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Hendrix Student’s Short Story Recognized by AWP

CONWAY, Ark. (March 27, 2018) — Peyton Coffman ’19, an English-Creative Writing major, has received an honorable mention for her short story “Bird of New York” in the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) Intro Journals Project. She was recognized by award-winning AWP member David James Poissant, who teaches in the MFA program at the University of Central Florida.

“Most of the competition are students in MFA programs, so Peyton’s recognition alongside them is a serious achievement,” said Dr. Tyrone Jaeger, associate professor of English/Creative Writing and director of the Creative Writing Program at Hendrix. Visit the AWP website for a complete listing of this year’s honorees.

“Bird of New York” had previously won first place in the Hendrix-Murphy Aonian contest, judged by author Kevin Brockmeier, who in a letter to Coffman called her entry “a nearly perfect story” and “a very fine piece of work.” 

At Hendrix, Coffman is also part of the second class of Murphy Scholars in Literature and Language, having been inducted in 2016. Murphy Scholars explore literature and language at an intensive level by participating in designated study, travel, research, and service experiences in literature and language.

About AWP

AWP provides support, advocacy, resources, and community to nearly 50,000 writers, 550 college and university creative writing programs, and 150 writers’ conferences and centers. Our mission is to foster literary achievement, advance the art of writing as essential to a good education, and serve the makers, teachers, students, and readers of contemporary writing. To learn more, visit www.awpwriter.org

About Hendrix College

A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu