On September 30th Buzzfeed announced that I'm a National Book Foundation "5 Under 35" honoree for 2015. This makes me only the third person to be named an honoree and simultaneously on the National Book Award longlist (the other two writers are Téa Obreht and Phil Klay). I was nominated by ZZ Packer, a writer and teacher who I admire very much.
On October 14th I found out I made the shortlist for the National Book Award. The finalists were announced on NPR's Morning Edition. After they read the names in the fiction category, two correspondents gushed about my book in a way that made me feel tingly and ridiculous because I was smiling at the radio in my kitchen like it was a real person.
I'll find out if I win the National Book Award at the awards dinner on November 18th. My mother will be there with me. We need to get new clothes for this.