Comments on: Reel Politique: Prize Beat: Everyone She Knows

By: dkholm

dkholm — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:33:05 +0000

As can be discovered easily via a Google search, there were three judges on the panel for the third Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Besides Rick Moody, they were Nigerian writer Segun Afolabi and Galway resident Nuala Ni Chonchuir. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Mr. Moody’s international status clearly brings more weight to the judge’s private proceedings than that of another less known regional writer. According to the standards of the award-giving body, the judges are selected “by the director of the Munster Literature Centre” from among “published short-story writers, academics with a track-record of involvement with the short story and from time to time any other special category person.” The provisions of the O’Connor Award do not make it plain if the judges are required to disclose personal connections to any of the candidates.

The long list of finalists consisted of 34 names. I am unaware of how many of those authors were personal friends of Mr. Moody, but they included such writers as Olaf Olafsson of Iceland, the American writers Mary Gordon and Alice Munro, and international authors Ken N. Kamoche of Kenya, David Malouf, and Georgi Gospodinov of Bulgaria. My query about the incestuous-seeming back-scratching of the Frank O’Connor Award process is no more outrageous than the inquiries that the late, lamented website Foetry.com made into the background of some of the national poetry prizes given out, such as those awarded by juror Jorrie Graham, who had a tendency to award prizes when it was in her power to do so to ex-students.

If some day Mr. Moody is recipient of yet another of among many prizes from a panel that includes Miss July, then the circle of mutual literary back-scratching will be complete — until, at least, the next round of awards mania begins.

By: liam

liam — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 03:59:39 +0000

how many people were on the jury for this award? how many of them are you accusing of being bribed or blackmailed by Rick Moody into voting for a story other than the one they liked the most?

By: mwolf

mwolf — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:34:33 +0000

I don’t find DK’s review “laced with envy” at all, Maureen. The point of his rant, as you commented, was to call out the questionable ethic of Moody remaining on the judge’s panel after realizing that his protégé’s book was in the mix, and to wonder aloud (as it were) whether the book would have been deemed as deserving of the award had he not participated in the voting process. In that regard, you and DK and everyone we know (sorry, couldn’t resist) seem to be in agreement.

By: John Robie

John Robie — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 05:40:12 +0000

Yes, I’m DYING of envy over here. If only I were pretty enough to be an author. Then my Dad’s friends could give ME things too!

Having well connected parents is supposed to get you things like the US presidency, not literary success. Have we gone too far?

By: Maureen Bonnard

Maureen Bonnard — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 20:42:16 +0000

Too bad this review is so laced with envy. The book is good, there is no doubt about that, and indeed could have been worthy of the prize. But there is a good point to be made, independent of that, which is that no judge has any place giving $50,000 to someone who has worked under his tutelage (and is acknowledged at the end of the prize-winning book). It’s impossible to be impartial for too many reasons…Moody has a vested interest in seeing one of his friends succeed. It’s simply called “Conflict of Interest” and forbids many professionals, such as journalists, doctors, lawyers, and so forth from doing this sort of thing. If he knew July’s book was in contention, he should have bowed out from judging the prize.

By: anna

anna — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 15:31:13 +0000

i like miranda july. i feel more like creating things after i read/watch her things.

By: mwolf

mwolf — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 18:15:04 +0000

She’s so phony. Everytime I look at her on that cover of Filmmaker magazine I throw up a little in my mouth.

By: JMW

JMW — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 06:06:31 +0000

Wow! I had no idea that nepotism played such a huge role in the indy scene. It’s disgraceful!