# What Was Dave Barry's Pulitzer For? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277 "2003-06-20T20:51:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/1 "2003-06-20T20:51:09Z")
What exactly did Dave Barry win a Pulitzer for? All I can find is that he won in 1988 for “commentary” but nothing I’ve seen mentions excatly _what_ commentary they are talking about. (At least, not on the first few pages of Google results anyway.) Was it kind of a general award along the lines of “you’ve written a lot of good articles” or was it for something specific? The reason I ask is that I find his stuff to be fairly amusing but (and I am not making this up!) it almost seems as if he has turned into a cliche of himself (and wouldn’t “cliches of themselves” be a good name for a rock band?) and I’m just wondering what it was that he made his reputation on. ---
**Author:** ![BadBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71c47a/32.png) [@BadBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBaby)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/2 "2003-06-20T21:38:15Z")
I thiiiiink it was for a column he wrote dealing with his mom and her death. The column that was submitted that he believed clinched it. I have absolutely no cite for this other than I remember reading a reference to it in one of his books ages ago. And yeah, I don’t exactly need to buy any of his new stuff. Re-reading his first books gives the same effect. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/3 "2003-06-20T21:43:24Z")
I’m pretty sure it was “Commentary”. Yup, [http://www.kepplerassociates.com/speakers/barrydave.asp](http://www.kepplerassociates.com/speakers/barrydave.asp) And here > [@](#): > > Barry’s skillful use of that scalpel culminated in the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, awarded for what the Pulitzer committee called his “effective use of humor as a device for presenting fresh insights into serious concerns.” [http://www.bookmagazine.com/issue25/barry.shtml](http://www.bookmagazine.com/issue25/barry.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/4 "2003-06-20T22:20:45Z")
The columns Barry wrote about his mother and father dying were among the saddest, most poignant and (particularly the column about his father) best written short essays I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/5 "2003-06-20T23:14:47Z")
I can’t even read either of those anymore. Even thinking about oatmeal makes me tear up. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/6 "2003-06-21T00:39:56Z")
Dave Barry wrote a few “hey, gimme a Pulitzer” columns as well (which are reprinted on his website). I don’t know if they helped any. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/7 "2003-06-21T01:32:19Z")
**BadBaby** - Thanks. That’s probably what I’m looking for. I’ll see if I can locate that one. **Telemark** - Also thanks for that link. I knew it was for commentary, I just didn’t know if it was anything specific or if it was just for his columns in general. It _sounds_ like they may have given it to him for his writing in general, probably spurred by the column **BadBaby** mentioned. **kunilou** and **dinahmoe** - Yeah, I know he can do it when he wants to; his 9/11 essay was one of the best I saw. It’s just that when his most interesting column of late involves a giant cheeto, you kind of start wondering what it was that gave him his reputation. Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/8 "2003-06-21T02:05:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tanstaafl \* > **All I can find is that he won in 1988 for “commentary” but nothing I’ve seen mentions excatly _what_ commentary they are talking about.** Me neither. Which Dave Barry article, speficially, was titled “Commentary”? ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/9 "2003-06-21T02:48:55Z")
I agree with you **tanstaafl** , Barry has pretty much turned into a cliche. I used to read him religiously and found him to be hilarious. Ever since the “Dave’s World” show I just lost interest. I do have a book of his columns that I truly find side-splitting. It also contains the essay about the death of his father, entitled “A Million Words”. His best work, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/10 "2003-06-21T03:08:47Z")
Yea, I was reading a book of some of his earlier work not too long ago and the sheer formula of his current columns bowled me over. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/11 "2003-06-21T14:59:16Z")
I believe some Pulitizers are awarded for bodies of work in a year, not just for specific pieces or articles. “Commentary” is one, “Criticism” is another. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@The\_Tof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tof)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/12 "2003-06-21T16:28:08Z")
I’m 99% sure it was for the commentary dealing with his mothers death. Dave Barry is interesting, because he writes a million random mostly been there done that type columns about boogers and stuff. Then when truely inspired, will write an absolutely amazing piece. So I know he’s still got it. I think his humor ideas are probably just running a little dry. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/13 "2003-06-22T01:17:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Screeme \* > **Dave Barry is interesting, because he writes a million random mostly been there done that type columns about boogers and stuff.** I’ve seen bunches of Dave Barry pieces where he makes fun of his own alleged habit of writing booger jokes, but in all the time I’ve read his stuff, I’ve only encountered **one** actual booger joke - he informed his son that he is unlike Puff the Magic Dragon insofar as boogies, not fire, come out of his nose, whereupon his son interrupted the song to ask if Little Jackie Paper got boogies in his nose too. Has he really made all that many booger jokes? ---
**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/14 "2003-06-22T01:58:39Z")
He comments about making booger jokes much more than he actually makes booger jokes. I believe that when he talks about “booger” jokes, it’s actually a metaphor for “jokes that involve some type of bathroom humor or the type of gag that appeals to stereotypical men and immature boys.” However, as that is a very unwieldily phrase, “booger jokes” gets the point across quite nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/15 "2003-06-22T02:11:26Z")
There’s also a pretty powerful piece on Hiroshima from his book on Japan. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/16 "2003-06-22T14:54:36Z")
I remember. His piece on visiting Hiroshima was so powerful, in fact, that when it appeared in _Dave Barry Does Japan_, the pages it was on had a shaded border. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/17 "2003-06-22T16:30:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\*I remember. His piece on visiting Hiroshima was so powerful, in fact, that when it appeared in _Dave Barry Does Japan_, the pages it was on had a shaded border. \*\* Well, it needed it. It’s the only section in the book that isn’t funny (and isn’t supposed to be). ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-dave-barrys-pulitzer-for/183277/18 "2003-06-22T16:32:15Z")
He did a good serious piece about 9/11, too.