Congratulations to our 2022 fiction winner and finalists!
WINNER: Carrie Grinstead, I Have Her Memories Now
Congratulations are also in order for our top finalists. It was difficult to choose only one book with so many great stories. Our four finalists are:
The Second Longest Day of the Year, by Jean Prokott, is now available for pre-order. Jean is the Howling Bird Press 2021 Poetry Prize winner and we’re thrilled to see the great things Jean – and her book of poetry – will do!
“THE SECOND LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR offers us a poetic landscape that is easily entered but not lightly forgotten. Jean Prokott’s writing is agile. It moves gracefully from a stark wittiness and conversational observations to unforgettable imagery evoking the true palpability of grief. You’ll find yourself pausing between pages to reflect and revel; to mourn or query; to grow and keep going.”
-Sierra DeMulder
This year’s Howling Bird Press cohort has nine student editors. Six of the editors — plus an alumna volunteer and the HPB mentor — agreed to give the world a glimpse of what goes on behind the curtain.
Kate is studying in Publishing I and II in Augsburg’s MFA program. She is especially interested in the developmental editing and proofreading aspects of publishing.
Born and based in Minnesota, she is a poet and avid blogger, currently building her brand and voice. Her favorite authors are Taylor Jenkins Reid, Mindy Kaling, and Luvvie Ajayi Jones.
Entering her second year in the MFA program, Katrina has had a great experience in the MFA program so far, despite having begun the program in the early months of the pandemic.The low-residency program structure and an incredibly creative faculty have made it possible for her to participate fully in addition to working as a registered nurse full-time.
Katrina has been a nurse since 1994. She draws most of her writing inspiration from her experiences at work. For over 25 years, she’s had the incredible privilege of caring for people confronted with unfathomable circumstances. Their stories need to be told— and she absolutely loves telling them.
In Katrina’s words: “Participating as a student editor with HBP has been rewarding and exciting. It’s a thrill to read a brand-new manuscript. At the same time, the editing and publishing worlds can be complex, bureaucratic, and frustrating at times. I won’t lie— it’s a great deal of work, especially in addition to writing classes. However, I’ve found that being a student editor richly enhances my writing practice— well worth the effort!”
Luke is studying Publishing I and II in the MFA program. He is especially interested in the screenwriting and creative non-fiction components of the program.
Luke is a member of the Minnesota Screenwriter’s Workshop and has written four screenplays, receiving finalist recognition in the 2019 Diverse Voices Contest and the 2020 Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards. He was first inspired to write screenplays after watching the film “Ordinary People” when he was 14 years old.
He recently had two non-fiction essays published in the Murphy Square Literary Journal. His Mount Rushmore of writers are Colson Whitehead, Gillian Flynn, Aaron Sorkin, and Taylor Swift.
Outside of writing, Miller works as Director of Marketing and Business Development for the Pride Institute, a Twin Cities based LGBTQIA+ specific addiction treatment center. He resides in downtown Minneapolis with his dog, Stevie.
Pam is an editor for Howling Bird Press pursuing her MFA through Augsburg University Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing program with a primary focus on Poetry.
Her poems have appeared in Aethlon, The Night Heron Barks, Indolent Books, Murphy Square Literary Journal, Literary Mama, 3 Elements Review, and Appalachian Journal, among others.
Pam lives in Rochester, MN. She has a doctorate in Public Health and engages in research to eliminate health disparities with a focus in cancer prevention. She enjoys time with her family, hiking with her dog, tennis, and independent films. She is about to become an empty nester and looking forward to seeing her oldest and youngest sons graduate from college and high school.
Nick is from Minneapolis, MN. He is an aspiring horror writer whose favorite book is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. In his free time, Nick likes to fish, scuba dive, and smoke ribs.
Aaliyah is an editor for Howling Bird Press, studying Publishing in the MFA program. She is especially interested in the developmental editing and proofreading aspects.
Born and raised in Iowa, she specializes in CNF surrounding themes of race, identity, and mental health. Her favorite books are Men We Reaped, Lucy Temple, and the I am Number Four series.
Amanda was one of the first editors for Howling Bird press and loved the program so much that she still volunteers her time. She earned her undergraduate degrees in Mass Communication and Media Writing from Augsburg University, then her MFA in Fiction with a focus on publishing from Augsburg University Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing. She’s a senior communications specialist by day and writer by night. She is usually outdoors, except when she’s indoors scaring herself by reading Shirley Jackson, Benjamin Percy, and Kelly Link.
Jim Cihlar is the Publishing Mentor and Poetry Mentor in Augsburg’s MFA program, where he teaches Publishing I and II and leads Howling Bird Press.
Jim has worked previously for Etruscan Press, Wiigwaas Press, New Rivers Press, and Krause Publications. His positions have included managing editor, marketing and sales director, program director, copy editor, and poetry editor. He has also taught at the University of Minnesota, Macalaster College, and the University of Wisconsin.
