Leonard Pitts Jr.

On Season 1 of Books By The River, Holly Jackson sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Leonard Pitts Jr. to discuss his powerful novel, 54 Miles.

Leonard Pitts Jr. is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, author and lecturer with a career spanning over 40 years. A nationally syndicated columnist since 1995, his work has earned him numerous accolades, including the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists' Columnist of the Year award, and the Missouri Honor Medal for journalism. He is also a three-time recipient of the National Association of Black Journalists' Award of Excellence and a seven-time winner of the Society of Professional Journalists' Green Eyeshade Award.

Pitts has authored several critically acclaimed books, including The Last Thing You Surrender, and his post-9/11 column We’ll Go Forward From This Moment became a global sensation, receiving over 30,000 responses. He is a sought-after speaker and has taught at institutions such as Princeton, the University of Maryland and Hampton University.

Born in Southern California, Pitts earned an English degree from USC at age 19. He now resides in Bowie, Maryland with his wife.