The 2019 Pulitzer Prize winners were announced Monday, April 15. Check out the winners below. Descriptions are from Pulitzer.org.
Fiction
The Overstory by Richard Powers: "An ingeniously structured narrative that branches and canopies like the trees at the core of the story whose wonder and connectivity echo those of the humans living amongst them."
Drama
Fairview by Jackie Sibbles Drury: "A hard-hitting drama that examines race in a highly conceptual, layered structure, ultimately bringing audiences into the actors’ community to face deep-seated prejudices."
History
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight: "A breathtaking history that demonstrates the scope of Frederick Douglass’ influence through deep research on his writings, his intellectual evolution, and his relationships."
Biography
The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C. Stewart: "A panoramic view of the personal trials and artistic triumphs of the father of the Harlem Renaissance and the movement he inspired."
Poetry
Be With by Forrest Gander: "A collection of elegies that grapple with sudden loss, and the difficulties of expressing grief and yearning for the departed."
General Nonfiction
Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America by Eliza Griswold: "A classic American story, grippingly told, of an Appalachian family struggling to retain its middle-class status in the shadow of destruction wreaked by corporate fracking."
Music
p r i s m, by Ellen Reid: "A bold new operatic work that uses sophisticated vocal writing and striking instrumental timbres to confront difficult subject matter: the effects of sexual and emotional abuse. Libretto by Roxie Perkins."
Aretha Franklin: "For her indelible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades."
Journalism prizes were also given to the Staff of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Breaking News Reporting); Matt Hamilton, Harrier Ryan, and Paul Pringle of the Los Angeles Times (Investigative Reporting); Staff of the Wall Street Journal (National Reporting); and Lorenzo Tugnoli of The Washington Post (Feature Photography). To see more winners and finalists, go here.
The Pulitzer Prize is given to individuals who have shown excellence in one of a number of literary, journalistic, and artistic categories over the previous year. Medals are awarded to works that accurately depict American life through fiction, nonfiction, and more. The Pulitzer Prize also honors excellence in journalism and news reporting. A formal announcement of the prizes are made each April, and the awards are chosen by the president of Columbia University, based upon the recommendations of the Pulitzer Prize Board. Explore the past winners here, opens a new window.
