ALA Anaheim: Votes for Women (Carnegie 2)

Maybe the winners of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and Non-fiction were foreordained. The fiction winner was about a woman's extramarital affair. The non-fiction was a biography of Catherine the Great, a powerful woman who was not unacquainted with a large number of lovers.

While the winners were determined by librarians, who are in a profession where the majority are women, it seems unlikely that the protagonist of either book was seen as a role model.

ALA Anaheim: The Dog Ate My Homework (Carnegie 1)

"Eighty percent of life is showing up."--Woody Allen

     The ceremony for awarding the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Non-fiction was to begin on Sunday evening at “8”--but it was a soft 8, a ragged 8, a late 8, a several minutes after 8.

     There were six nominees, split between fiction and non-fiction. Only two of the six authors were present, and neither received the prize. Of the four who weren't on hand, their excuses were:

a sick family member (one of the winners);
was in Ireland, where she lived (the other winner);
was in Europe, where she was traveling (but she did give a cute talk, via an internet transmission)

The last nominee had the best excuse. He had died.