Now & Then magazine is sponsoring a fiction contest for budding Appalachian writers.
“We are literally encouraging the production of Appalachian literature,” said Jane Woodside, editor of Now & Then.
Renowned Appalachian author Lee Smith is the judge of this year’s competition. She has written numerous short stories and nine novels, including Oral History and Fair and Tender Ladies, and was the recipient of the 1999 Academy Award in Literature awarded by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Woodside said the judges chosen for the contest are writers for whom there is renowned respect. In addition to cash prizes and publication, the biggest benefit the winners receive is encouragement.
Writers are in need of “validation,” and that it is “thrilling” for them to have such a noted author as Smith read, and possibly honor, their stories, said Woodside.
Now & Then is published three times per year by the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services. The magazine paints a picture of Appalachian life through photographs, articles, essays, poetry and fiction.
Each issue of the magazine is based on a theme. The Winter 2000 issue profiled Appalachian museums and archives. The Summer 2001 issue, which includes the fiction contest winners, will focus on Appalachian writing and writers.
“A lot of people assume we are interested in nostalgia,” Woodside said, “We want to reflect life the way it really happens here.”
Writers should submit no more than two stories. They should pertain to the Appalachian region, which includes parts of 13 states extending from southern New York to northern Mississippi. The story is considered Appalachian if the author is originally from the region, lives in the region or if the subject of the story relates to Appalachia.
The first place winner will receive $500, and the second place winner will receive $250. The two winning entries will be published in the Summer 2001 “Appalachian Writing Revisited” issue of Now & Then. In addition, those receiving honorable mention will have their names and story titles mentioned in the issue.
Woodside said one of the rewards of the fiction competition is that it gives Now & Then an opportunity to “shine the spotlight on writers who are top-notch, but not well known.”
“We are stimulating really good work,” she said.
The deadline for entry in the fiction contest is March 1.
Contest forms may be picked up at the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services in Warf-Pickel Hall.
For guidelines and contest information, contact the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at 439-5348 or visit their Web site at http://cass.etsu.edu.

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