2007.04.04: April 4, 2007: Headlines: COS - Guatemala: Writing - Guatemala: Awards: West Virginia University: Guatemala RPCV Mark Brazaitis wins Outstanding Researcher Awards at Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University
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2007.04.04: April 4, 2007: Headlines: COS - Guatemala: Writing - Guatemala: Awards: West Virginia University: Guatemala RPCV Mark Brazaitis wins Outstanding Researcher Awards at Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University
Guatemala RPCV Mark Brazaitis wins Outstanding Researcher Awards at Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University
His writing frequently draws on his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala. “Although I use small towns in Latin America as settings in some of my work,” he said, “I cast my thematic net wider, creating what I hope are complicated and rich tales of North Americans and Latin Americans meeting, approaching understanding, and sometimes even falling in love across language and culture.” A number of his writings have won national prizes, including “An American Affair,” winner of the 2004 George Garrett Fiction Prize; “The River of Lost Voices: Stories from Guatemala,” which won the 1998 Iowa Short Fiction Award; and his novel, “Steal My Heart,” which won the 2001 Maria Thomas Fiction Award.
Guatemala RPCV Mark Brazaitis wins Outstanding Researcher Awards at Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University
Eberly College announces Outstanding Researchers
The Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University has announced its Outstanding Researcher Awards for 2007. This year's honorees are Mark Brazaitis, associate professor of English; George O'Doherty, associate professor of chemistry; and Steven Zdatny, professor of history.
[Excerpt]
Brazaitis, who earned a MFA from Bowling Green University and a bachelor's degree in history from Harvard University, is a member of the English Department's creative writing faculty.
A number of his writings have won national prizes, including “An American Affair,” winner of the 2004 George Garrett Fiction Prize; “The River of Lost Voices: Stories from Guatemala,” which won the 1998 Iowa Short Fiction Award; and his novel, “Steal My Heart,” which won the 2001 Maria Thomas Fiction Award.
His work has also been published in prestigious journals such as “Shenandoah,” “The Notre Dame Review,” “Poetry International,” “Poetry East,” “Hayden's Ferry Review” and “The Carolina Quarterly.”
Brazaitis's poetry has been included in “Uncommon Journeys,” a publication of the U.S. Peace Corps geared toward junior high and high school students; and “Wild Sweet Notes II,” an anthology of West Virginia poets. He is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and his writing has been supported by a Senate Research Grant from the Eberly College.
His writing frequently draws on his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala. “Although I use small towns in Latin America as settings in some of my work,” he said, “I cast my thematic net wider, creating what I hope are complicated and rich tales of North Americans and Latin Americans meeting, approaching understanding, and sometimes even falling in love across language and culture.”
Elizabeth Oness, another Iowa Short Fiction Award winner, said of his stories, “Brazaitis portrays the diverse worlds of our Americas without falling into the easy polarities of north and south.”
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Headlines: April, 2007; Peace Corps Guatemala; Directory of Guatemala RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Guatemala RPCVs; Writing - Guatemala; Awards; West Virginia
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