I was so honored to find out that my piece, “Generations,” was one of the creative non-fiction pieces nominated by Native Skin for the Pushcart Prize. It was originally published in August of this year (post), and I am humbled by the faith that Native Skin has for my piece.
There are two things of note about this nomination. One, I feel that the pieces that seem to speak to people the most are those where I am exposing my inner core the most. It is so uncomfortable as I’m a very private person, and I strive (and struggle) to maintain that balance of privacy and truthfulness. Perhaps, though, it’s that very vulnerability that people are most drawn to. It’s something I will have examine in the future.
Two, I was nominated for the Pushcart Prize with the very first piece I published: “Joseph” by Vine Leaves Literary Magazine back in 2012. So, it has been exactly a decade between my first and second nominations, and I feel that very fitting. A lot has changed these ten years, not only in my writing but in my life. I have travelled the world, had a child, bought my first home, brought in a cat and a dog into our family. The person I was that wrote “Joseph” is completely different than the person that wrote “Generations.” In a way, I feel that these two pieces bookend each other, the young newlywed in “Joseph” and the mother in “Generations.” It’s also a reminder of persistence and how much I still love to write. While I hope another decade won’t have to pass before another nomination, I am blessed and proud of what I have done in these ten years. Thank you all for sticking by me as well!