Comments on: Pushcart Prize nominations 2009

By: Pushcart Prize nominations 2010 « qarrtsiluni

Pushcart Prize nominations 2010 « qarrtsiluni — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:12:11 +0000

[...] we are soliciting suggestions from readers on whom we should nominate for the Pushcart Prize. (See last year’s post for more on our thinking about this.) Any work of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry that has appeared [...]

By: Dave Bonta

Dave Bonta — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:05:46 +0000

Women writers FTW.

By: Diane Lockward

Diane Lockward — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:36:11 +0000

Let’s hear it for the girls!

By: Mary Alexandra Agner

Mary Alexandra Agner — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:55:17 +0000

Peg Duthie’s “I am waiting for the right instant to say your name” for its pithiness, its punch, the distilled power of fairy tale made modern but kept essential.

By: Greg

Greg — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:54:01 +0000

After only a few months of regular reading, and spotty browsing through the back issues of qarrtsiluni, I can tell you some of the entries I have most enjoyed reading. The Man Who Spoke the Law, by James Brush. Recasting tired statements of outcome-based-education as words of wisdom from the lips of the most humble, perhaps a seer. So many layers, and a wonderful oral presentation by James Brush.

A quick visit to Joaquín’s, and a ceremony, by Nathan Horowitz drew me into his challenging world. I had to look up more of his stories after reading this one, both at qarrtsiluni and at Scribd.

Islam for Americans may have done its job, as my eyes opened to the pride of a wrapped piece of candy, a swaddled jewel, a perfect woman under my packaging.

By: Ana

Ana — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:23:34 +0000

My nominations, though I probably missed some excellent works of art….
“Expansion at a Time of Great Leavings” by Deb Scott
For the thoughtful meditation brought about by the story. For readability: simple, accessible images, words, structure. For the attention to details.
“A quick visit to Joaquín’s, and a ceremony” by Nathan Horowitz
For the richness of language and hyperbolic, surrealist images that makes reading the story an amazing adventure as much as it was (I guess) living it.
“Grandmother’s Praying” by Oriana
In particular the second poem “God’s Hearing”, for the powerful combination of simplicity and dramatic lyricism.

“Lust in Translation” by Bryan Borland . For me it is amazing how , in spite of the explicitness of language, it avoids vulgarity. It might have to do with the irony….
and
“Revelation of the common man” By E.A.P and Dana Guthrie Martin
For the direct tone, sharp images and significance.

By: pamela Hart

pamela Hart — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:52:21 +0000

I’d like to nominate Economy of the Untamable by Jane Rice and Math Tutor by Pia Taavila for their economy of form and word.

By: JMartin

JMartin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 01:34:54 +0000

Monica Raymond’s Economies is spare and unerring, a sauce reduced from a world. “Retina caged/and set singing” invokes the trapped songbird, the art (not science) of visual perception, sf movies of the brain-in-the-jar: it lingers with me yet.

By: James

James — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:40:04 +0000

I loved “What the Forest Said” by Jessamyn Smyth (Economy). The quiet mystery in that piece had me going back to it again and again. “Faggot” and “Islam for Americans” also really stuck with me long after reading them.

By: Darlyn Finch

Darlyn Finch — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:36:53 +0000

I recommend nominating Glenda Bailey-Mershon’s story “Space Walk” for the Pushcart Prize. In addition to the beautiful, poetic imagery, I was struck by the magical romance set in an everyday place.