Keep fighting the good fight, I guess.

I do not think it is technically incorrect to say that both of these playwrights were nominated; they were, which simply means that a theatre submitted their play. So far as I can tell from what you reference, the publicity in question does not assert that the playwright was a finalist. While it may be true that there are articles on the internet saying "finalist," but these theatres don't own the internet. There are also articles on the internet saying that the earth is flat. If you haven't learned by now that you cannot take anything you read in an article on the internet as gospel, today is a very important day in your life.

For HH: The Pavilion — "Pulitzer prize finalist"

And I'll repeat, from the Pulitzer site itself: "Since 1980, when we began to announce nominated finalists, we have used the term 'nominee' for entrants who became finalists. We discourage someone saying he or she was 'nominated' for a Pulitzer simply because an entry was sent to us."

Updated On: 7/7/15 at 01:11 PM

Follow, they can discourage whatever they want. (And for that matter they could define terms so they could define terms so that saying someone was nominated is explicitly wrong.) But what was said is NOT untrue and it is also worth noting that it was not said by the "nominee" (to whom, solely, what the Pulitzer's "discourage" is directed).

I'm with ya, followspot. Almost as bad as nominated films which used to - until I believe the Hollywood Foreign Press and Academy told them to stop - market their films as:

WINNER

5 Golden Globe Nominations

Follow, i am sure they would, as would any person who didn't have to try saving face after overstating a criticism. Now to be clear, I think it is a sketchy thing to do, but in the scheme of things, where the constant spinning we get in publicity materials is endemic ("the best show on Broadway," off-off-Broadway shows advertised as bieng off-Broadway, etc etc etc), this one seems to rank pretty low.

I think I was once nominated for a Pulitzer.

It's very possible that I was the one that submitted the nomination...

You guys seem determined to make a mess out of this.

The committee does not nominate; it selects finalists and a winner. It is an honor to be nominated by a theatre (or, if you prefer, submitted), but to the uninformed it suggests something more than it is. The committee uses the expression "nominated finalist" to refer to someone who has been nominated by a theatre and then selected as a finalist.

There are more important causes in the world than this.

Play with semantics if you must, but there's an obvious connotation by using the word "nominated" and it's disingenuous to use it when all someone did was submit their work for consideration. This is something that will probably irk people if they've had experience with dealing with people bolstering up their credentials and/or being fraudulent about their accomplishments. Sure if you look at the grand scheme of things, this is of little concern to most people, but everything would be of little concern if we use that as a gauge. I'm sure the Pulitzer committee doesn't think it's of little concern to them since it's their name and brand on line. Also, the "Best show on Broadway" is more puffery and opinion (and probably an actual quote from someone) as opposed to being a borderline misstatement of fact (as in saying you are a Pulitzer Prize nominee giving people a very real idea that you were a finalist unless you decide to do actual research and read what the correct terminology to use. Not to mention using a term they are asked not to use by the Pulitzer people). As much as we like to be above titles and awards, I think people do care if someone is purposefully giving the wrong idea about their accolades, especially people who are in the same field.

Updated On: 7/8/15 at 01:28 AM

Point well taken. I do wonder how distanced most playwrights are from the submission process and how far the news that a theater submitted their work for Pulitzer consideration reaches that it'll show up on one's IMDB's page (Craig Wright) or Wikipedia page (Tanya Barfield, at least formerly listed). Maybe the Theatre changed it on their own accord or notified whoever is in charge of their publicity or maybe a fan of theirs saw the old theatre write-up marketing them as a Pulitzer nominee and took it to be true and decided to change Ms. Barfield's Wikipedia page.

Updated On: 7/8/15 at 02:44 AM