I've received grants and prizes that required an application but the most rewarding accolades in my career came out of the blue. Here are a few ...
# 3x Roll of Honor, Best Amer Short Stories, akin to 2nd string
All Amer in sports. Came early in career, important validation, though I soon abandoned fiction for decades.
# Commission to write first hyperdrama. Began a very long obsession, essentially ended traditional theater career.
# Play commission, Actors Theatre of Louisville, most imp in country at time. Agent set it up. I blew it, into early hyperdrama obsession. But getting it mattered. So in both short fiction and traditional theater, I followed a major reward by changjng focus.
# Oregon Theatre Foundation Award. Fat check out of the blue. Essentially a patron, it turns out.
# Distinguished Writer in Residence, Catlin Gable School. Offer out of the blue, full school year. So successful it was renewed as Distinguished Scholar (couldn't be repeated, so they used different funds). Two great years in 1980s!
# Digital archive at Univ of North Carolina in new Ibiblio Library. Head librarian impressed with my hypertext essay, wooed me. Been a security blanket for all my work.
# Eng Comp As A Happenjng, book length homage to, expansion of, 1967 essay I wrote as grad student. Issues still argued in academia.
I would welcome one more surprise before I pass ... but don't expect one.
# 3x Roll of Honor, Best Amer Short Stories, akin to 2nd string
All Amer in sports. Came early in career, important validation, though I soon abandoned fiction for decades.
# Commission to write first hyperdrama. Began a very long obsession, essentially ended traditional theater career.
# Play commission, Actors Theatre of Louisville, most imp in country at time. Agent set it up. I blew it, into early hyperdrama obsession. But getting it mattered. So in both short fiction and traditional theater, I followed a major reward by changjng focus.
# Oregon Theatre Foundation Award. Fat check out of the blue. Essentially a patron, it turns out.
# Distinguished Writer in Residence, Catlin Gable School. Offer out of the blue, full school year. So successful it was renewed as Distinguished Scholar (couldn't be repeated, so they used different funds). Two great years in 1980s!
# Digital archive at Univ of North Carolina in new Ibiblio Library. Head librarian impressed with my hypertext essay, wooed me. Been a security blanket for all my work.
# Eng Comp As A Happenjng, book length homage to, expansion of, 1967 essay I wrote as grad student. Issues still argued in academia.
I would welcome one more surprise before I pass ... but don't expect one.
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