J. Anthony Lukas facts for kids

Jay Anthony Lukas (born April 25, 1933 – died June 5, 1997) was an American journalist and writer. He was famous for his 1985 book, Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families. This book looked closely at how different groups of people lived in Boston, Massachusetts. It showed the challenges of race, social class, and school busing through the stories of three families. One family was wealthy and white, one was working-class white, and one was working-class African-American.

Jay Lukas's Early Life and School Years

J. Anthony Lukas was born in White Plains, New York. His parents were Elizabeth and Edwin Lukas. He had a younger brother named Christopher Lukas. His mother was an actress. His uncle, Paul Lukas, was a famous actor who won an Academy Award.

When he was young, Jay Lukas wanted to be an actor too. After his mother passed away and his father became ill, he went to the Putney School in Vermont at age eight. This school was for both boys and girls.

College and Further Studies

Lukas attended Harvard University. While there, he worked for the student newspaper, Harvard Crimson. He graduated with high honors in 1955.

He continued his studies at the Free University of Berlin in Germany. Later, he served in the United States Army in Japan. During his time in Japan, he wrote commentaries for a radio station called VUNC.

Jay Lukas's Journalism Career

Lukas started his career as a journalist at The Baltimore Sun newspaper. After that, he joined The New York Times. He worked there for nine years.

He was a traveling reporter, covering stories from many places. He worked in Washington, D.C., New York City, and at the United Nations. He also reported from countries like Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), India, Japan, Pakistan, South Africa, and Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo).

Writing Books and Magazines

In the 1970s, Lukas worked for The New York Times Magazine. He wrote about important events, including the Watergate scandal. His articles on Watergate later became a book called Nightmare: The Underside of the Nixon Years.

After a while, Lukas decided to focus on writing books and magazine articles. He became known for his deeply researched nonfiction works. He wrote for many well-known magazines. These included The Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, and Harper's Magazine. He also helped start and edit a journal about news media called MORE.

Jay Lukas's Passing

In 1997, Jay Lukas was finishing his book, Big Trouble: A Murder in a Small Western Town Sets Off a Struggle for the Soul of America. On June 5, he passed away in his apartment in Manhattan. He was survived by his wife, Linda Healey, who was a book editor.

Awards and Recognition for Jay Lukas

Jay Lukas won his first Pulitzer Prize in 1968. This award was for his article "The Two Worlds of Linda Fitzpatrick." It was in a special category for local investigative reporting. He also received a George Polk Award for the same story in 1967.

Almost 20 years later, he won another Pulitzer Prize. This time it was for his book Common Ground. He also received the U.S. National Book Award for Nonfiction for this book. Other awards for Common Ground included the National Book Critics Award and the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award.

The Lukas Prize Project

Today, there is a special project that honors Jay Lukas. It is called The Lukas Prize Project. It helps nonfiction writers in America. The project gives out three awards every year. These awards are the J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, the Mark Lynton History Prize, and the J. Anthony Lukas Work-in-Progress Award.

Selected Books and Articles by Jay Lukas

• "The Two Worlds of Linda Fitzpatrick", 1967, The New York Times article. This story was about the life and death of a teenager during the 1960s counterculture. It won a Pulitzer Prize.
• Don't Shoot, We Are Your Children!, 1971. This book was a collection of stories about young people from the 1960s counterculture. It included the Linda Fitzpatrick article.
• "After the Pentagon Papers–A Month in the New Life of Daniel Ellsberg", 1971, The New York Times story. This article was about Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked important government documents.
• Nightmare: The Underside of the Nixon Years, 1976. This book was about Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal. It started as long articles for The New York Times Sunday Magazine.
• Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families, 1985. This famous book was about busing and school desegregation in Boston. It told the stories of three families.
• Big Trouble, 1997. This book was published after Lukas passed away. It was about a conflict between unions and mining companies in Idaho in the early 1900s.