From the Nominator

Barbara Butcher, author of "What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator," worked the streets and stairwells of Manhattan for more than two decades, arriving on the scene of thousands of deaths to determine if circumstances warranted further investigation. Butcher, who has a master's in public health from Columbia University, was behind the tape at some of New York’s most notorious crimes, from the Carnegie Deli massacre to the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. An avid reader, Butcher was as fascinated by the lives of the people whose bodies and surroundings she examined as she was about their deaths. For her, the human aspect was always foremost, which is why—though she can tell a murder story as wittily and colorfully as any New York crime writer—she has become a passionate advocate for the mental health of death-scene responders. Exposure to horrific scenes of violence and tragedy takes a profound psychological toll that, in a culture of “toughness,” has traditionally been ignored. Our writer had lunch with Butcher at an old-school Greenwich Village restaurant near her apartment, where Butcher shared stories and the powerful life lessons that she learned in the face of the unspeakable. We felt strongly that Butcher’s insights were incredibly valuable to everyone, and we received letters that affirmed this, including from a retired forensics chief from the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner.

From the Judges

An intriguing article that is well written and pulls no punches. Additionally, judges enjoyed the sharp quotes throughout that allow the reader to get a better sense of the protagonist.