PublishAmerica and the Pulitzer Prize (strange bedfellows and then some.)

PublishAmerica recently announced the addition of an admirable author to their stable: Pulitzer Prize winner William Coughlin. Turns our Mr. Coughlin (not this William Coughlin, by the way) wrote for the L.A. Times and UPI and won the prestigious award fifteen years ago as a newspaper editor. His new book, BEYOND THE SEAS--which I can only assume is currently being edited (*giggle*) since I cannot locate it on Amazon or PA's site--seems to have found its home with the publishing giant (*chortle*).

Why would a Pulitzer Prize winner need to go the POD route? The usual explanations come to mind: inferior writing, poor knowledge of the publishing industry, alcoholism, extortion, complete deterioration of all intellectual faculties. But I would love to know--especially since he went PA.

Most likely of all, though, is the case that traditional publishers have whittled the "open slots" for new books down to an all-time low, and reserved them for commercial, low-risk titles. And once again a valued author/book gets pushed aside. It's far more important to find out why men have nipples, isn't it?