The Mountain Heritage Literary Festival
June 11-13, 2010

Congratulations to Katie Perry, recipient of the 2010 Jean Ritchie Fellowship!

Originally from Double Springs, Alabama, Katie Perry has lived in Germany, the Northeast, the Midwest, and southern California, but her home state is the place she returns to most often, both in writing and in life. In 2008, she completed an MFA in fiction at the University of Iowa. She now lives, writes and teaches in Austin, Texas, where she is hard at work on a collection of short stories.

This is what our final judge had to say about Katie’s submission:

“It's the best-written and most engaging application essay I've seen from all the applicants over the years.  It's clear that she took the essay to be as important as the writing sample; it's as beautiful as her short story and is brave in an undramatic, thoughtful way. The voice in her short story was so strong and engaging.  I laughed out loud a number of times while reading the piece; I love that we have a winner this year who uses humor and uses it well.  I love the honesty of her voice and clarity of sight.  So many of her paragraphs were as vivid as poems.  She used surprising, fresh language and striking imagery/scenes throughout.   She also had the most unique approach to shape and scope. I liked the way the piece moved and its pacing, and I think this writer is someone who deserves to be encouraged and rewarded in 2010.”

About the Jean Ritchie Fellowship

Through literature, a region tells stories to its citizens and the world. The Jean Ritchie Fellowship seeks to support, encourage and honor writers from the Southern Appalachians.

The fellowship is the first of its kind for the region's writers, and is committed to Appalachian voices.

Jean Ritchie of Viper, Kentucky, and Port Washington, New York, is a musician, author of prose and poetry, social activist, teacher, historian and folk music collector. The fellowship strives to support artists who, like Ritchie, create works of beauty and social relevance, while honoring traditional heritage and forging a new path.

Find out more about Jean Ritchie at http://www.jeanritchie.com/.

Award amount: $1,500

The winner of the 2008 Jean Ritchie Fellowship in Writing was Mindy Beth Miller from Hazard, Kentucky.

The winner of the 2009 Jean Ritchie Fellowship in Writing was Larry Bingham of Portland, Oregon. 

Lincoln Memorial University
Cumberland Gap Parkway
P.O. Box 2005
Harrogate, TN 37752

Phone:
423.869.6432 or 800.325.0900, ext. 6432