os ▁Br ons on ▁Alc ott , ▁an ▁American ▁trans c endent al ist ▁phil os opher ▁and ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁F ruit lands ▁u top ian ▁community . ▁E den ' s ▁Out cast s ▁won ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Pul itzer ▁Prize ▁for ▁Biography . ▁ ▁Matt es on , ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁English ▁at ▁John ▁Jay ▁College ▁of ▁C riminal ▁Justice ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁was ▁inspired ▁to ▁write ▁the ▁book ▁by ▁his ▁relationship ▁with ▁his ▁real - life ▁daughter , ▁who , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁book ' s ▁acknowled g ments , ▁did ▁" more ▁than ▁anyone ▁else " ▁to ▁help ▁him ▁understand ▁the ▁Alc ot ts . ▁E den ' s ▁Out cast s ▁is ▁not ew orth y ▁for ▁its ▁sympath etic ▁treatment ▁of ▁Br ons on , ▁a ▁figure ▁who ▁has ▁been ▁frequently ▁disc ount ed ▁and ▁even ▁rid ic u led ▁by ▁sch ol ars ▁of ▁the ▁Trans c endent al ▁era , ▁and ▁for ▁its ▁suggestion ▁that ▁both ▁Br ons on ▁and ▁Louis a ▁suffered ▁from ▁some ▁form ▁of ▁b ip olar ▁dis order . ▁E den ' s ▁Out cast s ▁is ▁only ▁the ▁second ▁dual ▁bi ography ▁ever ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁awarded ▁the ▁Pul itzer ▁Prize ▁for ▁Biography ▁or ▁Aut obi ography , ▁the ▁first ▁having ▁been ▁Ele an or ▁and ▁Franklin ▁by ▁Joseph ▁P . ▁L ash . ▁ ▁References ▁▁ ▁Category : 2 0 0 7 ▁non - f iction ▁books ▁Category : American ▁bi ograph