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PEN/Faulkner MEDIA KIT 2012 / 2013 JULIE OTSUKA RECIEVES THE 32ND ANNUAL PEN/FAULKNER AWARD FOR FICTION The New York Times Arts Beat Blog March 26, 2012 Julie Otsuka Wins PEN/Faulkner Award By JULIE BOSMAN 2:49 p.m. | Updated Julie Otsuka is the winner of the 2012 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction for her novel “The Buddha in the Attic” (Alfred A. Knopf), the directors of the award announced on Monday. The book, which traces the lives of six Japanese mail-order brides who sail to San Francisco in the early 20th century, was chosen from more than 350 novels and short-story collections, all by American authors and all published in 2011. Marita Golden, one of three judges, said in a statement that in “The Buddha in the Attic,” Ms. Otsuka “creates a voice that is hypnotic and irresistible, and renders her story with the power of the most ancient, timeless myths, the legends that crowd our dreams, and the truths we cannot bear.” She went on to say, “Her skill is awesome and utterly inspiring.” Ms. Otsuka, a native of California, will receive $15,000. An awards ceremony is scheduled for May 5 at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington. 2012 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction winner, Julie Otsuka, and her award-winning novel The Buddha in the Attic. IN THE NEWS: As one of the preeminent ction awards in given in the United States, the yearly announcement of the winner and nalists for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction makes national headlines. Above, screenshots of orignal and synicated content from CBS News, the Associated Press, The Washington Post, The Hung- ton Post, the Houston Chronicle’s Bookish Blog, and more. THE 2012 PEN/FAULKNER GALA: The Washingtonian September 11,2012 By Carol Ross Joynt Resilience. It’s a good word for Washington on this particular day and this particular week, and for a few reasons—all of which were referenced Monday night at the 24th annual PEN/Faulkner awards dinner, where “resilience” was the theme. Its denition is “to spring back into shape after bending.” During the cocktail hour, some guests expressed that they thought the theme was apt on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary. At the less somber end of the spectrum, some thought it described the Redskins’ win against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. As the late summer/early fall party season begins, it could also be applied to Washington social life. In the past few years the event business has faced quite a few challenges, most of them nancial, and yet people keep showing up—maybe not as many as before, but enough keep paying the average $500 The host, Calvin Trillin, said that “when it is applied to $1,000 for a ticket to back causes that need all the to human beings, rather than metal alloys, resil- help they can muster. ience means to recover from misfortune.” Ben Foun- tain, author of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, said PEN/Faulkner is a good example. The money raised at the routine tests of resilience are marriage, jobs, and the dinner certainly helps to underwrite a glamorous parenthood, but he cited 9/11 and the Haitian and intellectual evening for the guests, and to give earthquake as transcending routine. “The vast awards of $15,000 and $5,000 to winning authors, but majority of us can go much further than we thought it also brings acclaimed writers into the DC public possible,” he said. “When the landscape of your life is schools. The writers who spoke at the dinner last night destroyed, what you do is wake up the next day and spent the earlier part of the day with public high just keep going.” Vaddey Ratner certainly knows and told a tale of teenage pregnancy and abortion school students. At other times, PEN/Faulkner organiz- what it means to keep going. She is a Cambodian with an unexpected ending. Poet Major Jackson put es book groups for teen parents at various DC schools, refugee who faced peril at the hands of the Khmer his theory of resilience into a prose poem that including Anacostia, Ballou, Cardozo, and Dunbar. Rouge, and who came to the US unable to speak ended with a haiku, Susan Richards Shreve, an Some authors also visit young people who are incar- English but who graduated summa cum laude from author and English professor at George Mason cerated in city facilities. Cornell. “When I think of resilience I think of all those University, told of a childhood accident and the who made it possible for me to survive,” said Ratner, struggle to regain self-assurance. Tijuana native Luis Still, the event is in need of more robust support. Last who is the author of In The Shadow of The Banyan. Alberto Urrea, author of The Devil’s Highway, night there were 194 people in