Earlier this month, Aravind Adiga won the Man Booker Prize for his first novel, "The White Tiger." Who, you ask? Well, yes, good question. Adiga's win came as something of a surprise; money had been on the Irish writer Sebastian Barry. So to get up to speed, check out YouTube, where he and all the Booker nominees were interviewed on camera. Adiga speaks articulately and eloquently about his transition from business journalist to novelist. Oh, and for an exercise in economy of language, search YouTube for Adiga's Booker Prize acceptance speech. It clocks in at a quick one-minute-32-seconds. For someone who loves words and uses language so brilliantly, that's economy. He thanks his friends, his agents and his editors, and then dedicates his award to all the people of New Delhi. And then he's outta there.
LAURIE HERTZEL
