April 14, 2014

Who won the Pulitzer Prize?

Here's the full list. What jumps out at me is that no award was given in the "feature writing" category. The nominees were:
Scott Farwell of The Dallas Morning News
For his story about a young woman's struggle to live a normal life after years of ghastly child abuse, an examination of human resilience in the face of depravity.

Christopher Goffard of Los Angeles Times
For his account of an ex-police officer’s nine-day killing spree in Southern California, notable for its pacing, character development and rich detail.

Mark Johnson of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
For his meticulously told tale about a group of first-year medical students in their gross anatomy class and the relationships they develop with one another and the nameless corpse on the table, an account enhanced by multimedia elements.
So: 1. human resilience in the face of depravity, 2. pacing, character development and rich detail, and 3. meticulously told tale with multimedia elements. Pick one! I pick the Wisconsin one, which you can read here:
As the professors move about demonstrating proper technique, a difference becomes clear. The students cut delicately, almost tentatively.

The professors cut briskly. They tug at skin. They dig their fingers beneath muscle or other tissue in order to reach the structures beneath.

"The idea is to find the things," explains associate professor, David Bolender, addressing the students at Table 1. "You don't need to make the dissection look like a picture in an atlas." 
Find things!

ADDED: The NYT puts up a slide show for the photography winners, Tyler Hicks (for breaking news, covering the attack on the mall in Nairobi) and Josh Haner (for feature photography showing the recovery of persons injured in the Boston Marathon bombing). Beautiful work by both Hicks and Haner. I am in awe.

10 comments:

campy said...

Maybe the award committee was looking to honor a woman this year.

James Pawlak said...

In recent years this booby prize has become as politically correct as the Ignoble prize.

mccullough said...

A few years ago, no Pulitzer was awarded in the best fiction category. I actually like that they aren't compelled to give an award.

Titus said...

those pics are amazing.


tits.

Anonymous said...

I pick the Dallas Morning News. That was one heck of a story.

rhhardin said...

Beulah surprise, my pun generator once came up with.

rhhardin said...

As the world turns news hour.

Biff said...

Thanks for sharing the series from the Medical College of Wisconsin. To this day, the most profound moment of my life was the moment as an anatomy student when I first held a human brain in my hands. The Journal Sentinal did a commendable job describing how such a course can impact everyone from body donors to students to faculty.

Deirdre Mundy said...

Dasani got no votes?

Carnifex said...

MMMmmm... no story about Benghazi, gun running by the feds, or IRS targeting conservative groups? 'magine that. *makes tsk'ing sound with mouth*