How On Earth Did Tinkers Win Paul Harding a Pulitzer Prize? A Pulitzer Prize Deep Dive

[@rose_and_thorns]

I LOVE the fact that he found out he had won by accident, just like "La-de-dah, let's see who won, click click" and then there's his own book. If that moment had happened in a novel, I would roll my eyes at the unbelievability of it, LOL. Amazing.

[@SupposedlyFun]

That might even be my favorite part of the whole thing. It’s so good!

[@l.georgealexander8330]

I have been an avid reader for most of my life. I will be 80 years old soon. Also, I have several degrees in English and journalism. It was very difficult for me to get books as a youngster, but I went to college through the public school system. I read as an individualist but since viewing "Supposedly Fun", I began to read books based on awards such as the Pulitzer Prize. I saw "Tinkers" in a secondhand book source and read it finishing only a few days ago. I loved it. When I was reading it, I felt myself in the book reading the wonderful prose. It was unlike any book that I have ever read and experienced it as living it. There were a number of books that I could not finish because I had no interest in them. I now use the award-winning list both long and short to select books to read. Through age, I lost my ability to move around and use a wheelchair, but I did not lose my ability to read and write. I also use your website to listen to your opinions of books. Although I have cats, I enjoy hearing about your dogs and love seeing them. I feel a sense of envy when Joel is on the scene and sadness when you lose a dog.

[@onourpath]

I'm a retired indy bookseller, and was increadibly lucky to score our only arc of Tinkers. When Harding came to my store -- years later -- to read for Enon, he signed my arc. He said there were only 500 arcs printed! I was freaking out! The rumor going around the book world was that the book had been in a drawer for 9 years; I asked him if that was true, and he said no, just 7 years! 😂 If you ever get a chance to see him read, go; he's a great speaker. Enon is amazing -- do read it! (Agree about Gilead -- what a book!)

[@SupposedlyFun]

I love that! How lucky to have scored on the few ARCs! The more I look into Harding the more I like him, so I would love to see him do a reading someday. I’m looking forward to reading Enon soon!

[@DebraHammer-yy7cb]

I just checked my copy and it’s a first edition. Woo hoo!

[@1book1review]

The background story, priceless! Thanks for digging it up and sharing it. I now want to listen to it instead of reread it myself.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I’m glad you enjoyed the story.

[@kevinjiggetts5600]

Thanks soooo much for sharing. Your joy is infectious !!!!

[@HannahsBooks]

Oh excellent, Greg. Wildly, I had Tinkers out of my local library right when it won the Pulitzer--but I hadn't yet picked it up and it was immediately recalled. Somehow I still haven't read it, but the time has come!

[@SupposedlyFun]

I had just gotten Less from the library when it won the Pulitzer and was halfway through reading it. It’s fun when timing works like that!

[@bookofdust]

Your enthusiasm is contagious, it makes me want to check it out and the size doesn’t hurt seeing it slipped in before the end of the year. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Tinkers being under 200 pages definitely makes it easy to squeeze in for anyone with the inclination.

[@deborahaguruso]

Such a nice surprise waking up to your deep dive of Tinkers and its publication. Acquiring, reading and discussing books is what readers do, but knowing the background of how they came to us adds to the enjoyment. Thanks for putting so much into this!

[@SupposedlyFun]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching.

[@davidnovakreadspoetry]

You are right, what a great story. I miss our Borders, but your insight into the book’s absence from your shop was eye-opening. I’m curious about other fiction from that publisher now.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I have one of their other books on my shelf (The Bear by Andrew Krivak), but I have not read it yet.

[@ariannefowler455]

Amazing story! I love learning about these things so thank you for sharing this with us. It does make me want to read the book now.

[@SupposedlyFun]

The story is wild and so fun!

[@pegthebookprizeaddict579]

Fantastic story..thanks for sharing!🤣🤣📚📚❤️❤️

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@mradcaqbdb]

Ha! What a perfect surprise at the heart of this story for you, particularly, to find. Great work, once again. Can’t wait to see what’s up next!

[@SupposedlyFun]

It really is a perfectly me story! I’m still deciding what will be next.

[@larar5254]

Great story! I thoroughly enjoyed it….and Borders! I miss it so much.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I do too! But I've really leaned into indie bookstores since Borders went away, and I love them.

[@PaulaBlazer-n7l]

😊this is an excellent deep dive! Thank you ❤! Your posts, research, inside knowledge, suport of indie book stores, love of Jamie & Joel make you my GO-TO book guy. Thanks for being you!

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind words.

