Former Pulitzer finalists finally get their day

Kennedy was in the mood to celebrate.

"I gave up wine for Lent, but I think I'm going to give myself a dispensation," he said.

Schiff wanted to do something else to gain perspective on her win.

"I think I'm going to get outside and take a walk," she said.

Margulies, 45, who teaches playwriting at the Yale School of Drama, called the prize "a pleasant surprise."

"The play emerged out of a particular time in my life, a midlife reflection on the pains of fidelity, friendship and sexual passion," he said.

The Pulitzer for fiction went to creative writing teacher Jhumpa Lahiri for her first book, a collection of stories called "Interpreter of Maladies."

The general nonfiction Pulitzer was awarded to John W. Dower for "Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II." His book also won the 1999 National Book Award for nonfiction.

"This is astonishing," said Dower, 65, a professor of history at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "I'm going to dance around with my wife for a few moments."

The prizes are named after Joseph Pulitzer, a 19th century newspaper publisher. They've been handed out since 1917.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

National Book Awards honor Oprah, year's top works
April 10, 2000
Pulitzer is wonderful, but teaching is Edson's life
May 3, 1999
Pulitzer Prizes set the standard of excellence
April 12, 1999

Pulitzer Prize

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.