1920: No Award

1920

 No Award 


No Pulitzer for the Novel was awarded in 1920 because of one small word. Late in 1919, the Pulitzer Board tweaked the original mission language. The mission language was changed from from recognizing a book that depicts "the whole atmosphere of American life" to depicting "the wholesome atmosphere of American life." The difference in meaning is quite interesting to contemplate. The intent of Joseph Pulitzer has been a matter of speculation ever since. 

The front running book for the 1920 prize was Java Head by Joseph Hergesheimer. The committee disagreed on how the "wholesomeness" clause applied to this novel; thus no award was made. Hergesheimer and his novel are virtually forgotten today. Reviews on this hard-to-find book vary widely. The book averages a 3 1/2-star rating on GoodReads. Some people say it is little more than a melodrama, and others say it is a fair depiction of a society widened by trade and intermarriage. (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8436339-java-head)

I am indebted to the Great Books Guy for his take on what happened inside the 1920 Pulitzer reading committee. Please visit the Great Books Guy at https://greatbooksguy.com/2019/01/17/the-odd-story-of-the-1919-1920-pulitzer-prize-for-the-novel/. 

   

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