Genre: Opinion/Argumentation

Nothing about the neat stacks of books and rows of chairs at the powerHouse Arena in DUMBO suggested it had been in three feet of water until recently. Yet the bookstore and event venue was still in the midst of a dramatic recovery from superstorm Sandy when an enthusiastic crowd gathered on Monday's night for the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 program, held just two days before the National Book Award is presented in lower Manhattan (look for coverage here tomorrow). The atmosphere was festive and lively jazz music was playing as past NBA winners and fellow bibliophiles gathered to recognize the year's 5 Under 35 honorees. Each year, five previous winners and finalists of the National Book Awards select five young writers to receive the award. This year's judges included Tea Obreht, an NBA finalist last year for her novel "The Tiger's Wife," and Edith Perlman, also a finalist last year for her book "Binocular Vision." And it was a night of celebration in more ways tha one: powerHouse CEO Daniel Power highlighted the venue's resilience in the face of Sandy's rampage and his commitment to bring great books to the community no matter the challenges. Musician Neko Case, the master of ceremonies, opened with a talk on the difference books made in her life when she was a child growing up in Washington State. The rural setting of her childhood, where condoms and other trash floated down the nearby river, did not contain much promise for her life. "When you're a kid you don't know that's not all there is," she told the bespectacled crowd gathered before her. "That's where books come in." Anya Ulinich, who was an honoree in 2007 for "Petropolis," moderated a panel discussion, with each writer reading a page from his or her novel. (Honoree Hayley Tanner, author of "Vaclav and Lena," was unable to attend due to the birth of her daughter the day before.) Discussing the most difficult thing the writers faced while writing their stories, Claire Vaye Watkins said of the personal nature of her writing, "People said 'Aren't you afraid someone you know will read this?'" Her collection of short stories, "Battleborn," was selected by 2011 NBA finalist Julie Otsuka. Watkins went on to explain that she hopes people not only read her work, but also grow to care about her characters. Ulinich broached the topic of sensitivity when one writes about one's family. Justin Torres' autobiographical "We the Animals" in particular contains a candid account of the author's family when he was growing up in Brooklyn, drama, fights and all. The book was selected by 1990 NBA finalist Jessica Hagedorn. "Did you make any compromises in the book?" Ulinich asked. "I'm going to sound like the biggest [jerk] in the world if I say no," laughed Torres. "Yes, all over the place." Lastly, Ulinich asked the panel about their writing process. Jennifer duBois, whose novel "A Partial History of Lost Causes" was selected by 2011 NBA finalist Andrew Krivak, replied, "I write a few tweets on Twitter," to the amusement of the audience and the agreement of her fellow scribes. The night was full of laughs and tears, jokes and jazz, and most of all hope, a touching resolve that no matter what storms may come, those who love books will still gather to share and celebrate their affection for the written word. Post new comment Comments About This Blog A blog about literature, culture and the greater world of ideas. Follow us on Twitter at @NYDNBooks. Email editor Alexander Nazaryan at anazaryan@nydailynews.com with questions, comments, scathing complaints and fulsome praise. Subscribe to the Page Views's feed. For more NYDailyNews.com feeds, click here.