We were excited to learn that David Philip Mullins (Stanley Elkin Scholar/Fiction/2008) won the prestigious Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction from Sarabande Books. We asked David for his thoughts about his experience at Sewanee, particularly the workshop experience.

"Attending the Sewanee Writers’ Conference as a Stanley Elkin Scholar in 2008 was invaluable. The various lectures and panel discussions were consistently absorbing and educational, providing daily opportunities to further my knowledge of craft and my understanding of the publishing industry. The Conference was a unique occasion to become part of a community of young literary artists with whom I was able to develop both my voice and my vision, as we all had the same singular objective: to become better writers. This community outlived the duration of the Conference; I’ve kept in touch with the friends I made there, each of whom has continued to offer moral support and an indispensable critical eye.

Additionally, the workshops were rigorous and encouraging--I always looked forward to them. Working with Margot Livesey and Randall Kenan allowed me to hone my strategies for revision on my first short-story collection, Greetings from Below, which, shortly after the Conference, won the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction, and will be published by Sarabande Books in 2011."

Congratulations to David for his well-deserved accolades and we look forward to reading the book next year.