The Robert Olen Butler Prize is a prize for
short fiction
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
awarded by
Del Sol Press in conjunction with
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...
-winning novelist
Robert Olen Butler
Robert Olen Butler (born January 20, 1945) is an American fiction writer. His short-story collection '' A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain'' was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1993.
Early life
Butler was born in Granite City, Illin ...
, who chooses the winning story. The winning stories are also collected into an annual anthology, ''The Robert Olen Butler Prize Anthology''. As of 2009, three individuals had appeared in the anthology more than once:
Jacob M. Appel (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009),
Erin Soros (2008, 2009) and
Mark Wisniewski (2008, 2009).
The award was conceived by
Michael Neff, and has been influential in launching the careers of such writers as
Lynn Veach Sadler,
Charles Yu
Charles Chowkai Yu (born January 3, 1976) is an American writer. He is the author of the novels ''How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe'' and '' Interior Chinatown'', as well as the short-story collections ''Third Class Superhero'' ...
,
Roy Kesey
Roy Kesey is an American author. His books include ''Any Deadly Thing'', ''Pacazo'', ''All Over'', ''Nothing in the World'' and an historical guide to the city of Nanjing, China.
His short fiction has been included in Best American Short Stories a ...
and
Cris Mazza
Cris Mazza (born 1956) is an American novelist, short story writer, and non-fiction author.
Early life and education
A native of Southern California, Mazza earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from San Diego State University and ...
.
Past winners
2005
*Grand Prize: E. R. Catalano "News from My Father"
*Thomas P. Balazs "Omicron Ceti III"
*
Ariana-Sophia Kartsonis "Sundress"
*
Roy Kesey
Roy Kesey is an American author. His books include ''Any Deadly Thing'', ''Pacazo'', ''All Over'', ''Nothing in the World'' and an historical guide to the city of Nanjing, China.
His short fiction has been included in Best American Short Stories a ...
"Invunche y voladora"
*Gloria DeVidas Kirchheimer "Malika"
*Karen Kovacik "My Polish Widower"
*Dylan Landis "Jazz"
*Kelly Magee "Not People, Not This"
*
Lynn Veach Sadler "Miss Spam Maps of Vegas"
*Marianne Taylor "Who is the Hardware"
*
Charles Yu
Charles Chowkai Yu (born January 3, 1976) is an American writer. He is the author of the novels ''How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe'' and '' Interior Chinatown'', as well as the short-story collections ''Third Class Superhero'' ...
"My Last Days as Me"
2006
*Grand Prize: Matthew J. Sullivan "Unfound"
*Cheryl Alu, "Girl"
*
Jacob M. Appel, "Shell Game with Organs"
*Kerry Dolan, "Falling Off the George Washington Bridge"
*Alicia Gifford, "Gorgeous World"
*Alison Lee Kinney, "Term"
*Phil LaMarche, "In the Tradition of My Family"
*
Cris Mazza
Cris Mazza (born 1956) is an American novelist, short story writer, and non-fiction author.
Early life and education
A native of Southern California, Mazza earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from San Diego State University and ...
, "Our Time Is Up"
*
Jeff Parker, "The Taste of Penny"
*Bill Pettitt, "This Is Not About Me"
*Peter Paul Smith, "Kleebe"
*Alia Yunis, "A Nearly Blonde Christmas"
2007
*Grand Prize: Valerie Hurley, “Jasmine, Washing the Hair of Pearsa”
*
Jacob Appel, “Enoch Arden’s One Night Stands”
*Stephenie Brown, “The Wheel Wright”
*Lauren Cobb, “No Place”
*
Greg Hrbek, “Bereavement”
*LaTanya McQueen, “Once”
*Jamie Pearlberg, “A Wedding Tale”
Matthew Pitt “The Mean”
*Scott Winokur, “Hideous Thing”
*
Mark Wisniewski, “Prisoners of War”
2008
*Grand Prize: Kimberly Willardson "Winter Memories of the Summer Bear"
*
Jacob M. Appel - "Animal Control"
*Miriam Gershow - "Carker"
*Nick Healy - "Joyless Men"
*Brodie Smith - "Watch Him Burn"
*Erin Soros - "The chorus"
*Naomi Williams - "The Report"
*Mark Wisniewski - "Stricken"
*Christina Yu - "Christmas in the Neighborhood"
2009
*Grand Prize:
Annie Weatherwax - "The Possibility of Things"
*
Jacob M. Appel - "The Appraisal"
*Porter Fox - "Caribou"
*James Gish Jr. - "Wandering Boy"
*Gregory Loselle - "Buried Dinner"
*Geraldine Ann Marshall - "Secrets of Wood"
*Dolen Perkins-Valdez - "The Clipping"
*Michael Schivone - "The Heatseeker"
*
Erin Soros - "Surge"
*Shubha Venugopal - "Lalita and the Banyan Tree"
*
Mark Wisniewski - "Without Good-byes"
See also
*
List of American literary awards
This list of literary awards from around the world is an index to articles about notable literary awards.
International awards
All nationalities & multiple languages eligible (in chronological order)
* Nobel Prize in Literature – since 1901 ...
*
List of literary awards
This list of literary awards from around the world is an index to articles about notable literary awards.
International awards
All nationalities & multiple languages eligible (in chronological order)
* Nobel Prize in Literature – since 1901 ...
Notes
External links
Del Sol Press
American fiction awards
Awards established in 2004