Oakland resident Yiyun Li ignored the persistent caller with the unknown phone number for one week.
But a few days ago, the Chinese-born writer finally answered and learned she was a recipient of a "genius award" - a $500,000, no-strings-attached grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
"I'm still trying to postpone thinking about this," an overwhelmed Li said Monday. "It's just too surreal."
Li, 37, was among four Bay Area recipients who, unbeknownst to them, were nominated, vetted and ultimately selected for the annual prize to continue their innovative work. This year's list of 23 winners includes two UC Berkeley professors, in economics and computer science, and a Stanford University genetics professor.
