Last year I entered to win a Pulitzer in Commentary and lost. Not everyone can win, I understand that, but after seeing who did win, I was really quite sour.
For some reason, I just couldn't shake that loss. I looked in the mirror and knew my writing on Covid was more topically than the woke, race-baiting pablum that actually won.
So my theme this year was the scourge of partisanship. Here are the 7 articles I submitted:
1. January 24, 2021 The Rioting Line
2. June 26, 2021 Deplatform Political Parties
3. August 27, 2021 The Guillain Barré Syndrome Dilemma
4. May 6, 2021 Beacon of Speech May Be Being Censored
5. June 30, 2021 Open Letter to Chris Quinn
6. November 26, 2021 Libertarian Confusion -or- Wearing a Mask is Okay
I was very proud of all 6 articles, The Rioting Line was one of my favorite writings of all time. BUT even if I was in consideration for the Pulitzer (which I wasn't, which I will get into later), the 7th submission would have knocked me out of the running for sure.
7. March 24, 2021 Putin is Not Stalin, Putin is Bezos
Basically I said Putin was not Stalin, then, less than a year later, Putin acted like Stalin. My take was so wrong, I readily admit that it should have disqualified me. I jokingly said that Putin screwed me, but Putin didn't really screw me, he screwed the people of Ukraine.
The 2022 Winners in my category?
Melinda Henneberger of the Kansas City Star (formerly of the New York Times)
She was a runner up last year, but her work this year was much better. Even on my best day I wasn't beating her. Not even in any alternate dimensions.
Zeynep Tufekci of the New York Times
7 Covid articles.....Hmmm.
Julian Aguon freelancer at the Atlantic
Aguon had a lot in common with one of the judges. The Guillain Barré Syndrome Dilemma was actually a better, and less obscure, read than The Hell with Drowning.
Again, I did not deserve to win this year. I'll get 'em next year.
(Next year I'm trying a new angle. LYING. Instead of putting Fred Hunt: Beacon of Speech on my submission, I'm gonna try Fred Hunt: New York Times.)
Listen, I'm going to make a music analogy because that's what I do.
In 1982, the Grammys awarded John Lennon and Yoko Ono "Album of the Year" for Double Fantasy.
It was not the album of the year. Lennon won because it was a Lifetime Achievement Award for his genius over a decade earlier. If he didn't get shot, Lennon wasn't winning crap. Lennon didn't even release the best album by a former Beatle that year (Tug of War was better.)
What do I think was the Album of the Year in 1982? Probably Plastic Surgery Disasters by the Dead Kennedys.
I would much rather be remembered as a writer in the tradition of Jello Biafra than John Lennon.