Two Native writers win Pulitzers - Indian Country Today
Category: News & Politics
Via: kavika • 3 years ago • 18 commentsBy: Aliyah Chavez (Indian Country Today)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The 105th class of Pulitzer Prize winners in journalism, books, drama and music were announced Friday Author: Aliyah Chavez Publish date: Jun 11, 2021
FILE - In this Friday, May 16, 2008, file photo, author Louise Erdrich reflects on growing up in North Dakota and her new book "The Plague of Doves" at her store BirchBark Books in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Dawn Villella, File)
The 105th class of Pulitzer Prize winners in journalism, books, drama and music were announced Friday
Aliyah Chavez
Indian Country Today
Writers Louise Erdrich and Natalie Diaz were named winners of the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in the categories of fiction and poetry — also included was Marty Two Bulls Sr. who was named a finalist in editorial cartooning on Friday.
Louise Erdrich, Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe
Pulitzer winner in fiction
"The Night Watchman"
Natalie Diaz, Mohave and Gila River Indian Community
Pulitzer winner in poetry
"Postcolonial Love Poem"
Marty Two Bulls Sr., Oglala Lakota
Pulitzer finalist for editorial cartoonist
Erdrich, Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, is the Pulitzer winner in fiction for her novel, "The Night Watchman." The novel is a New York Times best seller and is based on the life of Erdrich's grandfather who worked as a night watchman. The book is based in the 1950s and captures a community's efforts to halt the proposed displacement and elimination of several Native tribes. Her book is published by HarperCollins.
The prize for fiction goes to a distinguished fiction by an American author. The prize is $15,000.
Diaz, Mohave and Gila River Indian Community, is the winner in poetry for her collection of poems, "Postcolonial Love Poem." The book is Diaz's second collection and is described as "an anthem of desire against erasure." Many of the poems discuss the wounds inflicted by America onto Indigenous people. The book is published by Graywolf Press.
The prize for poetry is a poem of original verse with a prize of $15,000.
Two Bulls Sr., Oglala Lakota, was named a finalist in the editorial cartooning category. No award was given in this category this year by the Pulitzer board because none of the finalists received a majority vote, a spokesperson told Indian Country Today.
"There is precedent in the category: no awards were given in 1973, 1965, 1960, 1936 and 1923. The nominating juries are briefed and aware of this possibility when they deliberate," the spokesperson said.
This year's Pulitzer prizes for journalism, books, drama and music were announced Friday by Columbia University. The award is one of the most prestigious awards in the country honoring journalism and the arts. It was established in 1917.
(Related: Pulitzers honor pandemic, protest coverage)
Shortly after the awards were announced, many took to social media to offer their congratulations.
"So cool to see so much Native representation at the @PulitzerPrizes!" wrote journalist Tristan Ahtone on Twitter. "Congrats to Marty Two Bulls Sr., Louise Erdrich and Natalie Diaz! These honors are so well deserved and way overdue."
Viet Thanh Nguyen, a professor who serves on the Pulitzer Board, tweeted his congratulations to the winners.
Erdrich is an award-winning author of seventeen novels, including volumes of poetry, children's books, short stories and a memoir. Previously, she was a finalist for a Pulitzer prize for her book "The Plague of Doves."
She has received a Library of Congress Prize in American Fiction — and also received the prestigious PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
Diaz is an award-winning author. Her first collection of poems, "When My Brother Was an Aztec" won an American Book Award. In 2018, she was a MacArthur Fellow and previously was named a Lannan Literary Fellow and a Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Artist Fellow.
She is currently the director of the Center for Imagination in the Borderlands at Arizona State University.
At least one other Native author won a Pulitzer in the arts. N. Scott Momaday, Kiowa, won in 1969.
A special citation was given by the Pulizer board to Darnella Frazier, the 17-year-old who recorded a video of George Floyd's death. The video was circulated worldwide and was key evidence during the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.
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Congratulations to all the winners and especially to Louise Erdrich Turtle Mountain Ojibwe. She nominated for the Pulitzer for her book, ''Plague of Doves'' and this time winning for ''The Night Watchman''. Ms. Erdrich is the owner of ''Birch Bark Books'' in Minneapolis.
Her books are quite fascinating and a few are trilogies. One of my favorites is ''The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse''.
Her Pulitzer Prize-Winning book, The Night Watchman takes place in the mid-1950s and is a fictional account of the Indian Termination Act.
Ms. Erdrich's book ''The Round House'' was a National Book Review winner.
Here is a link to a list of the books she has authored.
A Pulitzer special citation was given to Darneilla Frazer for her filming of the Geo. Floyd death that changed history.
What wonderful news, and all so well deserved. It is great to see that Native Americans are getting the acknowledgement they have well deserved for so long. I truly hope this is just the beginning, and that other Tribe members will be encouraged to put up their own work. Such acclaim is not made in a day, of course, but, a first step must be made in that direction.
The winners here are a testament to what can happen if the effort is made, and that such recognition is not impossible.
Congratulations to all on work well done, and well earned.
That is really great. I will be looking for their books to read.
Me too, I always keep an eye out for new, interesting subjects. These sound good.
She is very prolific and I've read most all of her books and enjoyed them all.
Her poetry is great as well.
Check out Marty Two Bulls cartoons/comics, classic.
He does a lot of political cartoons.
I posted a political cartoon of one of the people that was nominated for the Pulitzer. Posting the books that both other authors wrote also speaks to political happenings.
As you're probably well aware that when I say NO POLITICS that is meant for comments about current politics from NT members.
I hope that clears it up for you, Greg.
Here is another of his political cartoons.
Congrats to Ms. Erdrich, Ms. Dias and Marty Two Bulls!
Indians have made so many contributions over so many years-- but it mostly wasn't reported on much.
However, it seems that just fairly recently this is beginning to change.
True Hal. They are finally beginning to get the recognition they have deserved for so long, and proved that they are a valid part of America and deserving of being appreciated for their contributions to America, and worthy of being recognized as an American citizen.
However,it seems that just fairly recently this is beginning to change.
Here's an article I seeded a while back:
Joy Harjo Becomes The 1st Native American U. S. Poet Laureate!
Joy Harjo is a member of the Creek Nation and is a living legend among native people.
Recognition that took too long to happen.
"A Plague of Doves" ... sounds ominous.
Well, it's not Alfred Hitchcock's ''Birds'' but it is about an old murder.