Minneapolis' Coffee House Press wins first National Book Award

"Indecency," by Justin Phillip Reed, wins for poetry

November 15, 2018 at 2:58AM
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Coffee House Press — Nica Carrillo, from left, Publisher Chris Fischbach, Justin Phillip Reed, Erika Stevens and Mandy Medley — celebrated Reed’s award. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
ORG XMIT: lJh1MnMC7-QnpbUq21PA
(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Photo by Phineas Lambert

Coffee House Press — Nica Carrillo, from left, Publisher Chris Fischbach, Justin Phillip Reed, Erika Stevens and Mandy Medley — celebrated Reed's win.

"Indecency," by Justin Phillip Reed, has won the National Book Award for poetry, handing Minneapolis publisher Coffee House Press its first National Book Award.

(The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Other winners Wednesday night were Elizabeth Acevedo for "The Poet X," which won for young people's literature; Yoko Tawarda and translator Margaret Mitsutani, for "The Emissary," which won for best book in translation (a new award this year); Jeffrey C. Stewart for "The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke," winner in nonfiction; and "The Friend," by Sigrid Nunez, winner for fiction. (Read the Star Tribune Books section review here.)

Graywolf Press of Minneapolis had two finalists: "A Lucky Man," a collection of linked stories by Jamel Brinkley, and "Eye Level," by Jenny Xie. You can read more about the night here from the Associated Press.

Isabel Allende attends the 69th National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, in New York.
(Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Brad Barket/Invision/AP Isabel Allende attends the 69th National Book Awards Ceremony Ceremony and Benefit Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, in New York.

Nick Offerman attends the 69th National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, in New York.
(Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Brad Barket/Invision/APHost Nick Offerman before the 69th National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner at Cipriani Wall Street on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, in New York.

about the writer

about the writer

Laurie Hertzel

Senior Editor

Freelance writer and former Star Tribune books editor Laurie Hertzel is at lauriehertzel@gmail.com.

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