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. [Read more…]