Little known, long-time writer, Jaimy Gordon, 66, won the 2010 National Book Award for her novel, Lord of Misrule. The novel, which centers on horseracing, was based off of a short story Gordon published in “Best American Short Stories 1995.” Her first novel was published in 1974 and since then publishing success had been hard to hold on to. “I’ve spent my whole professional life swirling the eddies of the margins,” said Gordon, “I had opportunities, and I blew them.”

Gordon currently teaches writing at Western Michigan University, where she’s worked for almost thirty years.  Her work is now published by Vintage. “What I want right now is to see my book in an airport. Then in a couple of years everyone will figure out that I’m too esoteric.”