From Our Soundbooth | October 24, 2019

We are so excited to share with you the 2019 Miller Audio Prize Runner-Up in Prose: “How to Survive a Fire” by Rachel Ann Brickner, selected by 2019 Guest Judge Cher Vincent. The Miller Audio Prize is a Spring contest that recognizes winners and runners-up in the four genres of poetry, prose, humor, and audio documentary.

About “How to Survive a Fire“:

Trauma can be one of the most isolating experiences we have as human beings despite it being something that touches us all. I wanted to find a way to tell a story about moving from that isolation to connection–with self, nature, and others. As I explored audio as a medium, I experienced it as whole-body–visual, auditory, linguistic–physical and intellectual. Audio allows me to feel in ways that the page can’t quite achieve. Working with sound allowed me to intimately communicate feelings and experiences I never thought I’d be able to express in a way that finally felt true and real to me.

Listen to “How to Survive a Fire” below:

Rachel Ann Brickner is a writer and multimedia artist from Pittsburgh. Most recently her work has appeared at Joyland, Kenyon Review Online, and Columbia Journal. Her audio essay, “How to Survive a Fire,” first appeared at The Talking Book. Currently, she’s at work on her first novel. You can see more of her work at rachelannbrickner.com.