It’s that time of year, when Carve becomes the submitter and we send our own published stories out to the Pushcart Press in hopes that one or more of our authors lands the prestigious Pushcart Prize.

Each year we’re allowed to nominate up to six works of literature, including essays, poetry, and fiction. This year our field of potential nominees widely broadened thanks to our Premium Edition, in which we publish essays, poetry, and additional stories. It’s never easy having to settle on just a few nominees—sort of like how writers must kill their darlings—but it’s what must be done.

Therefore, we’re pleased to announce the following as our 2013 Pushcart Prize nominees: 

• Fiction: “Literature Appreciation” by Man Martin (Winter 2012, published January 2013)
• Fiction: “Firebug” by Katie Cortese (Winter 2012, published January 2013)
• Fiction: “Before the Earth Shook” by Victoria Large (Spring 2013, Premium Edition)
• Fiction: “Human Voices Drown Us” by Sandra Hunter (Summer 2013)
• Essay: “Raymond Carver in the Workshops” by Douglas Unger (Fall 2013, Premium Edition)
• Fiction: “Eminence” by Caroline Casper (forthcoming, Winter 2013)

If a work is selected as a prizewinner, it will appear in the Pushcart Prize XXXIV in fall 2014.