Writer-in-Residence Wins Pushcart Prize

Bill Lychack honored for short story ‘Stolpestad’

May 21, 2009 — Writer-in-residence Bill Lychack has been awarded a 2009 Pushcart Prize for his short story “Stolpestad.” Each year the Pushcart Prize catapults the best short stories, poetry, and essays from the pages of small press journals to an international readership. Previous unknowns who have been bestowed with the Pushcart honor include Andre Dubus, Raymond Carver, Susan Minot, and John Irving.

Lychack’s short story is told from the viewpoint of a police officer, Stolpestad, who is called upon to help a 9-year-old boy and his dying dog. The story, based on a disturbing incident that occurred near the writer’s hometown in Putnam, Conn., has been a labor of love for years.

“It feels as if I’ve been carrying this story around forever,” said Lychack. “Growing up, it was easy to empathize with the boy’s point of view, but I always wondered how the cop felt.” USA Today once wrote that Lychack has “an unwavering compassion for all of his characters.”

Lychack has authored dozens of short stories and essays, including the critically acclaimed 2005 novel, “The Wasp Eater,” which earned him The New York Times Book Review’s “Editor’s Choice” nod. His latest work, “The Architect of Flowers,” is a collection of 12 short stories that will be released next spring.

In addition to teaching classes in creative writing and fiction for the Academy, Lychack is also an instructor for Lesley University’s MFA program. He earned his BA degree from Connecticut College and an MFA degree from the University of Michigan.

Originally published in the spring 2008 edition of “Ploughshares,” Emerson College’s literary journal, “Stolpestad.” will be included in the 2010 collection “The Pushcart Prize—Best of the Small Presses.”