Patti Smith in Ann Arbor in February.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

The National Book Award winners have been announced, with rocker Patti Smith (for her memoir "Just Kids") and Michigan's Jaimy Gordon (for her novel "Lord of Misrule") among the big winners. The New York Times notes that although Smith seemed to be the favorite, Gordon was a surprise.

In a nice bit of timing, Gordon — an English professor at Western Michigan University — is slated to appear at Nicola's Books in Ann Arbor on Dec. 6. (A book tour brought Smith to the downtown Borders store earlier this year.)