University of Houston professor wins Pulitzer Prize

Courtesy: University of Houston

HOUSTON (CW39) — A story that gives a face and a name to a horrific crime. Now, one woman’s mission to tell a story about domestic violence and corruption has earned her a Pulitzer Prize.

Professor Cristina Rivera Garza of the University of Houston won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for her memoir “Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice.”

The book details Garza’s return to Mexico City nearly 30 years after the murder of his younger sister. Garza shares her journey to shed light on important issues ranging from domestic violence to corruption in the courts to the increasing normalization of gender violence.

Garza is no stranger to winning awards and being recognized for her work. She emigrated to the United States in 1989. She is currently the MD Anderson Distinguished Professor of Hispanic Studies and Director of the Ph.D. creative writing program in Spanish.

She also won an award for “Letters and Drama” for her emotionally charged memoir, described by Pulitzer judges as a “…groundbreaking account of the author’s 20-year-old sister murdered by a former boyfriend, which mixes memoir, feminist investigative journalism and poetic biography assembled with a determination born of loss.

Garza is the award-winning author of six novels, three short story collections, five poetry collections, and three nonfiction books.

She is also a recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, among a variety of high-profile international literary awards, and was a 2023 finalist for a National Book Award. She uses literature as a way to speak on behalf of those who have been oppressed, striving to generate empathy and a desire for change. Her experiences as an immigrant imbue her writing with raw authenticity and a fresh perspective on the pains and silence of marginalization.

Today, she is a Pulitzer Prize winner! The Pulitzer Prize is considered the nation’s highest honor in journalism, letters, theater and music.