Names and faces

 In this June 7, 2016 file photo, John Irving speaks at a book discussion for his novel "Avenue of Mysteries" at Coral Gables Congregational Church in Miami.
In this June 7, 2016 file photo, John Irving speaks at a book discussion for his novel "Avenue of Mysteries" at Coral Gables Congregational Church in Miami.

John Irving, the author of novels such as The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules, which examine the complexities of sexual differences and other social issues, is this year's winner of a lifetime achievement award celebrating literature's power to foster peace, social justice and global understanding, organizers said Tuesday. Dayton Literary Peace Prize officials chose the 76-year-old Irving for the Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award, named for the U.S. diplomat who brokered the 1995 Bosnia peace accords. Sharon Rab, founder and chairwoman of the prize foundation, said Irving's books often show "the tragedy of a lack of empathy and sympathy for our fellow humans. ... [T]hrough books -- especially Irving's books -- readers learn to understand and identify with people different from themselves." Often using humor to illuminate deep topics, Irving's works have included bisexual, homosexual and transgender people. The National Book Award-winning The World According to Garp was made into a movie starring the late Robin Williams, and Irving won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for the movie version of The Cider House Rules, which deals with issues including abortion. "I've written about sexual difference and sexual minorities -- at times, when the prevailing literary culture labeled it bizarre or unreachable," Irving said in a statement. "I've written with the hope that the bigotry, hatred and flat-out violence perpetrated on sexual minorities would become a relic of the past. In that sense I've written in protest -- I've written protest novels."

• Showtime and actor Sacha Baron Cohen are pushing back against allegations the comedian duped guests on his new show by posing as a disabled veteran. The network said in a statement Monday that Baron Cohen "did not present himself as a disabled veteran" or wear any military apparel when he met with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Palin last week on Facebook complained that Baron Cohen "heavily disguised himself" as a disabled U.S. veteran in a wheelchair when she was "duped" into an interview. She challenged Baron Cohen and Showtime to donate proceeds from the show to a veterans' charity. In the new show Who Is America?, Baron Cohen dons various prosthetics and accents in a bid to embarrass those on the right and left.

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Invision/AP file photo

This Feb. 28, 2016 file photo shows Sacha Baron Cohen at the Oscars in Los Angeles.

A Section on 07/18/2018

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