Joseph Pulitzer stood out as the very embodiment of American journalism. Hungarian-born, Pulitzer was the most skillful of late 19th-century newspaper publishers. The Pulitzer Web site describes him as a passionate crusader against dishonest government, a fierce, hawk-like competitor who did not shrink from sensationalism in circulation struggles, and a visionary who richly endowed his profession.

Your Hays Public Library has a number of Pulitzer Prize-winning books for you to enjoy, including this year's winner for fiction: "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," by Junot Diaz. Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded since 1948 for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life.

Wikipedia describes the novel as the story of a Dominican misfit growing up in New Jersey. Yunior, a character Díaz previously used in his collection of short stories titled "Drown," that is also available at the Hays Public Library, narrates it. The award-winning story follows the life of Oscar, an overweight, nerdy Dominican boy, from childhood to his untimely death as an adult. Yunior tells of Oscar's struggle to make friends, lose weight and find a woman to love him. Other characters in the novel are Oscar's sister, Lola, their mother Belicia, and their grandmother La Inca.

The book won the National Book Critics Circle Award as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2008. Time magazine's Lev Grossman named it one of the Top 10 Fiction Books of 2007, ranking it at No. 1 and praising it as "a massive, heaving, sparking tragicomedy."

Among this year's many other Pulitzer-winning books:

* Drama "August: Osage County" by Tracy Letts.

* History: "What Hath God Wrought" by Daniel Walker Howe.

* Biography: "Eden's Outcasts" by John Matteson.

* Poetry: "Time and Materials: by Robert Haas.

* General nonfiction: "The Years of Extermination" by Saul Friedlander

For more information on activities scheduled at the Hays Public Library this week, go to our Web site www.hayspublib.org

Friends of the Hays Public Library

Book sale

The Friends of the Hays Public Library will conduct a children's book sale from 9 a.m to 6 p.m. May 23 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 24 in the children's department.

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Bookstore

Books, Etc, the bookstore of the Friends of the Hays Public Library, is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Members of the Friends continue to receive a 10-percent discount on all book purchases from the store.

Children's department

Kids' game day

New in the children's department this year is our Kids Game Day. This will be from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. every Thursday. A variety of fun children's board games will be available for everyone to play and enjoy.

READ Hays

If your student needs help with reading, call the children's department, (785) 625-5916, for a day and time for tutoring.

Adult department

Feed and Film

The films begin at 12:05 p.m. Wednesdays in the library's main floor gallery. They last about an hour. Bring your lunch and a cup -- coffee is provided. This week, join us for "Dialogue at Washington High." Tenth-grade students follow the example of a Palestinian and a Jew to make new connections; and "West Bank Story." As a parody of "West Side Story," the film follows the romance between the relatives of the owners of rival falafel restaurants, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, respectively named the Kosher Kings and the Hummus Hut, in the West Bank.There will be a discussion following the two short films.

Gallery exhibit

A mixed media bachelors of fine arts show featuring the work of Jessica Blumer and Courtney Nienke is on display through May 30.

¬ YA department

The young adult department offers a variety of activities, books and other materials geared specifically toward middle school and high school age patrons. All programs are free and for anyone grades six to 12. For more information, call (785) 625-9014.

Weekly programs

All programs start at 3:30 p.m.

* Mondays -- STAGE Drama Club, board games and snacks.

*¬ PS2 Tuesdays -- "Guitar Hero" and "Dance Dance Revolution."

*¬ Wii Wednesdays -- Play our Nintendo Wii.

*¬ Make and Take Thursdays -- Crafts and more.

* Fridays -- Movies and snacks.

Free computer classes

Computer basics are each Monday, and Microsoft classes will be every Wednesday. On Fridays, we answer your questions. All classes begin at 10 a.m. Sign up at the front desk. We have limited seating. For more information, call (785) 625-9014.

Kansas Room

In May, Kansas plant and flower books are featured, and the display cases will highlight prairie wildflowers and Kansas naturalist Lewis Lindsay Dyche.

Eric Norris is the adult department librarian at the Hays Public Library.