A cynic’s struggles: ‘The Book of George’ wins Gabe Hudson Prize

NEW YORK (AP) — A comic novel about a cynic’s struggles to connect with others has won a $10,000 award named for a widely-respected author and editor, the late Gabe Hudson.

Kate Greathead’s “The Book of George” is this year’s recipient of the Gabe Hudson Prize, which is administered by the literary publisher McSweeney’s. “The Book of George” was praised by The Associated Press reviewer Kendal Weaver, who called Greathead “a gifted storyteller who reels off dialogue filled with wit and humor so well it makes page-turning a pleasure.”

Hudson, who died in 2023 at age 52, was a creative teacher, a McSweeney’s editor and a prizewinning writer whose books included the novel “Dear Mr. President.” The prize, endowed by his mother, Sanchia Semere, is given for a book that conveys “humor, pathos, and a deep understanding of contemporary America.”

Greathead said in a statement Wednesday that Hudson’s “generosity of spirit and humor are traits I admire greatly in writers and non-writers alike, and to be a small part of his legacy is as meaningful a tribute as I can imagine.”

“It has become an unfortunate cliché that award recipients often say they are ‘humbled’ on such occasions, but in thinking of what Gabe and his writing meant to people, it is the word that comes first to mind,” she added.

The Hudson prize was launched last year: The first winner was Ayana Mathis’ “The Unsettled.”