You can read it over on their blog, or let the below whet your appetite first:
December 8, 2008, Ann Arbor, MI—Dzanc Books is pleased to announce that Kodi Scheer of Ann Arbor, Michigan is the winner of the second annual $5,000 Dzanc Prize.
Scheer was selected from more than 100 applicants for both the quality
of her fiction writing, as well as her proposal to serve as a
writer-in-residence in the Complementary Therapies Program at the
Comprehensive Cancer Center, in Ann Arbor. For her community service,
Scheer will conduct three 10-week
workshops at the University of Michigan Hospital for cancer patients,
caregivers and hospital staff. We at Dzanc found Kodi’s conviction in
the importance of providing the tools for self-expression to cancer
patients and their care givers a monumentally significant undertaking.
Kodi’s work will help people going through an extremely tough time find
a means of expression and a way to share their experiences. Throughout
the workshop there will be an exploration of connections to friends,
family, illness, and language. Scheer, a University of Michigan English
Literature teacher, will begin her service in 2009 with half of the
prize awarded in January and the other half awarded once the service is
completed.
Steven
Gillis, Publisher of Dzanc Books, notes: “Kodi's writing has a touch
of the old soul in it. She is a great storyteller, while at the same
time conveying a deep rooted wisdom. To be honest, Kodi was a finalist
last year and - other than the obvious excellence of our first winner, Laura van den Berg
- we at Dzanc didn't want to appear prejudiced by favoring a hometown
writer. We did ask Kodi - and the other 2007 finalists to submit their
proposals again, and this year, with new writings, Kodi's material rose
quickly to the top out of some 100 national submissions, to where we
couldn't ignore the excellence of her work or her wonderful community
project. ”
Scheer, a native of Blairstown, Iowa, and graduate of the Universities of Iowa and Michigan, is currently working on a short story collection, Gross Anatomy, and plans to complete that. She says, “I'm honored to be selected for the 2008 Dzanc Prize and grateful to Dzanc for the opportunity to complete my manuscript while giving back to the community. I'm thrilled to start teaching workshops at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, where I'll help patients, caregivers, and staff find small moments of closure and provide an outlet for personal expression.”
Again, there is some more information about Kodi and the Prize itself on the Dzanc Blog.
well, i am glad it's going good for some body ,still can't get my book write .. I have decide it all a money racket who every pays more get;s more so when i win the lottery maybe my book will be on the front page to .Sorry just frustrated...
Posted by: robin | December 08, 2008 at 02:40 AM
well, just fustrated any other writer having these problems or is it just me...when did thier get to be so many of us and how do we know if were really good..or just lost..Your friends most certainly would tell you... Still haven't figure out what to buy i think if one more dime is waste on bad bussiness. I'll scream... Hey>>it not what you write ....it the fact you did it
Posted by: robin | December 08, 2008 at 02:44 AM
Congrats, Kodi--this is great news!!
Posted by: Laura van den Berg | December 08, 2008 at 11:43 AM
Congrats, Kodi--great news!
Posted by: Laura van den Berg | December 08, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Congratulations, Kodi and to Dzanc Books!! I'll be looking forward to her collection.
Posted by: Katrina Denza | December 08, 2008 at 05:44 PM
Congratulations to Kodi and Dzanc!
Posted by: Matt Bell | December 08, 2008 at 05:59 PM
. . . this is so cool! congrats, kodi, and congrats steve and dan for sponsoring such a dynamite program!
Posted by: jonathan evison | December 10, 2008 at 12:34 AM