Topic: Faulkner Winner in the Short Story Competition
Former TNBW stalwart, Paul Negri, was the winner for the 2nd year in a row in the Short Story Competition. This year Gracie under Fire won.
Judge Adam Johnson, winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, had this to say about his choice for winner:
Closely observed and darkly comic, Gracie under Fire disarms the reader early. Though the story opens with a young narrator revealing her sexuality at a funeral, this deft story is neither a meditation on loss nor a coming-out narrative; instead, themes of frailty, exclusion, vulnerability and inevitability intersect when Judith insinuates herself into the life of an ailing Gracie. A rare and delicious character, Judith can’t help but usher herself into front-row seating for the final screening of other people’s lives.
Also, Paul's story Saving the Jews was a finalist, and his story The Plumber's Daughter was a semifinalist.
Here is a link to a list of all the winners of the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition: https://wordsandmusic.org/2016-william- … mpetition/
Many TNBW folks were the beneficiaries of Paul's wise counsel and reviews for several years. Join me in congratulating him.
Memphis