From the Archives: Forgotton Pulitzer Winner Josephine Johnson
Now In November
by Josephine Johnson
(Simon & Schuster, 1934)
Continuing my research into forgotten female Pulitzer winners, I dug up a review from The New Yorker for Josephine Johnson's second book, Jordanstown. (They didn't review her Pulitzer winner Now in November). Based on this review from the Apirl 3, 1937 edition of The New Yorker, it seems that Ms. Johnson would fall into the one-hit-wonder category of literature.
"Having won the Pulitzer Prize for her first novel, "Now in November," Miss Johnson has turned to a passionate championship of the underpriviliged in a small town, any small town. Perhaps this novel was done in a hurry, for while it has stirring moments and a number of characters drawn with beauty and insight, it is clumsily written, the argument is often confused, and the optimistic conclusion is vague. Not a prize-winner."
The review is not much of a prize-winner either. Sounds like it took all of two minutes to slap together. Not sure why they bothered....