New Memoir Prize Honors McCourt

The Southampton Review, the literary and fine arts journal of the M.F.A. in creative writing and literature program at Stony Brook Southampton, has announced the creation of the Frank McCourt Memoir Prize, entries for which can be submitted until March 15.

Named in honor of the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir “Angela’s Ashes,” who was a teacher at the Southampton Writers Conference from 2002 to 2008, the prize will be given to two writers, both of whose entries will be published in the summer/fall edition of the magazine. In addition, first prize will be $1,000 and second prize will be $500.

Lou Ann Walker, editor of TSR, said the prize was named not only to honor McCourt’s memory and achievements but also to encourage memoir writers to infuse their work, as did McCourt, with a sense of humor, no matter how serious the content.

The journal is looking for “writing that is intimate, illuminating, moving, tragicomic, or just plain comic.” Submissions should not exceed 4,500 words. Complete details about the prize and other submissions to the magazine are available at thesouthamptonreview.com.