Congratulations to Baltimorean Anne Tyler, who's on the short list for the 2011 Man Booker International Prize. Tyler ranks as one of the nation's best novelists, and folks who live in the Baltimore area draw extra satisfaction from the local scenes in her books.
Does the Man Booker recognition mean Tyler is a British spy? That would explain why she settled in North Baltimore, where Victorian homes line the streets, the country club is known for its squash courts, and the rituals of afternoon tea are still observed.
Or maybe the Brits just refuse to believe that we're not a colony anymore.
Here are the other finalists for the international prize, whose winner will be named May 18: Wang Anyi (China), Juan Goytisolo (Spain), James Kelman (UK), John le Carré (UK), Amin Maalouf (Lebanon), David Malouf (Australia), Dacia Maraini (Italy), Rohinton Mistry (India/Canada), Philip Pullman (UK), Marilynne Robinson (USA), Philip Roth (USA) and Su Tong (China).
Our book club is reading Howard Jacobson's "The Finkler Question," last year's Man Booker winner, and we'll be discussing it this weekend. So far, the informal reviews from club members have been mixed, so I'm looking forward to Sunday's gathering.