11/15/15, 7:42 PMNational Book Foundation releases 2015 nominees - The University Daily Kansan: Arts And Culture

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National Book Foundation releases 2015 nomineesMadi Schulz l @Mad_Dawgg | Posted: Tuesday, September 22, 2015 12:15 am

The National Book Foundation released its 2015 long-listsfor the National Book Award this month in four categories—Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry and Children’s Fiction—comprising 10 books each. The fiction section judges forthis year are Daniel Alarcón, Jeffery Renard Allen, SarahBagby, Laura Lippman and David L. Ulin. Seven novelsand three collections of short stories are among thenominees.

The fiction nominees are:

1) "A Cure for Suicide Jesse Ball,"

This story follows a man (the claimant) and a woman (theexaminer) who move into a small house together. Theexaminer teaches the claimant how to do simple tasks likehow to meet people and identifying simple objects. Butwhen the examiner brings the claimant to a party, and hemeets the charismatic and unpredictable Hilda, he beginsto question everything he has learned.

2) "Refund: Stories Karen E. Bender,"

"Refund is a collection of short stories set in modern-dayAmerica about money and how it motivates and shapesthe characters, all while delivering colorful stories thatdiffer greatly in content but stay true to the theme.

"

3) "Did You Ever Have a Family," Bill Clegg

In Clegg's debut novel, main character June Reid has just suffered a tragedy unlike any other. The nightbefore her daughter’s wedding, her daughter, her daughter’s fiancé, her ex-husband and her boyfriend alldie in a tragic disaster. Alone, June copes by driving across the country away from the hometown thatheld the memories of her dead loved ones. Along the way, she meets a slew of people who contribute to anew community and new family who could possibly replace the one she has lost.

Watson Library

Stacks of books in Watson Library oncampus.

11/15/15, 7:42 PMNational Book Foundation releases 2015 nominees - The University Daily Kansan: Arts And Culture

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4) "The Turner House," Angela Flournoy

When ailing matriarch Viola moves in with her eldest son and learns the house that has been in theirfamily for 50 years is worth a tenth of the mortgage, all 13 children are called home to decide the fate ofthe house. According to the , this book is "a striking examination of the pricewe pay for our dreams and futures and the ways in which our families bring us home."

National Book Foundation

5) "Fates and Furies," Lauren Groff

Told first from husband Lotto’s viewpoint and then from wife Mathilde's, "Fates and Furies" is aninteresting inside look on marriage. The book starts with Lotto's perspective (the fates) and thentransitions into Mathilde's (the furies.) Lotto remembers their marriage from a positive perspective;Mathilde remembers it from the negative. This book examines both sides of their marriage, their secretsand their fears and leaves the reader with a complete embodiment of the couple. The National BookFoundation says, “

.”Groff delivers a deeply satisfying novel about love, art, creativity, and power that is

unlike anything that has come before it

6) "Fortune Smiles: Stories," Adam Johnson

In this collection of six awarded short stories, Johnson explores different cultures as his stories followcharacters in North Korea; his signature and award-winning topic, East Germany; and survivors ofHurricanes Katrina and Rita. In these stories, Johnson explores love and loss, technology and politics.

7) "Welcome to Braggsvillle," T. Geronimo Johnson

This “ ” novel follows four UC-Berkeley students as they stage a mock-lynching at a Civil War reenactment. When D’aron, the main character, finds himself in an alternativehistory class and lets it slip that back home they perform the reenactment, chaos ensues. D’aron and histhree new friends at Berkeley travel to protest the performance.

dark and socially provocative

8) "Honeydew," Edith Pearlman

Don’t let the title fool you. This collection of 20 short stories includes topics such as illegitimatepregnancy, anorexia and drug use. Those topics are just in the title story. Other stories include: a group ofdisplaced Somali women in suburban Boston, a widowed pedicurist and a cruise ship with an interestingstowaway.

9) "A Little Life," Hanya Yanagihara

Four broke classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way.Although each friend presents a different personality, the group revolves around Jude. Over the years, the

11/15/15, 7:42 PMNational Book Foundation releases 2015 nominees - The University Daily Kansan: Arts And Culture

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friendships get deeper and darker until they come to realize Jude is actually their greatest challenge,haunted by a horrible childhood and an unspeakable trauma.

10) "Mislaid," Nell Zink

This story begins with an affair between Lee, a gay, blue-blooded, poet and professor, and Peggy, alesbian freshman, that results in an unplanned pregnancy. After a decade and two children—a 3-year-olddaughter and a 9-year-old son—Peggy finally runs away with her daughter to an African-Americansettlement and adopts an African-American identity. As the kids grow up, they are challenged by thevarying personalities of their parents before finally meeting when the two are in college together. Thiscomplex story examines racism as well as sexuality.

All four categories and their nominations can be found on the National Book Foundation's .website

— Edited by Madeline Umali