Cynthia Tucker

University of South Alabama’s (USA) journalist-in-residence and Monroeville, Alabama, native Cynthia Tucker has been named the Harper Lee Distinguished Writer of the Year for 2022. The honor is given annually by the Alabama Writers’ Forum to writers with ties to the state. Frye Galliard, USA’s writer-in-residence, said, “The Harper Lee Award is, I would say, the pinnacle of recognition for a writer from Alabama.” Tucker spent most of her career working for newspapers as a reporter and editor and won numerous awards. In 2007, she won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary.