Amy Hempel Wins Short Story Award

Wed, 10/22/2008 - 8:50pm by muffy

Author Amy Hempel has been named this year's winner of the The Rea Award for the Short Story. The award was established in 1986 by Michael M. Rea, a publisher and collector of first-edition short stories who died in 1996.

Ms. Hempel has won several prestigious literary awards for her work, including the Hobson Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Over the years, she has served as a judge for the National Book Award, The PEN/Revson Award, The PEN/ Hemingway Award, and the Mary McCarthy Prize among others. Her Collected Stories (2006), was named one of the The New York Times' Ten Best Books in 2007.

Amy has taught at a number of colleges and universities across the country, including New York University, Saint Mary's College, and the University of Missouri. She is currently a faculty member in the graduate writing programs of Bennington College in Vermont and The New School University in New York City.

Mavis Gallant, John Updike, Alice Munro and Stuart Dybek are among the previous winners. The award comes with a $30,000 prize.