City surf tells the story of city surf project, a group of san francisco surfers connecting underrepresented youth to the ocean and themselves through surfing. We feature pulitzer winning authors whose novel, poetry, drama, or biography is featured in american literatures collection. A surfing life, william finnegan delivers an exhilarating account of surf culture while chronicling the ways in which the sport shaped him. In his pulitzer prizewinning memoir, barbarian days. Those letters, and his exhaustive personal journals, were part of recreating the magic of his youth in his pulitzer prize winning book, barbarian days. Finnegan has twice received the john bartlow martin award for public interest magazine journalism, given by northwestern university s medill school of journalism. And he just won a pulitzer for barbarian days, which is a book about surfing. Barbarian days is william finnegans memoir of an obsession, a complex enchantment. Whether speaking about his experiences as a political journalist or his bestselling memoir, finnegan. Last year, when i asked finnegan if he thought surfing was elevating or just another pointless pursuit he wrote, its supremely useless, i.
A longtime writer for the new yorker, william finnegan, launches the paperback book tour of his pulitzer prizewinning memoir barbarian days at. It recognizes distinguished fiction by an american author, preferably dealing with american life, published during the preceding calendar year. Winner of the 2016 pulitzer prize for biographyautobiography. It also includes ten thousand dollars in prize money to each category winner. If you were there, even just for some of ithawaii, california, surfing, the 70sthe memories and stories will flow freely from. William finnegan just won a pulitzer prize for his surfing memoir, barbarian days. Winner of the 2016 pulitzer prize for autobiography.
Panoramic and fascinating the core of the book is a surfing chronicle, and finnegan possesses impeccable shortboard bona fides a revealing and magisterial account of a beautiful addiction. About barbarian days winner of the 2016 pulitzer prize for autobiography reading this guy on the subject of waves and water is like reading hemingway on bullfighting. It was established by joseph pulitzer and is administered by columbia university in new york city. Though this inspiration came immediately, it then took him 20 years to finish that project, a book called barbarian days. A book beloved by surfers and nonsurfers alike, barbarian days is an oldschool adventure story.
This book concentrates on russiarelated pulitzer prizewinning reports and editorial cartoons from leading american newspapers. William finnegan on surf writing and winning a pulitzer. Who would have ever imagined a surfer would win the pulitzer prize for a memoir about surfing. The pulitzer prize in letters was established in 1917 as specified by the will of newspaper barron joseph pulitzer 18471911. And now, it has been awarded one of the highest literary accolades the pulitzer prize for biography. New yorker writer william finnegan in july 2015 at a santa cruz reading and book signing of his memoir barbarian days. Pulitzer winner william finnegan didnt want to be stereotyped as a. The 2016 pulitzer prize winners were announced yesterday, and among the winners is surfer senior writer, and longtime new yorker staffer, william finnegan, whose memoir barbarian days. The pulitzer prize for fiction is one of the seven american pulitzer prizes that are annually awarded for letters, drama, and music. Pulitzer prize winning author discusses surfing memoir barbarian days. Soon afterwards, i heard that the book had won the 2016 william hill sports book of the year award in the uk, having already picked up a pulitzer for biography. The pulitzer prize honors achievement in american literature, journalism, or music since 1917. A surfing memoir that won this years pulitzer prize for biography or autobiography. I sat down to read it one night and literally did not stir from the chair until 3 a.
Our favorite pulitzer prizewinning novels book riot. William finnegan on surf writing and winning a pulitzer outside. He endowed the columbia university school of journalism with six annual literary prizes in the areas of fiction, poetry, drama, general nonfiction, biography and history. The book covers finnegans surfing from santa barbara to africa to australia and beyond. Surfing is a secret garden, not easily entered, he continues, and part of the books appeal is the tension between the writers desire to describe and share and the waveriders. Earlier this year, finnegan won a pulitzer prize for barbarian days, which details his obsession for surfing, his early days living in hawaii and california, his years as a surf bum, as well.
