Miami playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, whose scripts are being produced at regional theaters all over the United States this season, was awarded a major honor for emerging writers Wednesday at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York. McCraney, who grew up in Liberty City, was named one of 10 recipients of the 2007 Whiting Writers' Award, which comes with $50,000 to help support his work.

Past winners include playwright Sarah Ruhl and novelist Jonathan Franzen. This year's recipients include novelists, poets, nonfiction writers and one other playwright, Sheila Callaghan.

Receiving the Whiting Award isn't the only high-profile event for McCraney in Manhattan this week: On Monday, the Yale Drama grad's play The Brothers Size began its world premiere run at the Public Theater, where it will officially open Nov. 6, running through Dec. 23. In a statement, artistic director Oskar Eustis expressed the kind of enthusiasm that is getting McCraney so many productions and winning him awards: ``Tarell Alvin McCraney is one of the most exciting and distinctive young playwrights to have emerged in many years. We are proud to offer his work to the world and delighted to be continuing an association we expect will last for many years to come.''

--Christine Arnold, The Miami Herald