reviews “100 Years of the Best American Short Stories” edited by Lorrie Moore and Heidi Pitlor. Peschel also reviews Charles Lambert's “Children's Home.”

LISTEN: Colin Marshall talks with David L. Ulin, former book critic at the Los Angeles Times and former NBCC board member.

Elaine F. Tankard reviews Patti Smith's “M Train.”

At LitHub, Kerri Arsenault begins her new interview series with book editors. First up, Lee Boudreaux.

John Domini reviews “two new selections of stories from two New Yorkers, both on smaller presses, both by men we might still call young.”

Judy Krueger reviews Not Dark Yet by Berrit Ellingsen.

Harvey Freedenberg offers appreciation of E.L. Doctorow’s “Ragtime.”