Today the winners of the 2011 Pulitzer Prizes were announced at Columbia University. These prizes recognize excellence in newspaper journalism, literature, and musical composition. They are awarded to American writers and artists.
The 2011 Winners
This year the following works earned Pulitzer Prizes in Letters, Drama, and Music:
- Novel: A Visit from the Goon Squad (Jennifer Egan)
- Drama: Clybourne Park (Bruce Norris)
- History: The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery (Eric Foner)
- Biography: Washington: A Life (Ron Chernow)
- Poetry: The Best of It: New and Selected Poems (Kay Ryan)
- General Non-Fiction: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer (Siddhartha Mukherjee)
- Music: Madame White Snake (Zhou Long)
For a complete list of 2011’s winners, visit the Pulitzer Prizes online.
A Brief History of the Pulitzer
Named for Hungarian-American publisher Joseph Pulitzer, the awards were first awarded in 1917. Since then, categories have been added or changed to reflect the evolution of journalism, literature, and music. For example the “Novel” category was changed to “Fiction” in 1948 and now includes short stories.
The list of Pulitzer Prize winners for literature includes several legendary authors, including John Updike, Toni Morrison, and Arthur Miller. Saul Bellow, John Steinbeck, and Ernest Hemingway also earned the award.
Not every eligible literary work is automatically considered for the Pulitzer. The work must be submitted along with an application in order to be judged by the independent panel that chooses winners.
What’s your favorite Pulitzer winning work of literature? And what works of literature have been overlooked for the award?
April 18th, 2011
Here at Books Tell You Why, we love a good limerick and think sonnets are splendid. That’s why we’re happy to celebrate National Poetry Month. If you’d like to join in the festivities, here are a few ways to join in:
- Follow the Academy of American Poets on Twitter via @POETSorg. Each day in April, a different poet will compose the organization’s tweets. Today’s poet is Joshua Clover.
- Put a poem in your pocket on April 14. It’s easier than ever, now that the Academy has a mobile poetry archive—from Maya Angelou to Charles Van Sandwyk, you’ll find all your favorites right on your phone.
- Write a poem—or two. If you’re feeling really brave, post one here in the comments!
- Follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Throughout the month we’ll share tidbits about poets and favorite volumes from our extensive poetry collection.
- And yes, you can of course also browse and deplete our poetry offering.
How will you be celebrating National Poetry Month? And which poets would you like to see featured?
Further Reading:
Academy of American Poets
April 6th, 2011
Peter Jackson set to direct J.R.R Tolkien’s ‘The Hobbit’ in a two-part 3D-production of extraordinary scope.
The two films based on “The Hobbit” are now greenlit and will begin principal photography in February 2011, under the direction of Peter Jackson, it was jointly announced by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. and Steve Cooper, co-Chief Executive Officer of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Continue Reading October 17th, 2010
Police made a “small number” of arrests in Dublin where former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was due to sign copies of his autobiography Saturday, a spokesman for Ireland’s national police service said.
Despite reports that shoes and eggs were thrown at Blair, police could not confirm whether anything was thrown at him, and video from inside the store showed him unscathed, without any stains on his jacket.
A crowd of people, some of them anti-war protesters, gathered outside the shop to protest Blair’s role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A line of police wearing fluorescent yellow jackets kept them back from the street in front of the Eason bookshop in central Dublin.
Blair: Bush world view had ‘immense simplicity’
Dozens of police were on duty in the street outside the bookshop since early Saturday and sections of the main thoroughfare were cordoned off to traffic.
Blair’s book, “A Journey,” describes his time in office, including his decision to go to war in Iraq. All proceeds from the book are going to the Royal British Legion, Blair has said.
Source: cnn.com
A limited number of signed copies will be available at www.BooksTellYouWhy.com beginning October 2010.
September 4th, 2010
By the end of his life, Samuel Langhorne Clemens had achieved fame as a steamboat pilot on the Mississippi, a globe-trotting lecturer and, of course, the literary genius who wrote “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and other works under the name Mark Twain.
Continue Reading May 8th, 2010
A rare first edition of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, with a poignant handwritten note by the author to his young daughter, has been discovered.
Continue Reading April 9th, 2010
A signed copy of a Jane Austen novel published in 1816 has been bought for £325,000.
The book is a first edition copy of Emma which Austen presented to her friend Anne Sharp, the inspiration for Mrs Weston in the novel. Jonkers Rare Books in Oxfordshire paid £180,000 for it at auction in 2008.
It is understood that a British collector bought the book, which is one of 12 special ‘presentation’ copies Austen gave to friends and family. The book has previously been exhibited in Hong Kong, New York and San Francisco. The rest of the presentation copies were donated to relatives.
Christian Jonkers, director of Jonkers Rare Books in Henley-on-Thames, said: “We had several clients around the world who were considering this book, but it is pleasing that the book will remain in this country. “It is unique, considering the whole historical context of the book – the fact that it was given by Austen to her best friend who was a model for one of the principal characters in the novel.”
Source: BBC News
April 1st, 2010
Dick Francis, the former jockey turned best selling thriller writer, has died. He was 89. He passed away at his Caribbean home in Grand Cayman, according to a short statement released through his publicist.
Continue Reading February 14th, 2010
Kage Baker has passed away this morning after a fierce struggle with cancer. She was best known for her Company novels, including In the Garden of Iden. For months, she had fought the uterine cancer privately, but the tumor spread to her brain.
Continue Reading January 31st, 2010
J.D. Salinger, the legendary author, youth hero and fugitive from fame whose The Catcher in the Rye shocked and inspired a world he increasingly shunned, has died. He was 91.
Continue Reading January 28th, 2010
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