W.S. Merwin Wins Pulitzer Prize

The 2009 Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists were announced yesterday at Columbia University.

The Shadow of Sirius by W.S. Merwin won for Poetry.

William Stanley (W.S.) Merwin (born September 30 1927 ) made a name for himself as an anti-war poet during the 1960s. Later, he would evolve toward mythological themes and develop a unique prosody characterized by indirect narration and the absence of punctuation. In the 80s and 90s, Merwin's interest in Buddhist philosophy and deep ecology also influenced his writing. He continues to write prolifically, though he also dedicates significant time to the restoration of rainforests in Hawaii, where he currently resides. more info




Pulitzer Prize winners in the Letters categories also include:

Olive Kitteridge: Fiction by Elizabeth Strout for Fiction

American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham for Biography

Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A. Blackmon for General Nonfiction

Ruined by Lynn Nottage for Drama