Annie Proulx, the author of such works of fiction as The Shipping News and Barkskins, has been named the winner of the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
"Proulx’s deep reverence for the beauty and complexities of rural America has introduced millions of readers to the wide breadth of American life," David Steinberger, chairman of the board of directors of the National Book Foundation, said in a statement. "Her commitment to crafting compassionate, honest stories has left an indelible mark on literature and created a powerful and enduring legacy."
Proulx is the 30th recipient of the medal, which has honored such writers as Robert A. Caro, John Ashbery, Judy Blume, Don DeLillo, Joan Didion, Maxine Hong Kingston, and Toni Morrison. The Academy Award–winning actress Anne Hathaway, who starred in the film adaptation of Proulx's story "Brokeback Mountain," will present the award to Proulx at the 68th National Book Awards ceremony and benefit dinner on November 15.
Proulx has previously won a number of the highest awards in American letters for her writing, including the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, the National Book Award, the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, O. Henry Awards Prizes, and a Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts.
