Wesley Morris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wesley Morris
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Wesley Morris in 2013
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| Born | December 19, 1975 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Education | Yale University (BA) |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
| Employer | The New York Times |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for Criticism (2012 and 2021) |
Wesley Morris (born December 19, 1975) is an American film critic and podcast host. A film critic watches and reviews movies. He currently works as a critic-at-large for The New York Times. He also co-hosts a podcast called Still Processing with J Wortham.
Before joining The New York Times, Morris wrote for The Boston Globe and then Grantland. He has won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism twice. He won in 2012 for his work with The Boston Globe. He won again in 2021 for his writing in The New York Times about race relations in the United States. This makes him the only writer to win this award more than once.
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Early Life and Education
Wesley Morris was born and grew up in Philadelphia. He went to high school at Girard College and finished in 1993. While in high school, he wrote for a teen newspaper section called "Yo! Fresh Ink."
In 1997, he graduated from Yale University. During his four years there, he was a film critic for The Yale Daily News.
Career as a Critic
Morris started working at The Boston Globe in 2002. There, he reviewed movies alongside another critic, Ty Burr. They also appeared on TV to talk about new films. They had a weekly video series called Take Two on Boston.com.
Before the Globe, he wrote film reviews for the San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle. He was also in a 2009 documentary film. This film was called For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism. In it, he talked about how video stores changed film criticism.
In 1999, Morris was one of several critics who reviewed movies with Roger Ebert on his TV show. This was when Gene Siskel was no longer on the show.
From 2013 to 2015, Wesley Morris wrote for ESPN's website, Grantland.
Joining The New York Times
In October 2015, Morris joined The New York Times. He became a critic-at-large. This means he writes for the newspaper and The New York Times Magazine.
In September 2016, Morris and his colleague J Wortham started a podcast called Still Processing. The New York Times and Pineapple Street Media produce this podcast. The podcast received many positive reviews. It was named one of the best podcasts of 2016 by several lists.
In 2024, Morris was the guest editor for The Best American Essays book.
Favorite Films
Wesley Morris shared his favorite films in the 2022 Sight & Sound critics' poll. Here are some of the movies he loves:
- Au hasard Balthazar (France, 1966)
- Beau Travail (France, 1999)
- Do the Right Thing (USA, 1989)
- Metropolis (German, 1927)
- Moonlight (USA, 2016)
- There Will Be Blood (USA, 2007)
- Yi Yi (Taiwan, 1999)
Awards and Recognition
In 2012, Morris won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. This was for his writing at The Boston Globe. The award praised his "smart, inventive film criticism." It noted his clear writing and how he could discuss both art house films and big box office movies.
In 2015, Morris was a finalist for the National Magazine Award. This was for his columns in Grantland from 2014.
In 2021, Morris won his second Pulitzer Prize for criticism. This was for a series of essays in The New York Times. The Pulitzer committee praised his "deeply engaged criticism on the intersection of race and culture in America." They also noted his unique writing style, which was both playful and thoughtful.
Personal Life
Wesley Morris lives in Brooklyn, New York.