The rebel alliance has clearly been sucked into the mainstream this one obviously had to be read. A surfing life took home top honors for biography finnegans memoir has drawn high praise from all. Pulitzerprize winning author discusses surfing memoir. Pulitzer prize winner william finnegan on his balinese book tour last november. Finnegans pulitzer prizewinning memoir is the new gold standard for surf literature. Yes, a book about surfing has been awarded a pulitzer prize, the most. Friends of mine who dont surf have read the book and said. Hamilton the broadway musical is now a dazzling book. A colorful, insider portrait of 70s surf culture, with a foreword by pulitzer prizewinning author william finnegan. William finnegan wins pulitzer prize for barbarian days.
San clemente ca surfing heritage and culture center shacc is hosting an evening with william finnegan, whose autobiography barbarian days garnered the 2016 pulitzer prize for biography. Its actually one of my favorite novels of all time. Surely no one, unless they have read william finnegans latest book, barbarian days, a surfing life, penguin press, or his careerchanging 1992 twopart new yorker article, playing docs games, about a daring league of surfers in san francisco, led by one particularly extreme surfer known as doc. Pulitzer prize winning author william finnegan at shacc.
Finnegan has certainly written a surfing book for surfers, but on a more fundamental level, barbarian. Pulitzerprize winning author discusses surfing memoir barbarian. Those letters, and his exhaustive personal journals, were part of recreating the magic of his youth in his pulitzer prize winning book, barbarian. The pulitzer prize for public service, won as part of an associated press reporting team, is the second for martha mendoza. As a boy in the 1960s, finnegan moved with his family from california to oahu, where he was an outsider among kids his own age. It was with tremendous joy that i woke this morning to find the pulitzer prizewinning author william finnegan had penned an 8000 word dissection of kelly slaters surf ranch for the new yorker.
In fiction, the prize went to the sympathizer by viet thanh. William finnegan on surf writing and winning a pulitzer a conversation with the journalist whose 2015 surfing memoir, barbarian days, just won the pulitzer prize, about tapping his passion for a. The book came out just last summer, but its stories have already entered the cultures lore. The pulitzer prize, of course, is americas most prestigious award in journalism. Alums martha mendoza, william finnegan win 2016 pulitzer prize. William finnegan is an awardwinning reporter, a staff writer at the new yorker, and the author of the pulitzer prizewinning book barbarian days, a memoir about his lifelong passion for surfing. The 2016 pulitzer prize winners were announced this afternoon, honoring work in literature, journalism, music and photography. A surfing life won the 2016 pulitzer prize for biography or autobiography. Forward by pulitzer prize recipient william finnegan. The book received high praise from both the surfing community and landlubber civilians. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of joseph pulitzer, who had made his fortune as a newspaper publisher, and is administered by columbia university. An endless summer of the best in surf lit literary hub. At the bay area book festival, pulitzer prize winning writer william finnegan, author of barbarian days.
Featuring powerful stories from csps students and a plurality of characters from the citys fringe saltwater society surfers who come from all walks of life this beautiful hardcover coffee table. The pulitzer prize is a us award that honors achievements in newspaper journalism, literature, and musical composition. Hands down my favorite pulitzer prizewinning novel is the age of innocence by edith wharton 1921. I had heard he was there for the surf ranch pro in september the same exact day i was but only heard after i had left. Bollinger left presents the 2016 biographyautobiography prize to william finnegan. A surfing life, on catching nice waves in honolulu and talking while surfing. Wharton immediately sucks you into the world of gilded age new york and the seemingly perfect life of newland archer. Finnegan will be at shacc on saturday, may 21 from 69 pm to give a talk and sign copies of his celebrated book. In fact, the 18 and a bit hours of finnegans pulitzerprize winning memoir lasted through two driving companions, one who joined me for the books opening. Pulitzer prize winner discusses the surfing life at pages. He took solace in surfing, finding a personal outlet in the pastime and. Pulitzer prize, any of a series of annual prizes awarded by columbia university, new york city, for outstanding public service and achievement in american journalism, letters, and music.