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National Book Award Finalist Adrian Matejka Wants a Pardon for Jack Johnson

What's The 411 correspondent Kizzy Cox and National Book Award Finalist for Poetry, Adrian Matejka, having a good laugh at National Book Awards Photo Credit: Alexis Williams/What's The 411 Networks What's The 411 correspondent Kizzy Cox and National Book Award Finalist for Poetry, Adrian Matejka, having a good laugh at National Book Awards

Poet Adrian Matejka found out that he was a National Book Award finalist when he was in the shower.

So how did Matejka feel when he learned the news?

Check out the video with poet Adrian Matejka

"I was stunned and humbled and really honored," said Matejka. "It's amazing. It's has very little to do with me, it's all about Jack Johnson. The book is about the boxer and it's his story and I am just sort of taking care of it."

In the video, Matejka makes a plea to President Barack Obama to pardon Jack Johnson.

What's next for Matejka?

"I'm working on a book about astronomy," responded Matejka.

However, every time Matejka sits down to write a book about astronomy, he winds up writing a book about HUD housing that he grew up in.

So perhaps the book may be a book about HUD housing.