Contest Judge Nancy Lee writes that “Mavis Brown” is a laudable and exciting work of fiction, with a distinct and vigourous narrative voice. Lee continues: “The author manages with great skill and sensitivity to evoke tenderness in a nightmarish world. Wrought with sensual, telling detail, each scene lives vividly off the page, and draws the reader down a dark, winding path of socialized racism and abuse.”

Excerpt from “Mavis Brown:”

IMAGE: thumbnail of Prism International cover

When they found Mavis Brown she had been dead awhile. Her clothes were off and there was a Fanta bottle shoved up inside her and then it was smashed. They say she had lived awhile, and that she probably bled to death. Mavis Brown had that kind of luck. Finding her without her clothes, and sometimes with things up inside her was pretty normal. Once, I found some Polaroids of Mavis Brown in my father’s sock drawer. She had some carrots from my grandmother’s garden up inside her in those pictures. Mostly older guys talked about putting stuff up inside of her, like it was a game, like it was their right. Now, when Mavis Brown was talked about, there was no laughing.