[@Abis-f3p]

Wow! Your story and the way you told it makes me root for Harding to win the Booker and I didn't even read his books - just ordered and waiting for them to arrive! Silly, right?

[@Nina_DP]

Great story! Love your enthusiasm!! Been traveling and just catching up with vids. Sending 🙏💙🙏 Jamie's way.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thank you so much! Jamie has had a rough week but hopefully will be doing better soon.

[@peggydaly8194]

Oops its verty good and I love your video and enjoy it so much. Thanks for your information so amazing.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@CatherineBlaney]

Wow you did a good exhaustive job about this. Enjoyed reading it.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thank you so much!

[@Elizabeth-Reads]

Oh wow Greg, great sleuthing! This was probably my favorite of your deep dives, so fun! I love Harding’s seeming mix of confidence and humility. This is a great reminder of the extent to which publication, book sales and prizes are a result of perseverance, luck and connections as much as talent. I’ve thought so many times about how many indie press (or unpublished) masterpieces we must be missing because the author didn’t have that luck of finding the right people at the right time. (I read Tinkers soon after it won, but think I was likely too young to fully appreciate it. I still own it (not first edition, sadly), and Harding’s Booker nomination, and now your video, have made me eager to reread before picking up This Other Eden. Thank you!)

[@SupposedlyFun]

I agree that so much of publishing, sales, and prizes are a matter of luck and connections. It makes you wonder how many gems have gone unnoticed over the years.

[@BookishTexan]

What an amazing story. I have to read the book now.

[@SupposedlyFun]

It's such a great story! I hope you like the book.

[@marys32333]

I may have a rare edition of Tinkers. It does not have the Pulitzer winner label on the front. I bought and read it long before the win. I can't recall what prompted me to read it, but so glad I did.

[@SupposedlyFun]

PPrize has ways to tell if you got a first edition, which would definitely be rare and potentially valuable: www.pprize.com/BookDetail.php/Tinkers#:~:text=The%20first%20edition%20boards%20are,are%20green%20with%20gold%20lettering.

[@yeshprab]

Wow! What an amazing and fascinating story! I clearly see the hand of Fate or Destiny or good karma. I am so intrigued that I have decided to read this book even though I am burdened with more than a dozen books on my To Be Read list. I am a slow reader and take a very long time to finish a book. Thanks a lot for uploading this video. Your enthusiasm for this book and the events that culminated its winning the Pulitzer is infectious. Yesh Prabhu, Bushkill, Pennsylvania

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thank you so much! I can relate to having an untenable list of books to read.

[@janethansen9612]

I can’t imagine him seeing his book on the Pulitzer website!

[@SupposedlyFun]

Right?! I can’t imagine what that would be like.

[@Gen-yh1jz]

This is an amazing story

[@SupposedlyFun]

It really is! I can’t get over it.

[@angelacraw2907]

A fantastic analysis. Thank you.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Thank you for watching!

[@KierTheScrivener]

Loved hearing this story!

[@SupposedlyFun]

I was so happy when I found the answer.

[@jordana99]

Really enjoyed this one! Yay Indies!

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Very interesting story! Adding Tinkers to my TBR ASAP. The independent bookstores connection is great. I also still need to read Gilead. 😊💙

[@SupposedlyFun]

I hope you like both books if you get around to them!

[@AvAlanchian]

Gilead is pretty dope!

[@AvAlanchian]

Great video, great story about a book that flew under the radar but what I can’t get my head around that no Booker winner has a Pulitzer and vice versa? Wow, that’s gotta change soon right?

[@SupposedlyFun]

I think it will happen sooner rather than later. It’s been ten years since they allowed Americans to compete for the Booker and it’s only a matter of time. But I think it will be virtually impossible for an author to win both prizes for the same book. Juries like to spread the wealth too much.

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

History repeats itself. When The Erratics won a major literary prize in Australia in 2017? ..…No one could get a copy of the book. The publisher had gone out of business. It took me 2 yrs to get a copy.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Ha! That explains why I couldn't find copies of Erratics for so long that I eventually forgot I wanted one.

[@readandre-read]

This is a terrific story! Of course I now want to read Tinkers, but I have This Other Eden on hand so I'll try this one for now.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I read This Other Eden first and did fine, so it works!

[@cindyfreese254]

Thanks for bringing this story some attention. I only know of Harding because of This Other Eden. I liked the writing but the story didn’t really stay with me. Great content Greg!

[@user-yg6ft1iu1i]

Wow what a great story. Especially the part about Bellevue hospital and it’s publishing arm. I heard Michael Moore speak about how important librarians were important to his getting his books out so I thought maybe that was the way this was going to go. Thanks for the research and the sharing of this story. Weirdly we have a copy of Love in Infant Monkeys and had no idea so I’ll be checking that out

[@SupposedlyFun]

What a fun coincidence re: Love in Infant Monkeys! I’m glad you enjoyed this story!

