Nelson Algren (1909-1981) was one of America's best loved writers, known for his books The Neon Wilderness, The Last Carousel and The Man with the Golden Arm, for which he won the first National Book Award. His non-fiction includes Noncomformity: Writing on Writing. Kurt Vonnegut is the critically acclaimed author of numerous best-sellers, including Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five, which was made into a Hugo Award-winning film.