john lewis gattis. [applause] >> oh, wow! what an honor. his is david gattis john's son and i'm his stepdaughter. this is just incredible and my heart is pounding out of my chest so my stepfather, would you like to say something. >> sure. i just wanted to say that my father couldn't be here tonight but i know that he has been working on this book for as long as i can remember and i know that this is a long-standing on a very personal project maybe his life's great work although he may always have more in store for all that i know and i just wanted to say that he will be enormously honored and greatfied to receive this award so i want to thank the national book critic circle and all of you. thank you very much. [applause] >> hello. i'm karen long and it was my joy this year to chair nonfiction for the nbcc. .. liberty's excise american loyalists and the revolutionary war and john sullivan's essays for strauss. this year a non-fiction award goes to maya gosseniff. [applause] for giving bose to a nation and continuing to fuel political life tod