Most Monday mornings I do not jump around in the near darkness hollering at the top of my lungs. In fact, I am more likely to be seen quietly fumbling toward the kitchen in search of the coffee pot. However, last Monday was different. Last Monday morning I checked my e-mail to discover that my story, "Ink Upon the Furrows," had been named a finalist for the Kay Cattarulla Award for Best Short Story by the Texas Institute of Letters. I had even been invited to attend the awards ceremony in McAllen.
Once I finished jumping and hollering, I started to feel like I was living in a dream. Folks such as Cormac McCarthy, Larry McMurtry, and Willie Nelson are members of the Texas Institute of Letters, and to be named a finalist for a TIL award is an incredible, almost unfathomable honor for me. I truly could not be happier or more grateful. Honestly, I still feel like I am living in a dream, and I would like to thank my family, friends, former teachers, and colleagues for their unwavering support. I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to the Texas Observer, as well as to my wife, Martina, whose sleep is occasionally interrupted by my wild, delirious whooping.
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