Steven M. Lopez (born 1953) is an American journalist and four-time Pulitzer Prize finalist who has been a

columnist A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (periodical), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the ...

for ''

The Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper in the U.S. and the larges ...

'' since 2001.

Life and career

Lopez is a native of

Pittsburg, California Pittsburg (formerly Black Diamond, New York Landing and New York of the Pacific) is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States. It is an industrial suburb located on the southern shore of the Suisun Bay in the East Bay region of t ...

, and attended

San Jose State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the List of oldest schools in California, oldest public university on the West Coast of ...

. He has been on staff at Time Inc. and written for ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'', ''

Life Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...

'', ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' and ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

''. In addition, he was on staff at ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...

,'' the ''

San Jose Mercury News ''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidia ...

'' and the ''

Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' was a daily newspaper published in Oakland, California, and a predecessor of the '' East Bay Times''. It was published by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' ...

.'' He wrote the novels ''

Third and Indiana ''Third and Indiana'' is a novel written by Steve Lopez about the experiences of several people connected to 14-year-old Gabriel Santoro, while living in the dangerous gang-controlled streets of the Philadelphia Badlands, Badlands section of Ph ...

'', ''The Sunday Macaroni Club'', and ''In the Clear.'' He has also compiled a collection of his works from ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' titled ''Land of Giants,'' and a collection of ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' columns called ''Dreams & Schemes.'' Lopez's series of columns about his unlikely relationship with a homeless Juilliard-trained musician with schizophrenia Nathaniel Anthony Ayers became the subject of a national best-selling book by Lopez that inspired the film '' The Soloist'', which stars

Robert Downey Jr. Robert John Downey Jr. (born April 4, 1965), also known as RDJ, is an American actor. One of the highest-grossing actors of all time, his films as a leading actor have grossed over $14 billion worldwide. In 2008, Downey was named by ''Time ...

as Lopez.Lopez, Steve (2008). ''The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music.'' Berkley Trade, Ayers' and Lopez's relationship was also nationally highlighted in the March 22, 2009, episode of ''

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...

''. He has two sons and a daughter. In 2012 following

knee replacement Knee replacement, also known as knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure to replace the weight-bearing surfaces of the knee joint to relieve pain and disability, most commonly offered when joint pain is not diminished by conservative sources. ...

surgery, he experienced

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest (also known as sudden cardiac arrest CA is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When the heart stops beating, blood cannot properly Circulatory system, circulate around the body and the blood flow to the ...

Awards

Lopez has won numerous national journalism awards including the H.L. Mencken, Mike Royko and Ernie Pyle awards. As a four-time Pulitzer finalist, his subjects were elder care, income inequality, homelessness and the California housing crisis. In 2008 Lopez received the President's Award from the Los Angeles Press Club at the 50th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards. His book, ''The Soloist'', won the PEN USA award for literary non-fiction. Lopez has also won three local news Emmys and a share of the Columbia DuPont Award for his civic affairs reporting at KCET-TV in Los Angeles. He won the

Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is a Harvard Kennedy School research center that explores the intersection and impact of media, politics and public policy in theory and practice. Among other activities, the center or ...

’s 2021 Nyhan Prize in Political Journalism. On April 29, 2011, Lopez received an

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

degree from his alma mater,

.Lopez, Steve (May 5, 2011)
Honored SJS alumnus criticizes Cal State cuts as blocking path of upward mobility.
mercurynews.com

References

External links

Steve Lopez
''Los Angeles Times'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Lopez, Steve American columnists American newspaper reporters and correspondents Los Angeles Times people San Jose State University alumni American agnostics 1953 births Living people The Mercury News people Ernie Pyle Award winners People from Pittsburg, California