By Linton Weeks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 15, 2001; Page C01

NEW YORK, Nov. 14 -- Jonathan Franzen, who will be forever known as the writer who dissed Oprah Winfrey, won the National Book Award for fiction here tonight for his novel "The Corrections," about the breakdown of an American family.

"I'd like to thank Oprah Winfrey for her enthusiasm and advocacy," Franzen said.

This year's other awards went to Andrew Solomon's "The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression" for nonfiction, Alan Dugan's "Poems Seven: New and Complete Poetry" and Virginia Euwer Wolff's "True Believer" for young people's literature.

The 52nd annual awards drew 800 or so dolled-up denizens of the publishing world -- down 20 percent from last year -- to the Marriott Marquis Hotel. In the grand ballroom, wordmongers supped on red meat, mushroom bisque and New York State apple pie and heard actor Steve Martin -- in his third year as emcee -- make highly literate quips. "You can report," Martin said, hitching up his trousers before dinner, "that my pants are falling down."

Outside, in Times Square, immediate updates on Kandahar and the investigation into the crash of Flight 587 scrolled along massive electronic screens; inside, people tried to focus on the timeless arts of telling stories and selling books.

Playwright Arthur Miller received a medal for his "distinguished contribution to American letters." He told the group that playwrights fall slightly below book writers in the American mind.

In case you missed the melee, there has been much froth and folderol recently over Franzen's public brouhaha with talk show diva Oprah Winfrey. His winning novel was also chosen as one of her book club selections, a boon to sales and publicity.

Franzen's publisher, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, was so ecstatic about the Winfrey announcement that it printed a half-million more copies of "The Corrections."

In various interviews, however, Franzen revealed his ambivalence about being selected for Winfrey's immensely popular book club. He wasn't sure he wanted "the logo of corporate ownership" on his book. He said that Winfrey had picked "enough schmaltzy, one-dimensional" books to make him cringe.

Winfrey disinvited Franzen to be on her show and moved on to the next book.

So did he. He's writing two essays for the New Yorker, and he hopes to collect his essays in book form.

Franzen explained why so much was made over the tiff. In the wake of Sept. 11, he said, the media were looking for "blood-sport entertainment. I was very happy to have provided that service," he said. "It's my civic duty."

Asked if he would allow his publisher to slap a shiny NBA Winner sticker on the cover, Franzen said, "I don't think it's productive for me to get into sticker discussions."

Judges in all categories chose from among 1,023 titles submitted by more than 200 publishers and imprints.

Each of the category winners took home $10,000 and a crystal sculpture. Each runner-up receives $1,000 and a bronze medallion.

Poet Stanley Plumly, a professor at the University of Maryland and chairman of the poetry judging panel, praised Alan Dugan's "crucial honesty" in his work.

Nonfiction victor Andrew Solomon suggested that one antidote to depression is winning the National Book Award.

As you can tell by all the hype, the National Book Award is not just about literature. There is politicking, gossip, glitz, groveling. And more backstories than at a chiropractors' convention.

Folks were jawing about nonfiction finalist David James Duncan's admiration-in-print for nonfiction judge Terry Tempest Williams. "I've watched author Terry Tempest Williams, in a frenzy of nature grief and love, embrace every member of an audience of 200-plus listeners in hopes of accomplishing God knows what: two hundred embraces speak for themselves," Duncan wrote in Sierra magazine last year.

The National Book Foundation goes out of its way to avoid conflicts of interest. Judges are not allowed in the authors' reception before dinner, even though the dice have already been cast. Duncan said he had met Williams only once. She had reviewed his first book, "The River Why."

Duncan said he was somewhat uncomfortable participating in a literary competition. "Insofar as this is a contest, it's [baloney]," he said.

Neil Baldwin, executive director of the night's sponsor, the National Book Foundation, has just published a book, "Henry Ford and the Jews." "Obviously I'm not eligible," he said.

Baldwin is not the only person involved with the awards who is getting in on the book act. Steve Martin's delightful novel of last year, "Shopgirl," just out in paperback, was part of the centerpiece on some tables, along with the nominated books and a few scattered autumn leaves. Martin, Baldwin said, is working on a book called "The Pleasure of My Company."

In his remarks, Martin addressed the Franzen fracas head on. Though Franzen will not be appearing on Oprah's show, Martin said, he will be making a guest appearance on "Good Morning Wisconsin."

Martin said he called Oprah and asked if he could have Franzen's sticker on his book.