For Immediate Release
March 6, 2000
For more information, contact
Sarah Jarvis, 315 228-7452
[email protected]
Colgate University professor's novel nominated for Best Fiction Prize by the National Book Critics' Circle
Hamilton, NY -- The Night Inspector (Harmony Books, 1999), written by Frederick Busch, Colgate University's Edgar W. B. Fairchild Professor of Literature, has been nominated by the National Book Critics' Circle as the best book of fiction written in 1999. The National Book Critics' Circle consists of nearly 700 prominent book reviewers and critics who present the literary prize each year in March. Previous prize winners have included Anne Tyler's Accidental Tourist, William Kennedy's Ironweed, and Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon.
The Night Inspector is the twelfth novel written by Busch; yet, the author says it was the hardest to write because, "It was like writing about God." Busch sees The Night Inspector as an homage to Herman Melville, who continued to write even though he knew no one was reading his words. In Busch's literary fiction, the characters weave the tale of Melville's final years. Despite having written Moby Dick, Melville was essentially ignored by the public. He had to earn his living as a deputy customs inspector in New York City, rowing out to inspect ships' cargo with an issued pencil and lead badge. The Night Inspector reverently recreates the despair and doubt a distinguished writer faces, even after having written the great American novel, but who continues to put pen to paper.
The nomination of Night Inspector as best fiction is the most recent recognition for Busch. He has been honored for his fiction by the American Academy of Arts and Letters and is a recipient of the PEN/Malamud Prize for achievement in the short story.
Founded in 1819, Colgate University is a nationally ranked, highly selective, residential, liberal arts college. Situated on a rolling 515-acre campus in central New York State, Colgate University attracts motivated students with diverse backgrounds, interests and talents from all over.
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