First Post

This will be where I practice blogging for my Pulitzer Quest. I am not sure yet what I want to include in the blog, other than quick book reports and such. I'm not even sure how I want to begin.

Perhaps I should explain what I am doing and why. When I say that I am on a Pulitzer Reading Quest, I am talking specifically about ONE category of Pulitzers, namely Fiction (and before 1948, the category was called "Novel"). I am NOT attempting to read EVERYTHING that has one the Prize. First of all, I don't have that kind of time on my hands. Second, I am not particularly interested in the journalism fields. Third, perhaps some day I will move on and include a reading list of the winners for Poetry and Drama.

The question invariably arises: why the Pulitzers? To which I answer: why not? Surely the name of the Prize alone creates part of my intrigue. I recall sitting around one day after reading a particularly good book (I believe it was Bel Canto by Ann Patchett), and thinking, wow, this book should win an Academy Award or something. And then I did some investigating about literary awards, and while Bel Canto hasn't won anything, I got interested in what type of book WOULD win. The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is awarded "for distinguished fiction by an American author dealing with American life." Pretty straight forward. I looked at the extensive list of winners since 1918 (there wasn't an award given for the first year, 1917), and realized that I didn't recogize MOST of the winners. Granted, there are several that won't surprise anyone, my two favorites being The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.