[@AvAlanchian]

Are librarians not the best people? Surely up there with nurses and teachers (I’m none of the above so am impartial)

[@SupposedlyFun]

@@AvAlanchian Indeed!

[@peggydaly8194]

Thanks I got it at the Goodwill and chose it because it won the Pulliitzer

[@SupposedlyFun]

That's a good find!

[@arlissbunny]

Best. Book. Story. Ever!!!

[@SupposedlyFun]

I can't get over how fun it is!

[@sebastianromero7085]

Maybe I was too young for Tinkers and that surprise, but for me The Netanyahus has certainly been the biggest surprise in my life time

[@SupposedlyFun]

I saw Netanyahus on several prediction lists (usually as a long shot, though). It was even in my prediction video! To me, Tinkers felt much more out of left field, but that could also be because social media and the internet have made predictions more of a thing.

[@TheSalMaris]

I hear the complaint that an author's sentences are borderline run on, and that readers have difficulty following multiple shifts in perspective often enough to wonder how these lost souls find their way through the everyday world of free indirect discourse. How do they even understand their neighbors meaning, if there is any meaning to be gained even from familial stories? Surely readers have the grounding in which to navigate such styles. Multiple POVs have been standard in literature for some time now--at least since the publication of Ulysses. Is Tinkers as good as, or superior to, As I Lay Dying, a book of similar length? No, so it couldn't, to my personal mind, possibly be considered as the Great American Novel.. Thank you for the history of the publication of Tinkers--and yes, it's nice to know it's an independent book store triumph.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Multiple POVs are definitely common, but I would say not in the way Harding uses them-at least not for most readers.

[@mame-musing]

Per your well-researched account of “Tinkers” winning the Pulitzer proves it to be even more of a Cinderella tale than I had originally thought. While I was reading Tinkers, in small ways it reminded me of Ethan Frome, probably due to the wintery New England setting and the fracturing marriage of two of the main characters. The prose certainly didn’t flow like Wharton’s (an unfair comparison). Where the story got bogged down was the long diversions into overly detailed descriptions of the intricacies of clock making and repair. (A metaphor for a life?) These long, dry descriptions diminished my enjoyment of the book. It’s interesting that Robinson was Harding’s mentor. I enjoyed reading “Housekeeping”, “Gilead” not so much.

[@SupposedlyFun]

I do think the clock parts never quite tied to the rest of the book. Maybe that's one of the things that kept me from loving it.

[@tam876]

Terrific David & Goliath story in how Tinker’s came to win. 👍🏾

[@SupposedlyFun]

It really is!

[@yomismo74]

I remember being a big surprise. My only problem with this surprise is that i didn't like Tinkers at all

[@SupposedlyFun]

That's fair!

[@leafyconcern]

It's a pretty dang good book

[@leafyconcern]

I need to give Enon another shot. That'd be a good book to read and make a video about. Just thinkin out loud. Cheers

[@ZimmReads]

Listening to this right now but just want to say right out the gate, my attempt at reading Tinkers was agonizing. Did not enjoy the first third and haven't had the motivation to pick it up again. This Other Eden is not that much better imo. Looking forward to some catharsis watching you talk about this!

[@ZimmReads]

Just heard you say you liked it so...... my catharsis is shattered. haha :D Guess I need to read the rest.

[@SupposedlyFun]

Sorry to disappoint! I can absolutely see why someone would have a difficult time with Harding's writing. Nothing says you have to read the rest.

[@gs547]

Sadly, I was intrigued by your wonderful story about the miraculous selection of Tinkers for the Pulitzer. I ordered the book from Abe Books. I sadly forgot to check the Goodreads rating, which I find was very a very low 3.4 something. I have tried to read it 3 times already and have been disgusted. I give up and will give it away. I like the Goodreads rating system, which is pretty good in my opinion. A score of 3.9 is indicative that I will probably like a book. 3.4 something is a very bad score. I am now starting on Where the Crowds Sing, which I picked up for free. This books starts up wonderfully. Looking at the Goodreads score, it is 4.0+. FYI I like your commentaries but don't agree on everything.

[@lotusman1819]

Awards are overrated and meaningless. Philip Roth never won the Nobel Prize. Judy Garland and Barbara Stanwyck never won the Oscar. David Bowie didn't win a Grammy till after he was dead. Diana Ross has never won a Grammy, losing out again earlier this year. Can't take 'em seriously. It's all way too subjective.