--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I look at Perfidia, I think, \"That's…" description: "\"When I look at Perfidia, I think, \"That's a Pulitzer Prize winner. That's a National Book Award winner.\" It's not going to get it. It's going to be she..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/james-ellroy-2967_awards_when-i-look-at-perfidia-i-think-that-s-a_735169.jpg" --- # When I look at Perfidia, I think, "That's a Pulitzer Prize… ![“When I look at Perfidia, I think, "That's a Pulitzer Prize winner. That's a National Book Award winner." It's not going to get it. It's going to be shelved in crime and it's just the way it is. I've done something that no one else has ever done; I've started out as a mystery writer, a police…” quote by James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/james-ellroy-2967_awards_when-i-look-at-perfidia-i-think-that-s-a_735169.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/james-ellroy-2967_awards_when-i-look-at-perfidia-i-think-that-s-a_735169.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ae4/james-ellroy-2967_awards_when-i-look-at-perfidia-i-think-that-s-a_735169.jpg) > “When I look at Perfidia, I think, "That's a Pulitzer Prize winner. That's a National Book Award winner." It's not going to get it. It's going to be shelved in crime and it's just the way it is. I've done something that no one else has ever done; I've started out as a mystery writer, a police writer, and a crime writer, and I became something entirely different.” [James Ellroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ellroy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author reflects on being pigeonholed despite critical acclaim, noting his shift from genre writing to broader literature. **In simple terms:** He feels trapped by genre labels despite success. Key Takeaway Embrace genre fluidity and resist labeling. Themes identity genre recognition career literary ambition Mood frustrated determined reflective Type observational personal When to use this quote - publishing decisions - marketing strategies - career planning - literary criticism Key Concepts genre expectations authorial evolution critical reception Questions to Reflect On - How can writers break free from genre constraints? - What role do awards play in shaping a writer’s identity? A Different Perspective Genre labels can limit audience perception and market opportunities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awards/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Crime Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime-writer-1274185/) [Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/different/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Mystery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mystery/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prize/) [Pulitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulitzer/) [Pulitzer Prize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pulitzer-prize-355820/) [Think Pulitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-pulitzer-1190197/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Winner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winner/) [Writer Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer-crime-650556/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I think that the Pulitzer Prize is definitely a blessing, but it's also a curse. 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