Pulitzer winner Pitts to teach in fall 2005
Leonard Pitts Jr. — the 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning commentary writer — will be the School’s Virginius Dabney Distinguished Professor of Journalism in fall 2005.
As a visiting professor, Pitts will teach a topics course, MASC 491 Opinion Writing in the 21st Century. The course will meet 2 – 7 p.m. on Mondays, from Oct. 17 to Nov. 21. Click here for details about the course and information on how to register.
A news and features columnist for the Miami Herald, Pitts began working for the Herald in 1991 as a pop music critic. Within three years, he had his own column covering topics such as race and current affairs. Pitts is best known for his Sept. 12, 2001 column, titled “We’ll go forward from this moment,” regarding the 9/11 attacks.
In 1999, Pitts’ book, “Becoming Dad: Black Men and the Journey to Fatherhood” was on the New York Times bestseller’s list. In 2001, he received the Distinguished Writing Award for Commentary/Column Writing from the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
When Pitts won the Pulitzer Prize last year, the Pulitzer Committee described his work as “fresh, vibrant columns that spoke with both passion and compassion.”