Book prize winners — and a no-show

How times change. Steve Wasserman, the former books editor at the Los Angeles Times, presided for years over the LAT Book Prizes soiree at UCLA's Royce Hall. He didn't even go to last night's downsized party — instead picking up two Maggie Awards at a banquet at the LAX Westin that sounds like it had a bigger crowd. Wasserman's Maggies are in his capacity as literary editor of Truthdig.com, which was nominated for Chalmers Johnson's review of Sheldon Wolin's book on democracy, James Blight's review of a book on McGeorge Bundy, and Wasserman's own essay on Castro's legacy. The Maggies are for Western publishers, and other local finalists included the LA Weekly, LA Stage, Emmy and Orange Coast.

Meanwhile, sounds like a fun time was had by those who attended the gathering at the Times building. Prize winners after the jump; report on the evening at Jacket Copy.