BR Contributors McCutchen And Agbo Win PEN Awards For Short Story Debut
by Holly Morse-Ellington
PEN America held its 2018 Literary Awards Ceremony on February 20 at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts – and Baltimore Review contributors made the prestigious list of honorees. PEN America President Andrew Solomon kicked off the evening at the pre-ceremony cocktail reception, proposing a toast to PEN Award Finalists in celebration of what he described as their “honest exploration into the passion of humanity.” The ceremony combined an Oscar-style structure with a distinctly literary spirit and substance akin to a pep rally for bookworms. Sweet Megg & The Wayfarers serenaded each recipient’s walk to the stage with jazz arrangements inspired by New Orleans and Harlem swing
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From emerging to lifetime achievement, the categories for PEN America Awards acknowledge writers for their contributions to literature at various stages of their careers. Among the awards granted to new voices, the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers recognized twelve writers for their 2017 standout debut publication. Of the twelve fiction writers awarded, two of the recipients are Baltimore Review contributors. Drew McCutchen won for “Zombie Horror” and Elinam Agbo won for “1983” published in Baltimore Review’s spring and fall issues, respectively.
As the PEN/Robert J. Dau Prize suggests, this is the first published story for both McCutchen and Agbo. “I was shocked,” said Agbo about her reaction when PEN America first contacted her with the news. “I screamed for a while, before I realized someone might hear and be alarmed. When I stopped screaming, the tears came, and then I called my mom.”
Meanwhile, McCutchen was experiencing a similar trajectory of emotions. “I am so used to the constant barrage of rejections that when I saw the email come through I was in shock,” said McCutchen. “I read it many times and felt so euphoric and overwhelmed. It was an amazing moment that I will never forget. Submitting your writing to literary magazines kind of trains you to be a pessimist for the sake of your survival. When you get amazing news like this it's hard to accept that it's really happening.”
Receiving an award can be that spark of motivation for writers to persist and add their voice to the literary landscape. “I think the Prize for Emerging Writers helps legitimize the many many many hours we spend writing and reading. I think that many of us don't really know what we are doing; we don't know if the work is good or true,” said McCutchen. “All we know is that we love it, and so we try and try and try. We try to be worthy of carrying on the tradition of this craft, living up to those writers that have so moved us and opened our souls up. To try and give to others what has been so generously given to us.”
“Imposter syndrome is a constant companion, and while I often manage to subdue the negative voices in my head in order to write, they're still quite loud,” said Agbo. “So far in my writing life, friends and mentors have expressed their excitement for my stories, reminding me that I am not alone on this path, that no matter what happens, they will continue to read my work. The award is further encouragement, validation that my stories deserve a place in the world, and for me, that is a push to keep writing and dreaming of the impossible.”
The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers comes with a $2,000 award for each recipient. “The generosity of the Dau Family helps us believe in ourselves and just as importantly, it helps us pay our bills,” said McCutchen. “It’s humbling how many people you realize you need for support as a writer. From friends and family to editors and donors, it’s a humbling feeling when you discover that what you thought was a solitary act is not possible without support from many people.”
Although the recipients of the Prize for Emerging Writers were notified in advance that they’d won, the ceremony announced the winners in several categories complete with the official opening of red envelopes. And the awards went to: John A. Farrell, PEN/Bograd Weld Prize for Biography for Richard Nixon: The Life; Alexis Okeowo, PEN Open Book Award for A Moonless, Starless Sky: Ordinary Women and Men Fighting Extremism in Africa; Jenny Zhang, PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction for her collection of short stories, Sour Heart; Layli Long Soldier, PEN/Jean Stein Book Award in recognition of originality, merit, and impact for her poetry collection, Whereas. (Click here for a complete list of award winners.)
For Baltimore Review contributors Agbo and McCutchen, even though the 2018 PEN America ceremony has ended, the writing has just begun. “Receiving this award makes me want to keep pushing myself even harder and to write and submit fearlessly,” said McCutchen. “Attending the PEN Awards was transformational. The other award nominees and recipients are writers who have dedicated their lives to writing and reading and doing so with courage and ferocity. Listening to them speak was incredibly humbling and inspiring. It reaffirmed that I want to give my time, my passion, and my life to this craft.”
Agbo expressed a similar perspective that lauds the significance of the award. “I watched the ceremony online last year, never imagining that I'd be invited this year,” said Agbo. “It's incredible for debut short stories to be recognized alongside emerging and established novelists, and I think the Prize sends a message to writers and readers alike that short stories need not be experienced in the shadows.”
