Winners for the Pulitzer Prize were announced and Harvard University grabs a number of recognitions. Sociologist Matthew Desmond received the honors for general nonfiction, David Fahrenthold for international reporting, composer Du Yun for music, and Colson Whitehead for fiction. Whitehead won the prize for his celebrated novel on an escaped slave called "The Underground Railroad."
Desmond's book "Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City" earned him the Pulitzer Prize for general nonfiction, the Harvard Gazette reported. Meanwhile, The Washington Post's Fahrenthold was awarded the prize for his investigative journalism revealing Donald Trump's questionable philanthropy works. Composer Yun won the award for the opera "Angel's Bone."
A citation commended the book "Evicted" saying it is a deeply researched expose that revealed the mass evictions that followed the 2008 economic crash were more of a cause of poverty than a consequence. Meanwhile, Fahrenthold received much appreciation for his journalistic work on exposing the real story behind Donald Trump's generosity. Critics claim that Fahrenthold created a standard for transparency in journalism during political campaigns.
Whitehead's "The Underground Railroad" was recognized as the literary event of 2016 during the Pulitzer Prize announcement last Monday, US News reported. The book is also an Oprah Winfrey book club pick, and also received the National Book Award last fall. This is the first time since 20 years ago that the same book is recognized for fiction for both Pulitzer and National Book Award.
Whitehead is know for his specialty in American myths and history. He said h came up with the book through a "goofy idea." He took te historical Underground Railroad and re-imagined it as a real train in his novel. He is excellent in mixing fantasy and very believable realism.
His novel tells a timely story that fits perfectly with the Donald Trump administration. He believes that white supremacy is a foundational error that is present in the present administration. Although he wasn't thinking of current events when writing the book, he believes that everything changed after Donald Trump got elected.
