June 8, 2001
Contact: Sarah Ray
802-443-5794
sray@middlebury.edu
Posted: June 8, 2001
MIDDLEBURY, VT- The Middlebury College Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference has announced the recipients of the sixth annual Bakeless Nason Literary Publication Prizes. The prizes, established in honor of a long-time supporter of Middlebury College, are awarded to aid and encourage writers who are seeking publication of their first books. Carol Muske, author of several volumes of poetry and an English professor at the University of Southern California, chose Malinda Markham’s “Ninety-five Nights of Listening” and Miranda Field’s “Swallow” as co-winners of the poetry prize. William Finnegan, an author and staff writer for The New Yorker, chose Bill Gruber’s collection of essays “On All Sides Nowhere” for the creative nonfiction award. No award was made in fiction for 2001.
The prize-winning works will be published by Houghton Mifflin as part of its Mariner Original Paperback line. The winning authors will also receive fellowships to attend the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference in 2002.
Malinda Markham received her doctorate in literary studies and creative writing from the University of Denver in 1999, a master’s in fine arts in poetry from the University of Iowa in 1994, and a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Santa Clara University in 1990. She has published poems in a number of literary journals, including Colorado Review, Indiana Review, Epoch, Paris Review, Phoebe and Ohio Review. Markham is presently a full-time instructor of cross-cultural communication at Daito Bunka University in Japan.
Miranda Field received her master’s in fine arts in creative writing from Vermont College in 1997, and her bachelor’s in 1989 from the New School for Social Research in New York City. Her work has been published in the Antioch Review, the Boston Review, The Nation, Colorado Review and other publications. Born and raised in London, Field moved to the United States to attend college. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and two sons.
Bill Gruber received a doctorate from Washington State University, a master’s from the University of Idaho, and a bachelor’s from Yale University - all in English. He has taught at Freiherr von Stein Gymnasium in Hamm, Germany, and at Illinois State University. Since 1980he has been teaching drama and theatre history at Emory University, where he is professor of English and chair of the department. Prior to teaching, he was a journalist. He has also co-authored, with his wife, a number of stories for children. He is currently completing a book on visual theory and offstage action in drama, as well as translations of works by the Austrian playwright Thomas Bernhard.
Complete guidelines for the 2002 Bakeless Nason Literary Publication Prizes are currently available. For more information, contact Ian Pounds at Bakeless Prizes, Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 05753; by phone at 802-443-2018; or by e-mail at bakeless@middlebury.edu. As of August 15, information will be available on the conference’s web page at http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/blwc/bakeless/.