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Wednesday, April 16, 2003

By Bob Hoover, Post-Gazette Book Editor

Novelist and essayist Hilary Masters is one of eight writers to win this year's Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature.

Masters, 74, who teaches writing and literature at Carnegie Mellon University, will accept his $7,500 prize May 21 at the academy's New York headquarters.

Author of eight novels and two collections of short stories, Masters is also known for his 1982 memoir, "Last Stands," his account of growing up as the son of poet Edgar Lee Masters. His latest book is "In Montaigne's Tower," an essay collection.

Another literature awardee with ties to Pittsburgh is novelist Clark Blaise, 62, who grew up in Mt. Lebanon. One of his four collections of short stories is the 2000 "Pittsburgh Stories."

Other winners of the literature award are Andrea Barrett, Percival Everett, Lynne McMahon, Gregory Orr, Tom Sleigh and Anne Winters.

Selecting the winners were writers Ann Beattie, George Plimpton, Robert Pinsky, Elizabeth Spencer and Charles Wright.