He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska, where he served as a reader for Prairie Schooner and an editorial assistant for Great Plains Quarterly. He earned his BA from the University of Iowa, where he studied in the Writer’s Workshop. His most recent poetry book, The Shadowgraph, came out from the University of New Mexico Press. His writing has appeared in The American Poetry Review, The Threepenny Review, The Brooklyn Rail, The Rumpus, Western American Literature, and Lambda Literary Review.
Howling Bird Press has awarded its 2021 poetry prize to “The Second Longest Day of the Year” by Jean Prokott of Rochester, Minnesota. The press will publish the book in November, and along with publication, Prokott will receive a $1,000 prize.
Prokott’s work was chosen in a national competition from among more than 200 submissions.
“I see the book as a reflection of the inner vs. outer selves we experience day by day, hour by hour,” Prokott says. “Each of us goes from trying to understand, existentially, who we are, what our place is, what grief does to us—while at the same time trying to understand the same things from a political perspective. The collection moves between how our personal experience defines us as much as how political culture defines us.”
NEW PAGES has selected Howling Bird Press book “Self, Divided” for their New & Noteworthy list for the month of May. We’re thrilled John Medeiros and his memoir are getting the recognition we know both deserve.
Check it out! https://www.newpages.com/books/new-book-arrivals
What is it about writing that energizes you?
The intimacy of that space is what energizes me. Writing centers me. It reminds me of my place in the larger scheme of things, and it forces me to pause and reflect on those portions of my life that need reflection. It’s easy to avoid something when there is always something else that needs our attention. Writing allows me the space and intimacy I need with that something that would otherwise be avoided.
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
It is common for writers to focus on the product of writing, with so little regard to the process that leads to that product. This is why we often self-edit while we write which, if you think about it, is a type of censorship – a form of self-doubt. If we could have a deeper reverence for the process we would grow as writers, and here’s why: becoming intimate with the process builds in us a trust that the product will eventually happen. We don’t need to know what the end result will look like before that process has begun; what we need to know is that the process will get us there. Knowing and trusting the process builds in us a sense that we are writers and removes the self-doubt that tells us we aren’t.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
I tend to think about my audience too much and too early on in the process. This, too, leads to self-censorship. I am often reminding myself that no one but me needs to know what I’m writing about and the process will eventually reveal what audience, if any, I need to share my writing with.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
For 12 years I co-curated an LGBTQI reading series called Queer Voices with Intermedia Arts. Through that series so many queer-identified writers have shared their voices and their stories. I am still in contact with many of them as I’ve watched them develop as strong literary voices in our community. It’s funny, but a few years ago I deactivated my Facebook account; I felt it was not meeting my needs at the time and was more of a negative influence than a positive influence in my life. My account was deactivated for almost a year, and in that year several colleagues published books, performed readings, and announced awards for their writing. I missed all of them, which saddened me. So I reactivated my Facebook account so I would stay in the loop as much as possible (social media really is the primary means of communication with respect to these things). Since then I’ve attended readings (both in-person and virtual) and read books I would not otherwise have heard about. Why do I say this? For two reasons:
First, to show the power of social media and to remind others that social media is something that we can actually control (while recognizing that, if not used wisely, can also control us). For me, I had to find the right purpose, and that purpose is to reconnect with other writers, including those who are LGBTQI-identified.
Second, in response to your question of how other authors help me become a better writer, to illustrate how important it is to acknowledge other writers and read/listen to their work. Seeing other perspectives and other points of view betters me as a writer. Hearing not just the stories of others but how those stories are told humbles me and reminds me there is always room and time to learn new things.
Do you want each of your stories to stand on their own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between them?
My writing is definitely about connections between stories. My memoir, for example, contains poems – or some versions of poems – that were previously included in my book of poetry. This is because the stories of our lives are interconnected to a larger whole, and the connections between those stories is what adds texture and complexity to our lives.
What have you done since you won the Howling Bird Press prize?
Since winning the award I revised the manuscript several times – that kept me busy! I’m also an immigration lawyer, let’s just say that kept me busy, too!
What did you do with your first writing advance?
First? Will there be another? LOL. Actually, I donated it to a few non-profits, including those that foster queer-identified writers.
How many unpublished and half-finished books/stories do you have?
Dozens, including unfinished poems. I literally have folder called “first lines to work from” and another called “drafts.” Literally dozens.
Kris Joseph is joining a growing list of MFA alumni with published books. She is a 2020 Howling Bird Press and MFA nonfiction graduate from Augsburg University. However, she has been a writer since she was a little kid.
After receiving her undergraduate degree in Communication at UW Milwaukee, Kris started working at United Health Group (Optum). She’s an executive assistant, but her passion for writing has never taken a back seat to her work. When she started looking into a master’s program for writing, she spoke to her boss who encouraged her to go back to school. And with her company’s tuition reimbursement benefit, she was able to do so at Augsburg.
