Shift in National Book Awards Judging Criteria

Since its inception in 1950, the National Book Awards, which is managed by the National Book Foundation, has celebrated exceptional American writers, featuring distinguished authors like Ralph Ellison, William Faulkner, Flannery O’Connor, and J.D. Salinger. Lately, though, it seems the focus has shifted more towards political themes rather than literary quality, especially in nonfiction.

For instance, in 2023, the award was given to a book by an Indian activist that presented a “retelling of U.S. history.” The following year, the recipient’s work was described as one that “holds the U.S. to account for its cruelty.” Additionally, the previous year’s nonfiction award was awarded to an Egyptian critic who unleashed a lengthy critique on Western values.

This year, one of the longlisted titles is a provocative piece discussing the alleged negative aspects of white paint. Steven Tucker, writing for the Federalist, cheekily pointed out that this book was printed on white paper.

Publisher Simon & Schuster describes “A Dead White: An Argument Against White Paint” by Columbia University professor Wendy Walters as examining the idea that white paint, often viewed as neutral, carries deeper societal implications—suggesting calmness, cleanliness, and purity that are unchallengeable. Through this extensive and fervent exploration, Walters scrutinizes our assumptions about this ubiquitous color.

Walters, in a past video for Creative Capital, the organization that funded her book, revealed that her strong aversion to white paint arises from a “genuine and visceral dislike” which she recognizes might seem irrational to some.

As she investigated her seemingly unreasonable disdain for white paint, Walters claims to have found multiple instances where it symbolizes erasure, exclusion, and violence in both social and natural contexts.

For example, she highlighted an incident in which white paint was allegedly used by white supremacists to vandalize Houston’s Rothko Chapel, alongside another case of a rainbow crosswalk in Canada being covered with white paint.

There was some criticism regarding her approach from former Washington Post book critic Ron Charles, who pointed out that it often appeared as though Walters chose everything in the world with the keyword “white.” He remarked on her assertion that the book would focus on white paint, not “whiteness,” likening it to claiming Moby-Dick is merely about whales and not obsession.

Interestingly, despite having a son with her white husband, author Dan Charnas, Walters filled around 350 pages with reasons for her aversion to white paint. Although her justifications received a less-than-favorable review from the New York Times, I guess, the upcoming National Book Foundation announcement next month could still favor her.

Walters’ inclusion on the longlist for the National Book Awards feels somewhat expected. Recently, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens pointed out that in the last decade, nearly all the fiction and nonfiction winners belonged to marginalized groups, implying that the awards have turned into a checklist of diversity, equity, and inclusion. He noted that authors with certain identities and political views dominate the winning criteria.

As of now, there hasn’t been a response from Walters or her publisher regarding the ongoing discussions.