Maxine Hong Kingston won the 2008 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters today, announced the National Book Foundation. Kingston, an American Professor Emeritus at Cal, wrote that one book that’s frequently force-fed to legions of high school students and undergrads across the country. She’s also won scads of other awards, like the Kirsch Award, multiple National Book Awards, and a squijillion grants from arts foundations, in addition to being conferred the title of “Living Treasure of Hawaii” by her fervent Hawaiian admirers.  Phew.  Now that’s intense.

Previous recipients of the award include Toni Morrison, John Updike and Joan Didion, who’s also a Cal alum.  Holla!

Image Source: Book Rags under Public Domain
National Book Foundation agrees, Maxine Hong Kingston a winner [Los Angeles Times]

Robert Hass won the 2007 National Book Award for poetry after all. His book “Time and Materials: Poems 1997-2005″ earned him the top award after being a finalist twice before. With the award, Hass will receive $10,000 and a bronze statue—an upgrade from the finalist’s kudos of $1,000 and bronze medal. That’s sweet.The National Book Foundation’s page describes the collected poems as

grounded in the beauty and energy of the physical world, and in the bafflement of the present moment in American culture.

Palm fronds not included.

We’ve already bought “Sun Under Wood,” but now we have even more reason to pick up his newest masterpiece at his Cody’s book reading next week. If you’re a stalker (even off Facebook), you can gawk at Hass on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. at Cody’s Books on Fourth Street.

Do you think if we suck up to him now he’ll remember us next semester when we sit front and center in his American poetry class?

Image Source: Sakeena Ahsan, Daily Cal
2007 National Book Award Winner, Poetry [National Book Foundation]
Earlier: The Chron Tries to Smoke Some Palm Fronds With Robert Hass, Professor Nominated for Poetry Award