Uncategorized | February 16, 2016

For the next few weeks, we will be featuring narrative accounts “from the horse’s mouth,” so to speak—the 2015 winners and runners-up in Prose, Poetry, Audio Documentary, and Humor of our Miller Audio Prize. Today we hear from our first-place winner in Poetry, Kevin McIlvoy, whose narrative of winning this contest transcended beyond the money and good fortune. Here is what he has to say about his experience:

“Winning the Audio Prize in Poetry has been a great encouragement for me as a writer who has given his all to his work for over forty years. In those forty years, what have I learned about making my stories and prose poems? They are manifestations of love that once seemed difficult to welcome; they carry in them the echoes of love that was offered with ease. This prize matters especially to me because the poem I entered is in honor of the remarkable poet, Steve Orlen. Steve was a loving force in the lives of many, many writers. He was a sensitive man. He was a gifted teacher. And this — he was a celebratory person: anyone who heard him formally or informally talk, heard in his voice and manner how genuinely he celebrated our human comedy of coming into life, coming through life, coming to life. If the poem causes generative delight and discovery, if it offers love, it is all due to Steve Orlen.”

You can check out Kevin’s award-winning poem here and read more about him and his work at his website.

Want to join him as one of our prize winners? You can submit to our Miller Audio Contest here. The deadline is March 15th. We can’t wait to listen!