Sixteen Americans will receive literary awards from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, the academy announced Friday. In addition, the academy announced that Blake Morrison of London will receive the E.M. Forster award, given to an English writer for a stay in the United States. Nine of the 16 awards include $5,000 purses given to encourage writers in their creative work. Those nine are William Barrett of North Tarrytown; David Bottoms of Marietta, Ga.; Rosellen Brown of Houston, Texas; David Cope of Grandville, Mich.; John Clellon Holmes of Old Saybrook, Conn.; John McCormick of Princeton, N.J.; James Seay of Chapel Hill, N.C.; William Weaver of Arezzo, Italy; and Norman Williams of North Ferrisburgh, Vt. Holmes died Wednesday of cancer in Middletown, Conn., and the prize money will go to his estate, the Academy said. Holmes had been told of winning the prize. The other seven are Andrew Hudgins of Montgomery, Ala.; Kaye Gibbons of Raleigh, N.C.; Edward Hirsch of Houston; Thomas McMahon of Wellesley, Mass.; Andre Dubus of Haverhill, Mass.; Jonathan Evan Maslow of Mobile, Ala., and Clement Greenberg of New York City. The awards will be given May 18.
