Announcement from Books Editor John Williams, Executive Features Editor Ben Williams, and Deputy Features Editor Hank Stuever:
Book World is thrilled to announce that Becca Rothfeld, its nonfiction critic, has won the prestigious Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing from the National Book Critics Circle. Becca joined The Post last April to our delight.
The NBCC cited two reviews in giving Becca the prize. In May, she wrote a review-essay of Josh Hawley’s self-help book “Manhood: The Masculine Virtues America Needs.” Lots of writers could have had fun with this one, but Becca – who did have fun – also placed the book in the context of other historical periods (and books) about masculinity (“For practically as long as men have existed, they have been in crisis,” she began. “Everything, it seems, threatens them with obsolescence.”), and by the end the piece had become a broader provocative look at modern conservatism, gender and individualism.
Her review of Benjamin Labatut’s “The MANIAC” lucidly depicted a hybrid work of fiction and nonfiction that is not easy to summarize (but easy to read; like Becca, I’m a big fan). The NBCC said that these reviews “brilliantly embody” Becca’s “insight, range and depth of knowledge in lively and persuasive prose.” We, of course, couldn’t agree more.
We’re very proud to have that prose in The Post each week – alongside that of our critic Ron Charles, who also won this award, in 2008 (and unsurprisingly had the room roaring with laughter during his acceptance speech). The prize has been given annually since 1991, and the roster of winners is a who’s who of literary criticism over the past three decades, including Carlos Lozada, Thomas Mallon, Daniel Mendelsohn, Parul Sehgal, Joan Acocella and Merve Emre.
Please join us in congratulating Becca!
