The ongoing saga of the fox in the darkness!

Ok, last week was quite good. In addition to finding out about the Polish edition of The Daughters, I gave a commencement speech (which you can read here), and then got to announce that I won a PEN/O. Henry Prize for my story “Temples,” which was first published in the crackerjack journal Epoch.

For those of you who don’t spend a lot of time in the literary world, this is a really big deal, and an enormous honor – especially considering the high bar set by the other recipients of this year’s award. You can read my story (and 5 of the other winners!) online now, and/or buy the collection when it comes out from Vintage/Anchor books later this year. I am so happy I could spit.

I am also delighted to say I won a Glenna Luschei Prize from Prairie Schooner for my story “The Girls They Burned.” (This one’s not online in its entirety, but you can buy the issue! For those following my life with eerie specificity, this is the story I read at AWP.)

So, basically, a lot of back-patting for me, by me. Writing can be difficult, lonely, and sad, and so when bundles of goodness like this come around, I have very little shame about just rolling around in them and feeling happy and excellent. I also cooked for myself TWICE this week WHILE DAVE WAS OUT OF TOWN, so I am basically a hero; I also vacuumed.