“Augsburg best fit since I was working full time and needed a low-residency program,” says Kris. “I knew I wanted to write about mental health, but decided I needed to polish my work. At Augsburg, my thesis was my memoir.”
Kris incorporated her running into her writing. She hasn’t read about many people using running to help with mental health, despite Kris meeting so many runners over the years who shared stories of their own battles with mental health.
“When you’re running with a team, you have so much time with people and coaches, so there’s always mental health training. Runners talk about their own problems. It was super interesting to me to meet these wonderful people and hear their stories,” says Kris.
Kris’s memoir is about her struggle with mental health from eight years old until the present. She integrates ways she fights depression, which includes her running. And while she always knew what she was going to write about in her memoir, she credits her time in the MFA program – especially her work on Howling Bird Press – as a huge help to her final book.
Kris was part of the editorial team that published Self, Divided by John Medeiros, which will be released April 16.
“Being able to work on the publishing process for Self, Divided was the most helpful class that I took during the MFA program at Augsburg. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without going through this process with Jim Cihlar and team.”
Kris was surprised how much she enjoyed reading the Howling Bird Press contest submissions.
“Reading others’ work and editing helped with the classes I was taking. When I had to send in a draft for my own thesis, it was easier because I’d been editing and thinking creatively already.”
Kris worked with a self-publishing company, Wise Ink, to publish her memoir, Simply Because We Are Human. Wise Ink is a small Minneapolis company started by women, something Kris was particularly interested in.
“I could do a lot myself because of what I’d learned from Howling Bird press. For example, I used a friend from my undergrad program to do the cover art. And I’m doing the audio book with a friend who is an actor. Wise Ink hooks you up with everything you need, kind of an à la carte deal, and they have a project manager that oversees it all.”
Kris loved being able to shape her memoir – the writing and the publishing – herself. And she sees self-publishing as a growing commodity for writers.
“When I’m done I have all the rights, 100% of sales. Self-publishing is something that will be utilized more in the future. There are some people that won’t look at a book if it’s self-published, but they’re missing out on a lot.”
Before her memoir was officially published, Kris was already thinking of her next project. She wrote a screenplay based on her book in partnership with Andy Froemke, the MFA screenwriter professor. The script is called Beyond Blue.
She is also writing through her training for this year’s Grandma’s Marathon.
“I never thought I’d run another marathon, but I wanted something to help deal with the grief of this last year, so I’m writing about that. It might be a book, it might not.”
Kris’s memoir, Simply Because We Are Human, is available for order at her website: https://www.kjjosephwriter.com.
“In Simply Because We Are Human, running—both competitively and recreationally—is the lifeline that helps KJ Joseph manage clinical depression. A track star from a young age, Joseph finds motivation to keep running in the memory of her late grandmother, a gifted athlete who competed in sports as a member of the first class of WAVES in the 1940s. This swift and dexterous memoir lays bare the challenges and triumphs of effective mental health treatment.
How do we live with depression without shutting down all of our emotions, even the painful ones? ‘Running is all about letting go,’ Joseph writes. Bracing, sensitive, and savvy, Simply Because We Are Human shares hard-won lessons along with a vigorous dose of inspiration.”
—James Cihlar, author of The Shadowgraph
MFA and HBP alumna, Kristine Joseph, talks about her experience as a student working for Howling Bird Press and the process of picking the 2020 book prize winner, ‘Self, Divided’ by John Medeiros.
Check out her video on our Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/howlingbirdpress/videos/476956990156287
(February 2021, Minneapolis) The editors of Howling Bird Press are excited to announce the semifinalists, finalists, and winner of the 2021 Poetry Prize:
Winner
Almost Sunset at High Noon, Jean Prokott
Finalists (in alphabetical order)
tips for masturbating discreetly during the revolution {for women!} &other poems, Zoe Canner
寂寞 • 先知 (( lonely prophet )),Michael Chang
Equus caballus: When the Rider Halters the Horse, Donna J. Gelagotis Lee
LETTING GRAVITY SPEAK, Erika Michael
Weathervanes in the Direction of Why, Eva Skrande
Semifinalists (in alphabetical order)
Grim Honey: Poems, Jessica Barksdale
Lighting Out for the Invisible, Danielle Dubrasky
The Bereaved and the Unbereaved, Richard Lyons
Last Known Address, Jane Medved
Take, Eat;, Mason Nunemaker
Everything Gets Louder in the Dark, Jason Olsen
HERSELF, Deborah Phelps
Head of a Gorgon, Raegen M. Pietrucha
PAPA PAPA A New Father’s Journey, Richard Weekley
The press is grateful to the many authors who entered. It was an honor to consider such amazing submissions. The winning book will be published in fall 2021. Please check back here and on our social media for further updates.
Howling Bird Press’s 2020 nonfiction prize-winning book, “Self, Divided,” by John Medeiros, made the “Lambda Literary Review” list for most anticipated books of February! Congratulations to our author and, of course, our student editors!
