Annual Prairie Schooner writing prizes announced

Prairie Schooner, the quarterly literary magazine published at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for 80 years, has announced 18 writing prizes for work published in its 2005 volume.

The $1,500 Glenna Luschei Prairie Schooner Award was won by Dr. Roy Jacobstein of Chapel Hill, N.C., for his six poems published in the fall issue. Jacobstein is a public health physician. His six award-winning poems appear in his collection, "A Form of Optimism," this year's winner of the Samuel French Morse Prize from the University Press of New England. The Luschei Prairie Schooner Award is made possible by the generosity of poet, publisher and philanthropist Glenna Luschei.

The Lawrence Foundation Award of $1,000 was won by Alison Umminger of Carrollton, Ga., for her story, "Alien Life," from the spring issue. Umminger is a professor at the University of West Georgia. Her writing appears in Crab Orchard Review, Orchid and Hayden's Ferry Review. This prize is made possible by the Lawrence Foundation of New York City.

J. Ely Shipley of Salt Lake City won the $1,000 Virginia Faulkner Award for Excellence in Writing for his four poems from the summer issue. Shipley is a graduate student at the University of Utah. His poems appear in many journals and he recently completed a manuscript, "Boy With Flowers," whose title poem was among those awarded this prize. The Faulkner Award is supported by charitable contributions to honor Virginia Faulkner, former editor-in-chief of the University of Nebraska Press and fiction editor at Prairie Schooner.

Leslie Adrienne Miller of St. Paul, Minn., was awarded the Edward Stanley Award for her three poems from the summer issue. Miller is the author of several collections, including "Eat Quite Everything You See," "Yesterday Had a Man In It" and her forthcoming collection, "The Resurrection Trade." Charitable contributions from the family of Edward Stanley, a member of the committee that founded Prairie Schooner in 1926, make this $1,000 award possible.

The Bernice Slote Award of $500 for the best work by a beginning writer was won by Kate Flaherty of Norman, Okla., for her story, "The Property of Water," published in the spring issue. Flaherty's writing has appeared in Creative Nonfiction, Brevity, Fourth Genre and Connecticut Review. The award is supported by the estate of Bernice Slote, Prairie Schooner editor from 1963-80.

The Prairie Schooner Strousse Award of $500 went to John Kinsella of New York City for his poems from the spring issue. A poet, novelist, critic and editor, Kinsella is the author of several books, most-recently "The New Arcadia," available from W. W. Norton. The award is given in honor of Flora Strousse.

The Jane Geske Award of $250 was awarded to Lee Martin of Columbus, Ohio, for his story, "People Always Going To," from the summer issue. Martin is the author of the memoirs, "Turning Bones" and "From Our House," the short story collection, "The Least You Need to Know," and the novels, "Quakertown" and "The Bright Forever." The award is given by Norman Geske in honor of his wife, a lifelong supporter of Nebraska's literary arts.

Sandra Leong of New York City won the $250 Hugh J. Luke Award for her story, "Ma and Me," from the winter issue. A psychoanalyst, Leong has published her work in literary magazines such as Gulf Coast, Southwest Review and New England Review.

There were 10 winners of Glenna Luschei Prairie Schooner Awards of $250 each. These awards are made possible through the generosity of Glenna Luschei.

* Jane Barnes of Charlottesville, Va., won for her story, "Rapture," from the summer issue.

* Diane Chang of St. Louis won for her story, "The Apartment," from the spring issue.

* Ron Hansen of Cupertino, Calif., won for his story, "Wilde in Omaha," from the summer issue.

* Brian Henry of Athens, Ga., won for his poems from the summer issue.

* Nancy Kern of Upper Saddle River, N.J., won for her story, "Push," from the fall issue.

* Jacqueline Osherow of Salt Lake City won for her poem, "Snorkeling at Coral Beach/Fish in the Torah," from the fall issue.

* Constance Merritt of Lynchburg, Va., won for her poems from the summer and fall issues.

* Lon Otto of St. Paul, Minn., won for his story, "What is Son?," from the summer issue.

* Enid Shomer of Tampa, Fla., won for her story, "The Hottest Spot on Earth," from the winter issue.

Prairie Schooner is available at chain and independent bookstores throughout the country. Subscriptions or individual copies may be ordered by calling (800) 715-2387. More information about the magazine is available at http://prairieschooner.unl.edu. Prairie Schooner is published with support from the UNL English Department and its creative writing program, the University of Nebraska Press, and the Glenna Luschei Endowed Editorship and Fund for Excellence at Prairie Schooner at the University of Nebraska Foundation.

CONTACT: Kelly Grey Carlisle, Managing Editor, Prairie Schooner, (402) 472-0911