attendance, compared “For writers, words are the means by which we recalled a cocky Mexican homeless boy named with 254 in 2008, at the beginning of the Great Reces- endure.” Felix. He described him as born “standing up and sion. The attendees were rewarded with a many-facet- talking back,” and endlessly inventive about making ed analysis of the meaning of resilience, by ten authors Elissa Schappell, a contributing editor to Vanity Fair his sorry life seem positive. “This guy is my hero,” he and one host, who spoke from the evocative Elizabe- and the author of Blueprints for Building Better said. “No matter how low you are kicked around, than stage of the Folger Shakespeare Library. Girls, called her ctional story a “palate cleanser” there’s this little nugget of self.” Another among the featured writers was Louis Bayard, who teaches creative writing at George Washington University and who grew up in the Washington suburbs. His talk was humorous, recall- ing his father’s passion for detailing his daily com- mute from Springeld, Virginia, to Chevy Chase, Maryland, to his job at the B.F. Saul Company. Also amusing, if prescient, was Hilma Wolitzer, author of An Available Man. She lamented that “books seem to be on the way out.” She said she’s “not a Luddite” and uses all the latest technology, but she draws the line at electronic publishing. “It’s comforting to know I cannot be electrocuted reading a regular book in the bathtub.” After the readings the guests sat down to a candlelit dinner in the Folger Shakespeare Library reading room, with its two stories of walls lined with books. The menu, from Design Cuisine, included pome- granate chicken over wilted arugula and a dessert of banana sticky pudding. The talk at our table was about resilience, again with references to 9/11 and the Redskins, but also a lot about one particular book—not a novel, but rather No Easy Day, the account by Navy SEAL Mark Owen of the killing of Osama bin Laden, who proved, after all, to be not all that resilient. and told a tale of teenage pregnancy and abortion Maryland, to his job at the B.F. Saul Company. Also with an unexpected ending. Poet Major Jackson put amusing, if prescient, was Hilma Wolitzer, author of his theory of resilience into a prose poem that An Available Man. She lamented that “books seem to ended with a haiku, Susan Richards Shreve, an be on the way out.” She said she’s “not a Luddite” and author and English professor at George Mason uses all the latest technology, but she draws the line Resilience. It’s a good word for Washington on this University, told of a childhood accident and the at electronic publishing. “It’s comforting to know I particular day and this particular week, and for a few struggle to regain self-assurance. Tijuana native Luis cannot be electrocuted reading a regular book in the reasons—all of which were referenced Monday night Alberto Urrea, author of The Devil’s Highway, bathtub.” at the 24th annual PEN/Faulkner awards dinner, where recalled a cocky Mexican homeless boy named Felix. “resilience” was the theme. Its denition is “to spring He described him as born “standing up and talking After the readings the guests sat down to a candlelit back into shape after bending.” During the cocktail back,” and endlessly inventive about making his dinner in the Folger Shakespeare Library reading hour, some guests expressed that they thought the sorry life seem positive. “This guy is my hero,” he said. room, with its two stories of walls lined with books. theme was apt on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary. At “No matter how low you are kicked around, there’s The menu, from Design Cuisine, included pomegran- the less somber end of the spectrum, some thought it this little nugget of self.” ate chicken over wilted arugula and a dessert of described the Redskins’ win against the New Orleans banana sticky pudding. The talk at our table was Saints on Sunday. As the late summer/early fall party Another among the featured writers was Louis about resilience, again with references to 9/11 and season begins, it could also be applied to Washington Bayard, who teaches creative writing at George the Redskins, but also a lot about one particular social life. In the past few years the event business has Washington University and who grew up in the book—not a novel, but rather No Easy Day, the faced quite a few challenges, most of them nancial, Washington suburbs. His talk was humorous, recall- account by Navy SEAL Mark Owen of the killing of and yet people keep showing up—maybe not as many ing his father’s passion for detailing his daily com- Osama bin Laden, who proved, after all, to be not all as before, but enough keep paying the average $500 mute from Springeld, Virginia, to Chevy Chase, that resilient.

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