Writing workshop

Writing workshop

YOUNGSTOWN — Pig Iron Literary & Art Works will have its monthly Work in Process creative writing workshop Wednesday at Pig Iron Press, 26 N. Phelps St. The session will run from 7 to 9 p.m. with Jim Villani of Pig Iron Press as facilitator. Writers of all ages and ability are welcome. The cost is $3; reservations are not required. Call (330) 747-6932 for more details.

National Book Awards

NEW YORK — Judges for the National Book Awards honored a comeback last Wednesday when they gave the fiction award to Peter Matthiessen’s “The Shadow Country,” a revision of a trilogy of novels from the 1990s. The 81-year-old author last won a National Book Award 30 years ago.

Other winners were Annette Gordon-Reed in nonfiction for “The Hemingses of Monticello;” Mark Doty’s “Fire to Fire” in poetry; and Judy Blundell in young people’s literature for “What I Saw and How I Lied.”

Each received $10,000

Honorary prizes went to publisher and First Amendment crusader Barney Rosset, and to “Woman Warrior” author Maxine Hong Kingston.

Publishers paid as much as $25,000 for a table at the gala, which took place this year on Wall Street under the 70-foot ceiling and Wedgwood dome of Cipriani.

Visit www.nationalbook.org for more about the award and a complete list of nominees in each category.

Settlement of lawsuits

NEW YORK — A judge has tentatively approved a settlement of lawsuits between Google and book authors and publishers that may put millions of out-of-print texts online.

The settlement was announced by Google and the publishing industry in October. Final court approval is still needed.

Manhatten Federal Judge John Sprizzo gave initial approval, with his order put in the public record Nov. 17. He set a June hearing date for a final settlement and hearing to decide if the deal is fair, reasonable and adequate.

The settlement calls for Google to pay $125 million to settle two copyright lawsuits contesting its book scanning plans. Google would get 37 percent of future revenue and publishers and authors would share the rest.

Vindicator staff/wire reports