When the three judges for The Story Prize make their choices, they provide citations for the books. This year's judges were Stephen Enniss, Antonya Nelson, and Rob Spillman. 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 said about Rebecca Lee's Bobcat:
Here's what the judges said about Rebecca Lee's Bobcat:
“The pleasures of Rebecca Lee’s writing are many—from beautifully crafted sentences to sublime lyricism to biting wit. Simultaneously romantic and cynical, funny and serious, clever and honest—the stories in Bobcat somehow manage several delicate balancing acts with seeming ease. I can’t remember taking greater pleasure in reading a short story collection, and I felt truly bereft when it was over.”