Members of the Pulitzer nominating jury today praised the piece as masterly and rigorous, one that deepens with successive hearings yet grips an audience from the first.

St. John was chosen by the 2011 Pulitzer jury over three other finalists: Walt Bogdanich, Sam Roe, and Jared S. Hopkins.

The 20 Breen cartoons submitted to the Pulitzer jury focused largely on national and international issues.

He still competes aggressively in the small-weekly category for the California Press Association's annual prizes, but none of the 15 Pulitzer juries will see his work.

The Pulitzer jury noted that the characters "speak in witty and perceptive ways to America's sometimes toxic struggle with race and class consciousness."

The articles detailed "how fumbling efforts of official agencies failed to contain the far-reaching damage", according to the Pulitzer jury.

It is also the style that Pulitzer juries have rewarded most frequently since the 1960's, and which they continue to prefer, despite the popularity of more accessible styles with audiences and, increasingly, with composers.

The Pulitzer juries' approach in recent years, in fact, seems to reflect an attitude similar to one that Ms. Ran expressed when asked about style.

I served on the Pulitzer jury that chose Mr. Foote as one of the three drama finalists this year.

"Eight months later," the newspaper's editors wrote to the Pulitzer jury, "it all turned horribly real."