Gass won his first of three National Book Critics Circle Awards for The Habitations of the Word, in 1985. By this time Gass was becoming widely recognized as perhaps our greatest prose stylist and philosopher of language.

Included here is a scan of his NBCC award, a draft for a reading version of "The Soul Inside the Sentence," an audio recording of "The Habitations of the Word" with an introduction by Stanley Elkin, and photos of Gass at home around the time of winning the NBCC award.

"The Soul Inside The Sentence" - Reading Version

Reading version of "The Soul Inside the Sentence," a section of Habitations of the Word

<em>Habitations of the Word</em>&nbsp;- First Edition Dust Jacket

Habitations of the Word dust jacket

"The Habitations of the Word" Lecture

Gass delivering his essay "The Habitations of the Word"; with an introduction by Stanley Elkin

National Book Critics Circle Award for <em>Habitations of the Word</em>, 1985

National Book Critics Circle Award for Habitations of the Word, 1985

William H. Gass at home

William H. Gass at home

William H. Gass working at home

William H. Gass working at home