How Percival Everett's James Almost Didn't Win (A Rant and a Pulitzer Prize Deep Dive)

There was something odd about the announcement that Percival Everett had won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel James. Here's how he nearly lost. Expand for more information. 👇 Links 💻 My Post About This (Including Links to Sources): https://supposedlyfun.com/2025/05/09/... Time Stamps ⏰ What's the Fuss About the Finalists? 03:17 How James Almost Didn't Win the Pulitzer: 04:31 Why Am I Annoyed by This? 10:33 Here Comes the Rant: 14:28 What Is James About? 26:53 Why Did This Win a Pulitzer Prize? 30:48 Is This Novel Any Good? 33:13 Who Is Percival Everett? 37:58 What Was James' Competition for the Pulitzer? 39:20 Should James Have Won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction? 41:57 Further Viewing 🎥 My Reaction to the 2025 Announcement:    • Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2025 Reaction   1917: The Origins of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction:    • The Origins of the Pulitzer Prize for Fict...   1918: Did the Wrong Book Win the First Pulitzer?    • Did the Wrong Book Win the First Pulitzer ...   1935: Now in November: Was the Youngest Pulitzer Winner Blacklisted?    • Was the Youngest Pulitzer Prize Winner Bla...   1937: Is Gone With the Wind Racist?    • Is Gone With the Wind Racist? A Pulitzer P...   1940: Is The Grapes of Wrath Plagiarism?    • Is The Grapes of Wrath Plagiarism? A Pulit...   1963: Is To Kill a Mockingbird America’s Most Beloved Book?    • Why Is To Kill a Mockingbird America’s Fav...   1983: Great Book, Problematic Author: The Color Purple:    • A Great Book With a Problematic Author: Al...   1986: Is Lonesome Dove the Great American Novel?    • Is Lonesome Dove the Great American Novel?...   1988: Beloved and the Ghosts of Slavery:    • Can America Reckon With the Ghosts of Its ...   2000: The Book That Started My Pulitzer Obsession, Interpreter of Maladies:    • My Pulitzer Prize Obsession Started Here: ...   2006: March: Did the Wrong Book Win?    • Did the Wrong Book Win? The Curious Case o...   2010: How On Earth Did Tinkers Win a Pulitzer?    • How On Earth Did Tinkers Win Paul Harding ...   The 2012 Pulitzer Controversy:    • Do Book Prizes Owe Us a Winner Every Year?...   2018: Less: What Type of Book Deserves to Win Book Awards?    • What Type of Book Deserves to Win Literary...   2022: Why Did The Netanyahus Win a Pulitzer?    • Why Did The Netanyahus Win a Pulitzer Priz...   2023: How Did Trust and Demon Copperhead Tie?    • How Did Demon Copperhead & Trust Tie for t...   2024: Did the Pulitzer Prize Make a Mistake With Night Watch?    • Did the Pulitzer Prize Make a Mistake With...   Relevant Titles Mentioned 📚 James, Percival Everett: https://bookshop.org/a/99775/97803855... Headshot, Rita Bullwinkel: https://bookshop.org/a/99775/97805936... Mice 1961, Stacey Levine: https://bookshop.org/a/99775/97819591... The Unicorn Woman, Gayl Jones (hardcover): https://bookshop.org/a/99775/97808070... The Unicorn Woman, Gayl Jones (paperback pre-order): https://bookshop.org/a/99775/97808070... Ebook Links 📱 James, Percival Everett: https://bookshop.org/a/99775/97803855... Headshot, Rita Bullwinkel: https://bookshop.org/a/99775/97805936... Mice 1961, Stacey Levine: https://bookshop.org/a/99775/97819591... The Unicorn Woman, Gayl Jones: https://bookshop.org/a/99775/97808070... #PulitzerPrize #Pulitzer #PulitzerPrizes #BookTube #Books Support This Channel ❤️ SuperThanks (in the toolbar of this video) My Wishlist on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/wishlists/2ea05d... My Affiliate Page on Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/supposedlyfun My Merch Store: https://supposedly-fun-shop.fourthwal... If you would like to support this channel, you can use the ideas above, but please do not feel obligated. I appreciate your presence regardless. Other Places to Find Me 🔍 Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile... Instagram:   / supposedlyfun   Website: https://supposedlyfun.com/