Americymru: Congratulations for being awarded the prestigious Pushcart Prize for your work entitled *Bendithion* - about Wales, Welshness, Lampeter and Welsh tenor Timothy Evans.
Harrison: Thank you.
Harrison: Thank you again. But although there were about 8000 entries, mine was not the only one chosen. The Pushcart Prize is awarded for fiction, non-fiction and poetry and several writers in each category are given awards. It’s a great honour but not a solitary one. The editors of all literary journals and small presses in America are invited to submit to the Pushcart Press up to six pieces of what they consider to be the best writing they have published each year. The Editor, Bill Henderson, and his co-editors decide which pieces will be awarded and included in The Pushcart Prize Anthology. As for what kind of writing, that’s hard for me to answer. If you read the stories, essays and poems in the Anthology, you begin to get an idea. But the renowned editor of AGNI, Sven Birkerts, who (with his Senior Editor, William Pierce) submitted Bendithion for a Pushcart Prize, referred to my opening paragraph in an interview on NewPages: when he was asked to describe how he selects or rejects submissions to his magazine. Also, on the Pushcart website, http://www.pushcartprize.com, there is information about the selection process.
"Bendithion" is an amazing reading experience. Small wonder that this lady has also had a fairly amazing life so far. Her perspective on Wales seems born of an innate knowing.
ReplyDeleteA great pleasure to read, and read about "Bendithion." I have questioned some literary awards' selections, but the Pushcart judges really chose wisely when they selected this story.
ReplyDeleteI sincerely hope Ms. Solow expands on her story. What a fantastic book and movie it would make.
Thank you for printing this interview.
What a delight! Ms. Solow has the rare ability to turn a story into a visit. Reading becomes an IMax movie. "Bendithion" is a delicious appetizer that begs for the main course.
ReplyDeleteThe insight and tenderness with which this was written provides us with a rare glimpse into a wonderful world. A great read. Where can we find more?
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