Poet, 79, Wins Literary Award

Landis Everson wins a new literary prize for writers over 50 who have never published a book. “Everson, 79, quiet, pixieish and a little frail after a cataract operation, answered, smiling, ‘Imagine, if you had written a letter to a friend in Chicago and you never had an answer, and you kept writing and writing and not getting any answer back, would you keep writing?’ No matter. Mr. Everson will now receive the Emily Dickinson First Book Award of $10,000, with publication of his book underwritten by the foundation.”