The Story Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 9 (2012) Winner
Claire Vaye Watkins
クレア・ヴェイ・ワトキンス
Kurea Vei Watokinsu
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1984-04-09 （Bishop, California, US）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Bishop, California → Tecopa, California → Pahrump, Nevada → Mojave Desert → Irvine, California
Career
- Occupations
- novelist, short story writer, essayist, college professor
- Active Years
- 2012-
- Affiliations
- University of California, Irvine (faculty), Bennington Writing Seminars (Bennington College MFA), Princeton University (served as visiting assistant professor), Bucknell University (served as assistant professor), University of Michigan, Helen Zell Writers' Program (served as assistant professor)
- Influenced By
- Paul Watkins
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nevada, Reno | — | — | Bachelor's | — | United States |
| Ohio State University | — | Creative writing (MFA) | MFA | — | United States |
University of Nevada, Reno
Degree:
Bachelor's
Country:
United States
Ohio State University
Creative writing (MFA)
Degree:
MFA
Country:
United States
Presidential fellow (while enrolled)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Story Prize | Battleborn | — | The Story Prize | winner |
| 2013 | Dylan Thomas Prize | Battleborn | — | Dylan Thomas Prize | winner |
| 2013 | Young Lions Fiction Award | Battleborn | — | New York Public Library | winner |
| 2012 | Rosenthal Family Foundation Award | Battleborn | — | American Academy of Arts and Letters | winner |
| 2012 | 5 Under 35 | — | — | National Book Foundation | honoree |
| 2014 | Guggenheim Fellowship | — | — | John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation | recipient |
| 2021 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize (finalist) | I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness | — | Los Angeles Times | finalist |
| 2013 | Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award (shortlist) | Battleborn | — | Frank O'Connor Award | shortlist |
| 2013 | PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize (shortlist) | Battleborn | — | PEN America | shortlist |
| 2013 | RUSA Notable Book for Adults | Battleborn | — | American Library Association (ALA) | winner |
The Story Prize
2013
Work:
Battleborn
Organization:
The Story Prize
Result:
winner
Dylan Thomas Prize
2013
Work:
Battleborn
Organization:
Dylan Thomas Prize
Result:
winner
Young Lions Fiction Award
2013
Work:
Battleborn
Organization:
New York Public Library
Result:
winner
Rosenthal Family Foundation Award
2012
Work:
Battleborn
Organization:
American Academy of Arts and Letters
Result:
winner
5 Under 35
2012
Organization:
National Book Foundation
Result:
honoree
Guggenheim Fellowship
2014
Organization:
John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation
Result:
recipient
Los Angeles Times Book Prize (finalist)
2021
Work:
I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness
Organization:
Los Angeles Times
Result:
finalist
Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award (shortlist)
2013
Work:
Battleborn
Organization:
Frank O'Connor Award
Result:
shortlist
PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize (shortlist)
2013
Work:
Battleborn
Organization:
PEN America
Result:
shortlist
RUSA Notable Book for Adults
2013
Work:
Battleborn
Organization:
American Library Association (ALA)
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Lannan Literary Awards
2 appearances
Works
Major Works
Battleborn
2012 short story collection (literary fiction)A collection of short stories set in the Mojave Desert and Nevada exploring landscape, family history, and the experiences of women in the American West.
landscapethe politics of womanhood and girlhoodfamily historyMojave Desert
Gold Fame Citrus
2015 novel (dystopian / literary)A surreal novel inspired by California's drought and the lives of outcasts in the desert, noted for luminous landscape writing.
environmental crisisoutsiders and exilesurvivaldesert landscape
I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness
2021 novel (autofiction)About a young mother who refuses to conform to societal expectations and abandons those who love her in search of herself; an autofictional exploration of personal mythology.
motherhoodpersonal reinventionself-searching
Bibliography
- Battleborn
- Gold Fame Citrus
- I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness
- On Pandering (essay)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical, detailed landscape descriptionmodern literary styleautofictional elements
- Recurring Motifs
- desert and wastelandmotherhood and girlhoodfamily secretsenvironment and politics
Legacy
Recognized as a distinctive voice of the American West, Watkins earned multiple literary awards for Battleborn and is noted for her landscape writing and explorations of women's lives, attracting academic and critical attention.
Academic Societies
- American Academy of Arts and Letters (associated)
- Nevada Writers Hall of Fame (associated)
In Popular Culture
- The essay "On Pandering" provoked wide discussion in the literary world and generated significant response.
Quotes
-
"The whole book's a pander."
Source: Essay "On Pandering" (Tin House, 2015) (2015)
Trivia
- Her father, Paul Watkins, was a former member of the Manson Family.
- Battleborn received strong reviews in outlets such as The New York Times and was associated with the label "Nevada Gothic."
- She has a daughter named Esmé.