The Dodo suddenly called out, “The race is over!” and they all crowded round it, panting, and asking, “But who has won?”

This question the Dodo could not answer without a great deal of thought, and it stood for a long time with one finger pressed upon its forehead… . At last the Dodo said “Everybody has won, and all must have prizes.”
—Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Writing about the Pulitzer Prize some years ago, Joseph Epstein observed that it was an award that was usually conferred upon two classes of writers and artists: those who didn’t need it, and those who didn’t deserve it. This year’s roster of Pulitzer winners amply confirmed that analysis with some noteworthy awards in both categories. Indeed, with the Pulitzer for the best biography of the year going to Katharine Graham for Personal History, the Prize committee managed to satisfy both ...

This article is available to subscribers and for individual purchase