“Alex Sees Him on the Water” was a finalist for the Doris Betts Fiction Award and now, a year after submission, it appears in the North Carolina Literary Review. (The links in the table of contents might not be active yet, so keep trying.) Scroll toward the bottom of the issue page and you’ll see that the story has also been nominated for an O. Henry Award. And sprinkling sugar on top of recognition, the Review paid me for the piece, enough for oysters, Manhattans, and steak frites for two. Life is good. https://nclr.ecu.edu/issues/nclr-fall-online-2025/
Tag Archives: Doris Betts Fiction Prize
Update: “Alex Sees Him on the Water,” Doris Betts Fiction Prize Finalist
“Alex” will appear in the autumn 2025 issue of the North Carolina Literary Review (NCLR) and be nominated for an O. Henry award. The Betts Prize is a joint venture of the North Carolina Writers’ Network and the NCRL, and I thank them both.
This is one in a cycle of stories that unpacks the lives of recurring characters in a coastal New England village. The cycle also includes “He Talks to Himself,” published in the December 2024 (vol. 6) issue of Portrait of New England.
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The Works of SD Williams 