The National Book Awards has posted video from their 5 Under 35 reading on Nov. 17.
Francine Prose introduces Sana Krasikov, author of the story collection One More Year, and tells of meeting Krasikov and short story writer Yiyun Li at the Iowa Writers Workshop a few years back. Then Krasikov reads from her story, "The Alternate."
Sana Krasikov and Francine Prose @ 2008 5 Under 35 Celebration from National Book Foundation on Vimeo.
A typically intense Mary Gaitskill introduces Nam Le, author of the story collection The Boat, and offers strong praise for the title story of the collection before Le takes the stage and reads from a different story, "Love and Honor and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice."
Nam Le and Mary Gaitskill @ 2008 5 Under 35 Celebration from National Book Foundation on Vimeo.
Both of these stories, as it happens, were first published in Zoetrope: All-Story, and both authors studied at Iowa. Unfortunately, Jim Shepard, winner of The Story Prize earlier this year, was not on hand to introduce his choice, Fiona Maazel's novel Last Chance. Just her luck.
