Akron native closer to book award
Akron native and former U.S. poet laureate Rita Dove is on the shortlist for the National Book Award for poetry. Dove’s nomination is for her latest release, Collected Poems 1974-2004.
The Buchtel High School graduate, who was appointed poet laureate of the United States and poetry consultant to the Library of Congress in 1993, was the youngest person and the first black poet to receive the honor. She won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for poetry for Thomas and Beulah, a book of poems about her grandparents.
Dove’s is one of five books on the shortlist. The other poetry finalists were Daniel Borzutzky for The Performance of Becoming Human, Peter Gizzi for Archeophonics, Jay Hopler for The Abridged History of Rainfall and Solmaz Sharif for Look.
Novels by Colson Whitehead and Jacqueline Woodson and a graphic novel by Rep. John Lewis were among other finalists announced Thursday. Winners, each of whom receive $10,000, will be announced Nov. 16 at a benefit dinner ceremony in Manhattan.
Kim K comes out of seclusion
Kim Kardashian West has left the New York City apartment building where she has been holed up with family and friends since her Paris holdup.
The star, wearing a baseball cap and a white hoodie that partially obscured her face, was holding daughter North as she got into a waiting SUV on Thursday. Husband Kanye West followed close behind with their infant son, Saint.
Police in Paris say they are investigating the heist early Monday in which armed robbers forced their way into the private residence where she was staying, tied her up and locked her in a bathroom, then stole $10 million worth of jewelry. No arrests have been made.
Kardashian West, known for prolific posting on social media, has been publicly silent since the ordeal.