The National Book Foundation will award Karen Tei Yamashita the 2021 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, to be presented at the in-person National Book Award ceremony in November. (The presenter of the award is to be announced.) Her novel I HOTEL was a National Book Award Finalist in 2010. “A bold and groundbreaking writer, Yamashita’s deeply creative body of work has made an enduring impact on our literary landscape,” NBF board of directors chair David Steinberger said. “Whether it’s an evocative exploration of cities, collaborative performance productions, or connecting the plots of Jane Austen to Japanese American life, […]