[New-Poetry] Selection Process, Nat'l Book Awards

[JforJames at aol.com]

Below is what National Book Award website says about the selection  process. 
Having previous winners nominate judges may make the process a little  bit 
ingrown.Of the five judges, the one whose work I don't know is Vijay  Seshadri. 
Also I wonder if the final make-up of the panel is guided by some  notion of 
aesthetic likemindedness? Or in some years do they really try to have  a mix of 
sensibilities and hope that judges can do their jobs without going at  each 
other hammer & tong? 
 
Wouldn't it be interesting to see into those deliberations: Who comes in  
with winner already in mind, who is comes in with open mind, how much effort is  
put in presenting one's case for a particular poet/book. 
5's a good number of course to break a deadlock if consensus is impossible  
and they must take a vote. There could be documentary, a poet's version of  
Twelve Angry Men (& Women) this time, where the Peter Fonda  character slowly but 
surely counters all the apathy and prejudice in  the room.
 
And, per Al's question, It would also be interesting to know how many of  the 
independent presses and university presses actually do nominate books each  
year. 
Finnegan
--
Eligibility
Judges consider only books written by American citizens and  published in the 
United States between December 1 of the previous year and  November 30 of the 
current year. Only publishers can nominate books for the  National Book 
Award, although panel chairs can request books publishers have not  nominated.
 
Categories
Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s  Literature
 
Judges
Each category has a panel of five judges who have written and  published 
works in that category. Judges are nominated by past National Book  Award Winners, 
Finalists, and Judges and then selected and recruited by the  Foundation’s 
Executive Director in consultation with the Board of Directors.  Jury members 
are chosen for their literary sensibilities and their expertise in  a particular 
genre. Each judge receives an honorarium of $2,500; panel chairs  receive 
$3,000.
 
The judging panels change every year. Juries develop their own criteria for  
awarding the National Book Award and discussions are held independent of the  
Foundation. The National Book Foundation Board and staff take no part in these 
 deliberations, except to help determine a submission’s eligibility in  
conjunction with the submission guidelines.
 
Selection of Finalists
In mid-October, the Foundation announces a list  of five Finalists, as 
selected by the appropriate judges, for each category. The  announcement is made 
publicly at a different literary site each year. Each  Finalist receives a prize 
of $1,000, a medal, and a citation from the panel  jury.
 
Selection of the National Book Award Winner
The jury meets on the day of  the National Book Awards Ceremony in November 
to select the Award Winner. The  announcement is made at the Awards Ceremony 
later that evening and winners are  kept confidential from the Foundation staff 
until then. National Book Award  Winners receive $10,000 and a bronze 
sculpture.




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