Pulitzer Priceless

Joseph Pulitzer

Last night, I had the great pleasure of attending a reception and book talk for James McGrath Morris’s Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print, and Power down at American University (which, as it turns out, is also McGrath’s alma mater).

If you have the opportunity to see Jamie talk about Pulitzer, jump at it.  Last night, he gave a presentation that encompassed his research (which included the kind of tale biographers love — that of finding The Source That No One Else Has), Pulitzer’s longtime feud with Teddy Roosevelt, his treatment in and by the very press he had created, and the challenges of dealing with that early 20th century e-mail device known as the telegraph. Jamie puts on a show, working without notes, and talking so animatedly that it’s impossible not to get caught up in his excitement for his subject.

Jamie’s on a bit of a whirlwind tour right now (last night, even as he was finishing signing books, he was already getting ready to make the sprint to the airport to get to Connecticut), but there are plenty of places you can catch him.  If you’re interested in learning more about an icon whose name is more familiar that his face or life story — and hearing the story told well — go see James McGrath Morris. His tour schedule is right here.