Alumnus wins major literary prize

David Markson '49

David Markson ’49, the author of eight literary novels, three crime novels, poetry and criticism, received the American Academy of Arts and Letters award in literature last month in New York City. The award carries a prize of $7,500. Markson and seven other writers were honored for "exceptional accomplishment in any genre."

Markson, 79, graduated from Union with a B.A. in English and went on to Columbia University. He lives in Greenwich Village. Among his close friends were the late literary legends Dylan Thomas, Jack Kerouac and Kurt Vonnegut. Markson’s novels include "The Ballad of Dingus Magee," which was made into a movie starring Frank Sinatra, "Wittgenstein’s Mistress" and "The Last Novel," published in May.