The Daphne Award

You may be rolling your eyes (and I'm not sure John Updike would be smiling) at the concept of yet another literary award, but this one sounds so interesting to me.  The Daphne Award is being launched by the literary site Bookslut and will go back in time to right some wrongs.  Yes, it will start with the year 1963.  Evidently John Updike won the National Book Award (in '64) for The Centaur (I've never read it, have you?) and the Daphne Award is meant to find a more deserving winner.  On Bookslut's website, they are actually asking for OUR HELP with this.  Click here to read the short piece.

I'm not sure what I think of this, except that it underscores the subjective nature of prizes.  Still, it will be an interesting exercise from a cultural standpoint to see what/who was valued back, back, oh so very far back in 1963, and what/who is valued now.  For we will be reading the nominated books with 2014 eyes, yes?

There are multiple categories, and if you want to participate, follow the link above and carry on.  What fun--I wish we could go back in time to correct some wrongs more often!