The New York Times recently released its list of the “100 Best Books of the 21st Century,” and Distinguished Professor of English Benjamin Lerner’s 2014 novel 10:04 made the cut. 10:04, Lerner’s second novel, has been described as a stunning, urgent, and original novel about making art, love, and children during the twilight of an empire. It was the winner of The Paris Review‘s 2012 Terry Southern Prize and was a finalist for the 2014 Folio Prize and the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award. “The 100 Best Books of the 21st Century” list was released during the week of July 8. It was compiled by The New York Times staff and voted on by 503 celebrated novelists, nonfiction writers, and others, including Stephen King, Bonnie Garmus, and Claudia Rankine. The Times also released top 10 lists of many of the celebrated authors who voted. Lerner’s The Topeka School made Michael Roth’s list, as did On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong ’12. Vuong—who was Lerner’s student at the college and a 2019 MacArthur “genius” grant winner—also saw his novel nominated for the 2019 National Book Award and the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Award.
