Book prize winners

Pete Dexter (Train: A Novel) gave the funniest acceptance speech, Anthony Hecht (Collected Later Poems) the most poignant, and Bruce Wagner and R.L. Stine were the most entertaining presenters, based on an informal survey after last night's Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. The winners:

• Biography: Neil Smith, American Empire: Roosevelt's Geographer and the Prelude to Globalization
• Poetry: Hecht
• Science and Technology: Philip J. Hilts, Protecting America's Health: The FDA, Business, and One Hundred Years of Regulation
• History: Henry Wiencek, An Imperfect God: George Washington, His Slaves and the Creation of America
• Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction: Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
• Current Interest: Ross Terrill, The New Chinese Empire -- And What It Means for the United States
• Mystery/Thriller: George P. Pelecanos, Soul Circus
• Young Adult Fiction: Jennifer Donnelly, A Northern Light
• Fiction: Dexter
• Robert Kirsch Award: Ishmael Reed

Only Haddon did not accept in person, though he addressed the crowd in UCLA's Royce Hall by video. Other prize presenters included Kevin Starr, Carolyn See, Dana Gioia, Jonathan Kirsch, Dean Baquet, K.C. Cole, Vivian Gornick and April Smith. LAT story.