Pulitzer Prize winners: Letters, drama and music
Tinkers by Paul Harding.
An astonishing novel that evokes the past of a man in his last, confused days, Tinkers is a finalist for the
Harding said: I worked on it for 5 to 6 years and actually tried to have it published, but couldn’t find an agent or a publisher. From the moment I saw one copy in between two covers, it was all gravy from there.
The finalists were Love in Infant Monkeys by Lydia Millet and In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin. (Gary Ottley / Associated Press)
Next to Normal, book by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt.
The edgy musical tells the story of a dysfunctional suburban family coping with psychological disorders and a host of domestic problems. The musical opened in 2008 at the off-Broadway Second Stage Theatre before transferring to Broadway last March. It was nominated for 11
The creators of the show said they were stunned and shocked upon learning of their win. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, Yorkey said. The only clear thought I’ve had is that when you write for public consumption, you want to know that it has an impact somehow. And this is an unbelievable affirmation.
The Pulitzer board made the rare but not unprecedented decision of ignoring the list of finalists submitted by the nominating jury. This finalists were Rajiv Joseph’s Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Kristoffer Diaz’s The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity and Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play. (Joan Marcus / Associated Press)
Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed.
An account of four international bankers who played key roles in the Great Depression and the worldwide economic configuration that followed.
I’m very thrilled, Ahamed said. I know people liked the book, the fact that they have recognized it as a work of scholarship is doubly rewarding.
Other finalists: Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Fords Forgotten Jungle City by Greg Grandin and Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815 by Gordon S. Wood. (Philip Bermingham / Associated Press)
The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T.J Stiles.
A complex portrait of the man who was respected if not liked, leveraging transportation assets to become one of the richest men in late-19th century America.
I worked on my book for about seven years and I had no idea it would be so timely when it was published, Stiles said.
The finalists were Cheever: A Life by Blake Bailey and Woodrow Wilson: A Biography by John Milton Cooper Jr. (Tina Fineberg / Associated Press)
Versed by Rae Armantrout.
The winner of a National Book Critics Circle Award, Versed has been described as a witty, playful and metaphysically alert poetry collection.
Armantrout said I’m stunned. This was not on my radar screen at all. Tomorrow is my birthday, and this was a very nice birthday present.
The poetry finalists were Tryst by Angie Estes and Inseminating the Elephant by Lucia Perillo. (Denis Poroy / Associated Press)
The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy, by David E. Hoffman.
A narrative of the terrifying nuclear escalation of the US and USSR that resulted in stockpiles we are still attempting to disarm.
My goal was to show the history of the end of the Cold War through both sides -- the U.S. side and the Soviet side,. Hoffman said. I really felt that especially the Soviet side of the story hadn’t been well told because we didn’t know.
How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities by John Cassidy and The Evolution of God by Robert Wright were the finalists. (Melissa Cannarozzi / Associated Press)
