Video of the March 21 Story Prize event at The New School

 In case you missed it:

What The Story Prize Judges Had To Say About Steven MIllhauser's We Others

© Beowulf Sheehan

When the three judges for The Story Prize make their choices, they provide citations for the books. This year's judges were Sherman Alexie, Breon Mitchell, and Louise Steinman. We include the citations in congratulatory letters we present to each finalist, along with their checks ($20,000 to the winner, $5,000 to the other two finalists). To protect the confidentiality of the judges' votes and the integrity of the process, we don't attribute citations to any particular judge.

Here's what one judge had to say about Steven Millhauser's Story Prize winning collection We Others: New & Selected Stories (Knopf):

“This is a powerful and intriguing collection of stories, marked by page after page of beautifully written, intelligent, and sensitive prose. Millhauser’s world is filled with mysterious and enigmatic twists and turns, described so precisely and convincingly that even a boy’s flight on a magic carpet seems utterly believable. Tale after tale reveals a deep and clever mind, coupled with an unusual flair for opening up new realms of thought. The short stories of Edgar Allan Poe, Lovecraft, Kafka, and Calvino constantly come to mind—and Steven Millhauser is fully worthy of inclusion in that elevated realm.”

What The Story Prize Judges Had to Say About Don DeLillo's The Angel Esmeralda

© Beowulf Sheehan

When the three judges for The Story Prize make their choices, they provide citations for the books. This year's judges were Sherman Alexie, Breon Mitchell, and Louise Steinman. We include the citations in congratulatory letters we present to each finalist, along with their checks ($20,000 to the winner, $5,000 to the other two finalists). To protect the confidentiality of the judges' votes and the integrity of the process, we don't attribute citations to any particular judge.

Here's what one judge had to say about Story Prize finalist Don DeLillo's The Angel Esmeralda (Scribner):

“How can stories be so beautiful—the structure stripped of plot, the characters unmoored from recognizable routines? These are elegiac tales for our troubled times—whether the protagonist is looking at our fragile Earth from outer space or contemplating the face of a murdered feral child on a billboard in the Bronx where highways and rail tracks meet. The unsaid and the undefined all contribute to the mysterious clarity of these stories. Miracles might still happen to lift us out of our terror. Moments of tenderness in empty galleries or darkened theaters or in the cockpit of a death-dealing space ship still speak to our humanity, to possibility, to hope. Every story in this curated collection is a gem.”

What The Story Prize Judges Had to Say About Edith Pearlman's Binocular Vision

© Beowulf Sheehan

When the three judges for The Story Prize make their choices, they provide citations for the books. This year's judges were Sherman Alexie, Breon Mitchell, and Louise Steinman. We include the citations in congratulatory letters we present to each finalist, along with their checks ($20,000 to the winner, $5,000 to the other two finalists). To protect the confidentiality of the judges' votes and the integrity of the process, we don't attribute citations to any particular judge.

Here's what the judges had to say about Story Prize finalist Edith Pearlman's Binocular Vision (Lookout Books):

“Edith Pearlman compresses a lifetime of learning and listening into these masterful stories. Though often set in a particular geographical locale, they encompass the vast landscape of our messy lives and noble intentions, our ache to be understood. I agree with Ann Patchett that this volume is the work of a "stunning intelligence"—the stories reverberate in my mind for days. Structure, rhythm, insight—they're all there. Not a sentence is wasted. Binocular Vision is the book of stories I'd seal into a time capsule and feel confident that when it was unearthed in a century or two, the essence of what it means to live and die and love as a human being would be communicated.”

The Story Prize Event: We've Got It Covered

Steven Millhauser accepts The Story Prize.                        (© Beowulf Sheehan)

Here's some of the coverage that Wednesday night's Story Prize event has gotten so far:

Reuters

AP

L.A. Times Jacket Copy

Shelf Awareness

Poets & Writers

The Outlet

Like Fire

New York Times Arts Beat

GalleyCat

CBC

Alfred A. Knopf

Skidmore Unofficial

You Idiot! Saratoga Springs

Capital New York

Fiction Writers Review

Pictures from The Story Prize Event

       All photos © Beowulf Sheehan

At the reception: Story Prize Founder Julie Lindsey,
winner Steven Millhauser, Director Larry Dark, finalist Edith Pearlman.

Don DeLillo reads from his story "The Starveling," from The Angel Esmeralda.

Finalists Edith Pearlman and Steven Millhauser in the green room
at the New School's Tishman Auditorium.

Story Prize finalist Don DeLillo and award Director Larry Dark.

Story Prize finalist Steven Millhauser at the podium.

Story Prize finalist Edith Pearlman reads "Mates,"
from her collection, Binocular Vision

Story Prize Director Larry Dark, winner Steven Millhauser, and
Founder Julie Lindsey on stage after announcing the winner.

Steven Millhauser's We Others Takes The Story Prize

The winner of The Story Prize for short story collections published in 2011 is Steven Millhauser for We Others: New & Selected Stories (Alfred A. Knopf). Millhauser takes home a check for $20,000 and an engraved silver bowl. The runners-up, Don DeLillo and Edith Pearlman, each take home $5,000. It was a pleasure to talk these authors and to hear all three read.

In many respects, these were the best matched finalists we've had. All three books collect stories that show an impressive range and breadth, written over more than 30 years. It's no exaggeration to say that all three authors are skillful and supremely accomplished. Don DeLillo's The Angel Esmeralda (Scribner) and Edith Pearlman's Binocular Vision (Lookout Books) deserve the admiration and passionate followings they've earned, as does Millhauser's work.

In the days ahead, here and at the mother ship, we'll post citations from the judges, photos from the event, and links to media coverage.

What DeLillo, Millhauser, and Pearlman Will Be Reading At The Story Prize Event

Those of you who plan to attend The Story Prize event on Wednesday night and prefer to be prepared might like to know what the authors will be reading (or reading from). 

The finalists generally go in alphabetical order (by last name), so Don DeLillo is up first. He'll read from his story, "The Starveling." It's about a New Yorker with a movie-going compulsion (as in watching several every single day) who encounters someone he imagines is a kindred spirit.

Next up is Steven Millhauser who will read from "Snowmen," which is about, well, what you'd guess it would be about. Except in the suburban town where the boy who narrates lives, the snow creations move beyond the conventional three stacked spheres with coal eyes and carrot noses to more and more elaborate constructions. Millhauser might also read something new along with an excerpt from this story.

Lastly, Edith Pearlman will read her story "Mates." A summary or description doesn't really do justice to this story. Suffice it to say, it's simple but thoughtful and elegant.

Of course, it's the author's prerogative to change his or her mind. So this could change. If you really want to be prepared, might I suggest you read the finalists' entire collections?