He won this year for his novel, Lamentations of the Father. The award reception, hosted by Alan Zweibel (2006 Thurber Prize Winner for his novel, The Other Shulman) was held in the Algonuin Hotel in New York City.

Finalists for the 2009 Thurber Prize included Sloane Crosley for her first novel, I Was Told There'd Be Cake, Don Lee's hilarious, Wrack and Ruin, and Laurie Notaro's must read, The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death.