Elizabeth Genovise
A story by Roane State Community College assistant professor Elizabeth Genovise has been named a 2016 O. Henry Prize Story, among the nation’s most prestigious honors for short fiction.
Past winners include literary luminaries such as William Faulkner, John Updike, Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker, and Truman Capote, a press release said. Genovise’s piece, “Irises,” was among 20 stories selected from thousands of works published in literary magazines.
“I honestly couldn’t believe it,” Genovise said of the moment she learned her story had been selected. “I re-read the letter 50 times thinking maybe it was an elaborate prank from a fellow writer.”
Genovise has taught English at Roane State for six years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Hillsdale College, a master’s in English from McNeese State University, and a master of fine arts, or M.F.A., from McNeese State.
Genovise said she began writing short fiction while in a doctoral program, leading her to eventually pursue her M.F.A. rather than a doctorate.
“I am constantly watching and listening,” she said of her writing process. “I pick up pieces of dialogue, and I think about a character for weeks or months or years until they reveal themselves to me and I know their motivations.”
“Irises,” which appeared in Cimarron Review, is a story about a moment when a daughter learns a long-hidden and profound secret from her mother’s past.
Winning stories are available at www.lithub.com.
O. Henry was the pen name of William Sydney Porter (1862-1910). O. Henry’s best-known stories include “The Gift of the Magi,” “The Last Leaf,” and “The Ransom of Red Chief.”
Roane State is a two-year college providing transfer programs, career-preparation programs, and continuing education. Founded in 1971, the college has campuses in Crossville, Harriman, Huntsville, Jamestown, Knoxville, LaFollette, Lenoir City, Oak Ridge, and Wartburg.
For more information, visit roanestate.edu or call 1-866-GO2-RSCC (1-866-462-7722).
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