Pulitzer Prize Fiction Winner

The Executioner's Song

by Norman Mailer

Summary

A massive, "nonfiction novel" that meticulously reconstructs the life and execution of Gary Gilmore, the first person executed in the U.S. after the reinstatement of the death penalty.

Historical Context & Significance

A controversial choice for the Fiction category since it was based on real events; it defined the "True Crime" genre as a high-art literary form.