It’s simply miraculous that anyone would sit and even read a story I’ve written, much less think it’s worthy of a prize. That’s what happened this month, and I’m so grateful and humbled. Thanks to judge Samuel Kọ́láwọlé who had these nice words to say about my story “America the Beautiful”:
“America the Beautiful” is more than a story of the unraveling of a relationship. In crisp, restrained writing, the writer captures the dreams, desires, and disappointments of a character searching for a better life. In recounting the character’s journey from Ghana to the United States, the writer offers us well-wrought scenes and a seamless movement through time. The protagonist is believable and well-realized. This powerful narrative grapples with the notion of home and what it means to be African in the United States.
Eeeeeeeee! Now on to my other ongoing writing projects. More soon . . .
Gail Upchurch 