Mary Matalin

The conservative book business has seen better days. Ten years ago, the genre was a major source of intellectual energy on the right, and the site of a publishing boom, with conservative imprints popping up at industry giants like Random House and Penguin. But after a decade of disruption, uneven sales, and fierce competition, many leading figures in the conservative literati fear the market has devolved into an echo of cable news, where an overcrowded field of preachers feverishly contends for the attention of the same choir.

The Quill Awards were handed out in New York City this week during a ceremony its producers hope will eventually be to books what the Oscars telecast is to motion pictures. A star-studded roster of authors were on-hand Tuesday night to scoop up their prizes at the event, held at the American Museum of Natural History. The awards were taped for a one-hour broadcast that will run on NBC on Oct. 28. Tyler Perry’s “Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life” was honored with the night’s top prize as the Quill Book of the Year. Author

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