Phi Beta Kappa, 1966
Pulitzer Prize, general nonfiction (Pilgrim at
Tinker Creek), 1975
New York Press Club Award for Excellence ("Innocence
in the Galapagos," Harper's Magazine), 1975
Washington Governor's Award for Literature, 1977
Connecticut Governor's Arts Award, 1993
Western Pennsylvania Historical Society History Makers
Award, 1993
National Endowment for the Arts/Literature Grant,
September 1982-September 1983
Phi Beta Kappa Orator, Harvard Commencement Exercises,
1983
New York Public Library Literary Lion, 1984
Boston Public Library "Literary Light,"
1990
John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Grant, September
1985-September 1986
Doctor of Humane Letters, Boston College, 1986; University
of Hartford, 1993; Connecticut College, 1993. Subsequent honorary degrees
turned down as they take days and days in heels.
Middletown Commission on the Arts Award, 1987
National Book Critics Circle Award finalist, 1987
(An American Childhood)
Appalachian Gold Medallion, 1989; University of Charleston,
Charleston, West Virginia
St. Botolph's Club Foundation Award in the Arts, 1989;
St. Botolph's Club, Boston
Ambassador Book Award in letters, English- Speaking
Union, 1989 (for The Writing Life)
Boston Globe, "Best Books of the Decade"
for Teaching a Stone to Talk
The Milton Prize, 1994 (The Milton Center, Wichita)
The Campion Award (America magazine-int'l), 1994
Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame, 1997
Fellow, Calhoun College, Yale, 1997-99
PEN Diamond-Vogelstein Award for book of essays, 1999,
for For the Time Being, which is not a book of essays
Maurice-Edgar Coindreau Prize for Best Translation
in English 2002 for For the Time Being, tr Sabine Porte. also
same award for Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, 1999, also tr. Sabine
Porte.
Academy Award in Literature, 1998, from American Academy
of Arts and Letters
Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Letters, 1999-
century's 100 best nonfiction books includes Pilgrim
at Tinker Creek
century's 100 best Western novels (Los Angeles Times)
incl The Living
century's 100 best spiritual books (ed. Philip Zaleski)
incl Pilgrim
100 best essays (ed. Joyce Carol Oates) incl "Total
Eclipse."
Contributing editor, Harper's magazine, 1974-1981, 1983-1985
Usage panelist, American Heritage Dictionary
Member
Kingswood-Spottiswood mentor's program
NAACP (1970-1985)
The Society of American Historian (1995-1998)
The Century Association (1992-1995)
U.S. Cultural Delegation to China (scholars, publishers, writers),
May-June, 1982
member, U.S. writers delegation, UCLA U.S.- Chinese writers conference,
September, 1982
Honorary board
Key West Literary Seminar
Board
Western States Arts Foundation until 1988
Ossabaw Island Project until 1982
Ossabaw Foundation, 1994-
The Milton Center, 1980-
The New Press, 1992-
Wesleyan Writer's Conference, 1984- Chairman, 1991-
Authors league Fund, 1993-
Protect Historic America
Volunteer
St. Mary's soup kitchen (Fl) and Inter-faith Council soup kitchen
(N.C.)
Juror
Associated Writing Program Award in Nonfiction, 1983
Bollingen Prize, Yale University Library, 1984
Pulitzer Prize General Nonfiction, 1985 and 1991
Western States Book Award, 1988
PEN Martha Albrand Award in Nonfiction, 1988 and 1989
Connecticut Commission on the Arts, fiction, 1990
Society of American Historians, fiction
Barnes & Noble nonfiction prize 2000
Nominator: Lila Wallace Foundation
MacArthur Foundation--can't remember when