And this just in....

There's no word yet on the National Book Award winner for this year, but the results are finally in for the best novel of 1899. At a debate Tuesday in the Boston Public Library, critics defended their picks: Henry James's "The Awkward Age," Frank Norris's "McTeague," and Kate Chopin's "The Awakening." Frankly, the men didn't stand a chance against the feminist classic by Chopin, which won by a landslide. Her novel tells the story of a woman casting off her dull life and inhibitions. The proud author had no comment at this time.

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