Leonard Pitts

Leonard Pitts, Jr. is a nationally-syndicated columnist and winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. He was originally hired by the Miami Herald to critique music, but within a few years he received his own column in which he dealt extensively with race, politics, and culture. He lives in Bowie, Maryland. He has won awards for his writing from the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Society of Newspaper Editors, and was ... more

Leonard Pitts, Jr. is a nationally-syndicated columnist and winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. He was originally hired by the Miami Herald to critique music, but within a few years he received his own column in which he dealt extensively with race, politics, and culture. He lives in Bowie, Maryland. He has won awards for his writing from the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Society of Newspaper Editors, and was first nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1993, eventually claiming the honor in 2004. Pitts is also a bestselling author. His first book is Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood (Agate Bolden, 978-1-932841-17-6, paperback, 263 pages, $16), which received its paperback printing on July 1, 2006. Pitts’s first novel, Before I Forget (Agate Bolden, 978-1-932841-43-5, paperback, 336 pages, $16), was released on March 20, 2009, and earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Before I Forget centers on a faded soul singer whose... less