Most of the commentary on the failure of the Pulitzers to give an award for fiction or editorial writing swirled around those particular drains, with the low brought on by Ann Patchett's plea for the fiction prize to be bestowed so she could sell more books.
In addition to the fiction and the editorial by Fairman, there was a letter column, a profile of Wilson Tucker, a selection of science news, a guest editorial by Ken Slater, a well-known British fan, and an approving review of the TV show Tales of Tomorrow.
Career: 1955 production assistant, André Deutsch; '56-58 '56-58, MacGibbon & Keditor8-60 fiction editor, Penguin Books; '60 editorial director, Jonathan Cape, '66 MacGibbondirector.
According to the G-Unit publicist I spoke to, 50 serves as a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to urban fiction: reading manuscripts, making editorial suggestions, and consulting on cover designs.
The news that this year's Pulitzer prize, one of the premier US literary trophies, now in its 96th year, decided not to award a prize in the category of fiction (or, indeed, in editorial writing) was coolly described by the New York Times as "notable".
With non-fiction, the tenor and editorial stance of the writer tend to be spelled out fairly early on in the book.
But they are far more apt to be interjected into the more adult sitcoms and late-night comedy, and to be reflected in films, editorials, art, fiction and memoirs considered enlightened and liberating.
Except two categories had no winner: editorial writing and fiction.
"We have no way of knowing if Rowling would have done as well writing as 'Joanne'," says Suzie Dooré, editorial director of fiction at Hodder and Stoughton & Sceptre.
Molly Stern, editorial director of fiction at Viking Penguin, did not see the excerpt from the new novel, but said she would have liked the chance to bid on it.
