T.J. Stiles '86 is a finalist for the National Book Award, as reported in the Oct. 15 edition of the Star Tribune. Stiles is a finalist in nonfiction for "The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt," published by Alfred A. Knopf. Stiles told the newspaper that he was notified Tuesday, and that it was very hard to keep the news under his hat for 24 hours. He currently resides in San Francisco.