Mark Brazaitis (Guatemala 1990-93) Interviewed in Poets & Writers

The May/June issue of Poets & Writers Magazine has an article entitled “Winners on Winning”  where they interview writers who won (and lost) literary contests in 2014. Among the handful of winning writers is our Mark Brazaitis (Guatemala 1990-93) for his 2014 Autumn House Press Fiction Award ($2,500) and publication of his most recent collection, Truth Poker.

Mark, a professor of English at West Virginia University, (and directs their creative writing program,) has won more contest than most writers. Here’s a short list:

1998 Iowa Short Fiction Award for The River of Lost Voices: Stories From Guatemala

2001 Peace Corps Writers Maria Thomas Fiction Award for Steal My Heart

2004 George Garrett Fiction Award for An American Affair

2004 ABZ Poetry Prize for The Other Language

2012 Gival Press Novel Award for Julia & Rodrigo

2012 Richard Sullivan Prize for his story collection, The Incurable

2013 Devil’s Kitchen Reading Award for The Incurable

2014 Autumn House Press Fiction Award for Truth Poker: Stories

Mark’s advice for all writers is: Love your work. Be confident it’s your best. If it is, enter it in contests, especially full-length-manuscript contests. Most book contests comes with a monetary award, but what’s truly great about them is publication. This kind of gamble is worth the entry fee. And don’t give up.

Congratulations, Mark

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