For the next three months, while she finishes a book of essays, Katha Pollitt will not be writing her “Subject to Debate” column. We eagerly anticipate her return in May.

Victor Navasky has won this year’s George Polk Book Award for A Matter of Opinion, his combined memoir and reflections on the role of opinion journalism. The judges said the book “provides a historically significant view of the role that public discourse plays in sustaining the democratic process in an age of mass media and corporate dominance.”

Katrina vanden Heuvel has received the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund’s 2006 Justice in Action award for her “fearless and spirited work in promoting independent journalism, and enriching public debate on issues affecting the Asian American community.”