Minn. poet Matt Rasmussen a National Book Award finalist

A history of the Scientology movement, a biography of Benjamin Franklin's sister, and a poetry collection published by Graywolf Press are among the finalists for the National Book Award, announced this morning on MSNBC's talk show, "Morning Joe."

And Minnesota poet Matt Rasmussen's debut collection, "Black Aperture," is among the finalists for poetry.

Rasmussen, born in International Falls, now lives in Robbinsdale and teaches at Gustavus Adolphus College. His book, "Black Aperture," also won the Walt Whitman Award. It was published by Louisiana State University Press.

Winners will be announced Nov. 20. Here's the whole list of finalists, with links to Star Tribune reviews, when available:

Nonfiction:

"Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin," by Jill Lepore

"Hitler's Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields," by Wendy Lower. (Review runs next week.)

"The Internal Enemy: Slavery and War in Virginia 1772-1832," by Alan Taylor

"Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief," by Lawrence Wright.

Fiction:

"The Tenth of December," by George Saunders

"The Lowland," by Jhumpa Lahiri.

"The Flamethrowers," by Rachel Kushner

"The Good Lord Bird," by James McBride

Young People's LIterature:

"The True Blue Scouts of Sugarman Swamp," by Kathi Appelt

"The Thing About Luck," by Cynthia Kadohata

"Picture Me Gone," by Meg Rosoff

"Boxers and Saints," by Gene Luen Yang. Yang is a faculty member of Hamline University's low-residency MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults

Poetry

"Metaphysical Dog," by Frank Bidart

"Illusion," by Lucie Brock-Broido

"Black Aperture," by Matt Rasmussen

"Incarnadine," by Mary Szybist, published by Minneapolis' Graywolf Press.