The recipients of the $50,000 prize, which was announced on Wednesday evening, show an exceeding amount of talent and promise, according to the prize's judges.
Smith's poems, which are addressed to his young children, describe what their ancestors endured and escaped. He also examines the joy and anxiety of parenthood, especially as a Black father.
Public health professor Arline Geronimus explains how marginalized people suffer nearly constant stress, which damages their bodies at the cellular level. Her new book is Weathering.
In Catherine Lacey's new genre-bending novel, Biography of X, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist realizes her spouse — a fierce and narcissistic artist — was not who she believed.
Smith's poems reveal that his wonder at the world keeps him holding on to faith in the way the universe works. Ultimately, this collection points to our ability to trust in the face of volatility.
Two brothers with an abusive father come of age in a new book for young adults, "Saints of the Household." NPR's Miles Parks talks with author Ari Tison about her novel.
NPR's Scott Simon talks to Rachel Heng about "The Great Reclamation." Starting in 1940's Singapore, the novel follows the life of a child amid the great power conflicts playing out in the region.