Obama Will Honor 12 With Humanities Medals

President Obama has named 12 people to receive the National Humanities medal:

• Edward L. Ayers, president of the University of Richmond and historian of the Civil War era.
• William G. Bowen, former president of Princeton University, and author of books about higher education.
• Jill Ker Conway, former president of Smith College.
• Natalie Zemon Davis, Henry Charles Lea Professor of History Emeritus.
• Frank Deford, the sports writer.
• Joan Didion, the essayist and novelist.
• Robert D. Putnam, professor of government at Harvard University.
• Marilynne Robinson, the novelist.
• Kay Ryan, former poet laureate of the United States.
• Robert B. Silvers, co-founder of The New York Review of Books.
• Anna Deavere Smith, the actress and playwright.
• Camilo José Vergara, the photographer.

More details about the honorees may be found here.