Summary

The web content provides an analysis of the opening sentences of Pulitzer Prize-winning books from the last decade, affirming the importance of a strong start in writing.

Abstract

The article emphasizes the significance of compelling first sentences in literature, citing the opening lines of Pulitzer Prize-winning novels from the past ten years as evidence. It discusses common writing advice about starting with impact and maintaining reader interest sentence by sentence. The piece also explores the selection process for the Pulitzer Prize, including the unusual circumstance in 2012 when no award was given, and shares insights from a Pulitzer jury member on the challenges of selecting a winner from over 300 books.

Opinions

The author believes that good writing should start strong, with each sentence enticing the reader to continue.
The article suggests that while books can sometimes survive a slow start, essays and online content have less leeway due to the ease with which readers can navigate away.
The author's opinion is that the first sentences of the Pulitzer-winning books do indeed start with a bang and are effective in drawing the reader in.
The article conveys that the Pulitzer Prize selection process is rigorous, with jury members reading hundreds of books and facing the difficult task of narrowing down to three finalists.
The author finds it interesting that in 2012, the Pulitzer board did not award a prize for fiction, indicating that even the finalists may not meet the high standards required for the award.
The piece implies that being an "excellent read" is not sufficient for Pulitzer consideration; a book must also carry significant weight and originality to stand out among hundreds of contenders.

The first sentence in the Pulitzer winners of the last 10 years

Start with a bang, indeed.

Good writing should start strong…

Almost every list of good writing tips says some version of that.

Sometimes they just say start with a bang. Or they suggest you chop the first paragraph. So many first paragraphs are slow. Or they say the first sentence only exists to get you to read the next one.

It’s true. Of course, the second sentence has one job, too…

To get you to read the next one. And it goes on that way, all the way through. Each sentence should make the reader want to keep on reading. And so it goes, sentence by sentence. Line by line.

Bird by bird, buddy. Bird by bird.

— Anne Lamott

I think a book has a little more leeway

A book can have the odd boring sentence or paragraph that drags it’s sorry butt across the page. But if the parts before that were good, and it picks up speed fast enough, we’ll slog through.

Essays, maybe not so much. Online, even less. Too easy to click away, close the tab. Bored, done.

But it got me wondering. Did Pulitzer prize winning authors start with a bang? Do they start strong?

So I dug into the Pulitzer winners for the last 10 years with fingers crossed the rule would hold up. That they wouldn’t start out droll and boring and win a darn Pulitzer for inflicting that upon the reader.

For your writing inspiration…

The first sentence in Pulitzer prize winning books from the last 10 years.

1. Pulitzer Winner, 2019

First there was nothing. Then there was everything. — The Overstory, Richard Powers

2. Pulitzer Winner, 2018

From where I sit, the story of Arthur Less is not so bad. — Less, Andrew Sean Greer

3. Pulitzer Winner, 2017

The first time Caesar approached Cora about running north, she said no.— The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead

4. Pulitzer Winner, 2016

I am a spy, a sleeper, a spook, a man of two faces. — The Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen

5. Pulitzer Winner, 2015

At dusk, they pour from the sky. — All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr

6. Pulitzer Winner, 2014

When I was still in Amsterdam, I dreamed about my mother for the first time in years. — The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt

7. Pulitzer Winner, 2013

Citizens, gather ‘round your loudspeakers, for we bring important updates! — The Orphan Master’s Son, Adam Johnson

8. Pulitzer Winner, 2012

There was no Pulitzer awarded in 2012. An interesting tidbit on that, which I’ll include at the bottom. An interesting read for writers, perhaps…

9. Pulitzer Winner, 2011

It began the usual way, in the bathroom of the Lassimo Hotel — A Visit From the Goon Squad, Jennifer Egan

10. Pulitzer Winner, 2010

George Washington Crosby began to hallucinate eight days before he died. —Tinkers, Paul Harding

My opinion? They did not disappoint.

Every one of those first sentences makes me want to read the next one. What about you? Agree or disagree?

As promised, the year of no Pulitzer…

In 2012, there was no Pulitzer awarded. Why that happened is because of the process of selection. Have you ever wondered how they choose a winner?

First, a jury is selected. Members of the jury read 300+ books and have to mutually agree on 3 finalists, which are then submitted to the board. The board selects the winner from the 3 submitted by the jury. Except the year they didn’t, of course.

The hard part is on the jury. How do you cull a list of 300+ books down to 3? Apparently, according to one of the jurors, it’s not that hard.

A lot of them, you will not be surprised to hear, were fairly easy to dismiss. They were trivial, or badly written, or lurid, or overblown, or mawkish —

I found it interesting. One book was dismissed because it was very similar in plot to a Toni Morrison book, but Toni told the story better. Many were judged as excellent reads, but too “lightweight” to be of consideration.

In the long run, despite that the jurors agreed on the 3 final entries, the board did not think any of the entries was strong enough to be awarded the Pulitzer. So none was awarded.

If you’re interested, you can read a letter from one of the jurors about the Pulitzer selection process here.

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