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Three critically acclaimed authors—all vets—to judge first prize

Beginning in 2013, published by Syracuse University, will award the Institute for Veterans and Military Families Prize for Written Work by a Veteran. The prize is an unsolicited award, and selection will be made by Stone Canoe editors in consultation with staff from SU’s (IVMF).

The prize will be awarded annually to a U.S. veteran for a series of three poems or a short work of fiction or nonfiction. The award is in the emerging artist category and is only open to writers who have not yet published a book with a major press. The subject matter of the written piece may be about veteran or military family issues, but is not required. The panel of visiting jurors for the IVMF prize for Stone Canoe Issue 7 is a group of published authors who are also war veterans.

Karl Marlantes, a former U.S. Marine, is a veteran of the Vietnam War and author of “Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War” (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2010), a New York Times Top 10 Bestseller. He recently released the non-fiction work, “What It Is Like To Go To War” (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2011) on modern veteran life upon return to the civilian world.

Anthony Swofford, a former U.S. Marine and Gulf War veteran, is author of the acclaimed book “Jarhead: A Marine’s Chronicle of the Gulf War” (Scribner, 2003), a memoir based on his service in Iraq as a scout sniper. In 2005, the work was adapted into feature film directed by Sam Mendes, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as Swofford, with co-stars Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard and Chris Cooper.

Brian Turner is a U.S. Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and prize-winning poet, essayist and professor. His first poetry collection, “Here, Bullet” (Alice James Books, 2005), was written about his experiences as a team leader in Iraq.

“We have published several wonderful pieces by veterans in our relatively short history and welcome the addition of this newest prize, which we hope will encourage even more veterans from all branches of service to enrich our publication by allowing us to showcase their literary accomplishments,” says Robert Colley, Stone Canoe editor.

“This award represents an opportunity to recognize veterans as contributors to the arts on topics that could be related to military service, about their experiences as veterans and simply as authors who have served. It places the IVMF firmly as an institute concerned with the holistic picture of being a veteran. We’re proud to support this award, and excited that Bob recognized this as an opportunity for Stone Canoe,” says James Schmeling, IVMF managing director.

“It’s crucial that we support the artistic voices of our veterans. They provide insights that too often get placed in a box and buried forever,” says Turner. “Without this space for the imagination to consider the world we live in, our perceptions of the world are that much more impoverished.”

Submissions for the IVMF Prize for Written Work by a Veteran are being taken through July 15 via the on the Stone Canoe website. Announcement of winners will be made in October, with the winner’s selected work and those of the runners-up published in the next issue of Stone Canoe. The selected recipient will receive a Stone Canoe certificate, $500 and an original stone canoe carving by Native American artist Tom Huff.