From Pulitzer Prize to Novelist: Leonard Pitts’ Journey and New Book 54 Miles
Episode 793 | 11.06.24
In this episode of Fried On Business, Jim Fried sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Leonard Pitts Jr. to discuss his latest novel, 54 Miles. They explore the powerful story of characters impacted by America’s Civil Rights Movement, the meaning behind the book’s title, and Leonard’s transition from journalist to novelist. Set against the backdrop of the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, this conversation delves into the themes of justice, accountability, and family. Tune in to hear Leonard’s unique perspective on history, writing, and what drives him to tell these essential stories.
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About Our Guest:
Leonard Pitts, Jr
Leonard Garvey Pitts Jr. (born October 11, 1957) is an American commentator, journalist, and novelist. He 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 quickly received his own column, in which he has dealt extensively with race, politics, and culture from a progressive perspective.
Raised in Los Angeles and educated at the University of Southern California, Pitts currently lives in Bowie, Maryland. He has won awards for his writing from the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Society of Newspaper Editors, and the National Association of Black Journalists, and he was first nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1993, eventually claiming the honor in 2004.
Pitts’ first book, Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood, was published in 2006. His first novel, Before I Forget, was released in March 2009, and earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. The novel centers on a faded soul singer whose early-onset Alzheimer’s disease compels him to reconnect with his father and son. Pitts’s third book, Forward from This Moment: Selected Columns, 1994–2008, was published in August 2009. It is a selection of his columns from the Miami Herald.
Pitts gained national recognition for his widely circulated column of September 12, 2001, “We’ll go forward from this moment”, in which he described the toughness of the American spirit in the face of the September 11 attacks.
