In its announcement, the NBF cited the pioneering graphic novel Maus as well as Spiegelman’s other work, which includes Breakdowns, The Wild Party, In the Shadow of No Towers, Be a Nose! and MetaMaus, an illustrated prose companion to Maus. Although Maus is regarded as a modern classic (it received a special Pulitzer Prize in 1992, because there was no category for it at the time), the book was removed from the eight-grade curriculum in McMinn County, Tennessee, in January because of objectionable language and a single instance of nudity (see “Tennessee School Board Pulls ‘Maus’ from 8th Grade History Class”). A Knoxville retailer subsequently raised $100,000 to fund donations of the book to students as well as creation of a teaching guide (see “Nirvana Comics Raises Over $100,000 for ‘Project Maus’”).
“Art Spiegelman has captured the world’s imagination through the comics medium,” said David Steinberger, Chair of the NBF Board of Directors, in a statement accompanying the announcement. “His masterful graphic novels tackle and illuminate topics from the Holocaust to the aftermath of 9/11, alongside the personal intimacy of the people, events, and comics that shaped him as an artist. Spiegelman’s groundbreaking work has shown us the limitless possibilities for comics as a literary arts form, and the Foundation is proud to honor his legacy.”
In 2016, the third volume of Rep. John Lewis’s graphic memoir, March, became the first graphic novel to win the NBF’s National Book Award (see “‘March’ Wins National Book Award”).
