Delta Epsilon Sigma awarded Shannon Fandler, an English major and December 2010 graduate, second place for a short work of fiction. Her story, “The Indian,” will be published in a national bi-annual journal that has a circulation of about 20,000 people between colleges and individuals.
This is actually the second year that Fandler has placed in this particular publication. According to Dr. Seth Frechie, chair of the English department and mentor to Fandler, it is not uncommon for Cabrini students to be acknowledged on a national scale.
“The department is very proud of Shannon’s accomplishment,” Frechie said. “I believe it speaks directly to the kind of achievement the creative writing students at Cabrini are having in our revised curriculum. This award for Shannon is very important because it helps spread the word that English students accomplish extraordinary things.”
Frechie, as well as Dr. Michelle Filling, assistant professor of English, both agree that while the department is full of hard working students, Shannon is truly a standout. This award comes
This is actually the second year that Fandler has placed in this particular publication. According to Dr. Seth Frechie, chair of the English department and mentor to Fandler, it is not uncommon for Cabrini students to be acknowledged on a national scale.
“The department is very proud of Shannon’s accomplishment,” Frechie said. “I believe it speaks directly to the kind of achievement the creative writing students at Cabrini are having in our revised curriculum. This award for Shannon is very important because it helps spread the word that English students accomplish extraordinary things.” Frechie, as well as Dr. Michelle Filling, assistant professor of English, both agree that while the department is full of hard working students, Shannon is truly a standout. This award comes on the heels of her tenure as editor of Woodcrest magazine, which led to her receiving a gold circle from the Columbia Scholastic Association.
According to Filling, Fandler’s play, “The Size of a Fist,” won third place last year in Cabrini’s annual scriptwriting contest and one-act play festival.
“Certainly Shannon is a standout as a unique and talented writer,” Filling said. “She has always stood out as one of our most talented creative writers.”
The next steps for Fandler will include traveling with Frechie in March to New York City, while also applying to graduate programs as an MFA candidate with the encouragement of the English department.
Fandler hopes that writing will be part of her future career, whether it is full-time or within part-time opportunities. She also believes that teaching at the college level could be a possibility for her. She would like to continue to be able to work with students as well as other writers.
“In my creative writing classes at Cabrini, I always worked with other students,” Fandler said. “It’s important to read the work of fellow students because it opens your own work up. Even the fact that they can produce something that is meaningful to them is inspirational.”
Fandler’s piece “The Indian” was her senior capstone project in Filling’s class. She did not receive the inspiration for this story from other students but actually from a desire to write about something uncommon.
The story involves a problematic mother/son relationship and the boy, searching for an escape, finds a book about how to live like an Indian. Even though he lives in the suburbs, he tries to imitate this way of life.
“I found a wilderness guide myself and I thought it included some funny stuff that we never really think about because we live in the suburbs,” Fandler said. “I thought it would be an interesting idea to explore something different than what most of us know from living in suburban and modern areas.”
Aside from the publication of the story in the journal, Fandler will receive a cash prize of $250 and the ability to use this story and award as a portfolio and resume booster.
“An award like this can be crucial to the creative writing program in the long run,” Frechie said. “It provides recognition for the college and gets our name out in the larger literary publishing community. We are thankful to our students for these kinds of awards because it can help establish the longevity of our program.”
The department hopes that this award will help Fandler on her way to a lasting career in the writing field and will only be one award on a list of many.
“So many doors are open for Shannon, as well as so many of our creative writers because their work shows a sophisticated command of language,” Frechie said. “This award will be helpful to Shannon because it is a powerful and artistic indication of what she can accomplish in a professional career.”
