Melville House Books

Neil Gaiman

Quick: Who’s the one writer you’d think wasn’t going to win the top prize (and sort of wholesome imprimatur) in children’s literature, the Newbery Medal? Of course, it’s Neil Gaiman. However, he did. A shocker, perhaps, to those of you who watched his charged interplay with Jessa Crispin in a recent interview when it was posted on MobyLives, let alone to those who’ve read his books. As an Associated Press wire story reports, Gaiman won for his book, The Graveyard Book, which Gaiman admits was somewhat inspired by the famous children’s book by Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book. Nonetheless Gaiman himself says he is “befuddled” to win. “I never really thought of myself as a Newbery winner. It’s such a very establishment kind of award …. And I’m so very used to working in, and enjoying working in, essentially the gutter.” He was, however, so amused at the unexpected turn of events tht he blogged about it as it was unfolding, from the moment of getting the phone call telling him he’d won: “You are on a speakerphone with at least 14 teachers and librarians and suchlike great, wise and good people, I thought. Do not start swearing like you did when you got the Hugo …”

Dennis Johnson is the founder of MobyLives, and the co-founder and co-publisher of Melville House.