A University of Wisconsin-Madison professor won a 2012 American Book Award on Oct. 7 for his book on environmental issues.
Robert Nixon, a professor of English, won the award for his book “Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor.” The book centers on the impacts of destruction of ecosystems, radiation contamination and communities lost to dams or mines.
The awards are given to writers by other writers and serve to recognize literary merit without limits or restrictions, according to the award’s website.
Nixon began his career at UW-Madison in 1999 as a professor of environmental literature and public writing and nonfiction within the creative writing department.
Nixon has also written for other publications including The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Independent.
