University of Baltimore Prof. Jane Delury, who teaches in the University’s MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts program as well as its English program, has won a 2026 Pushcart Prize for her short story, "Goodbye, Raymond Carver." The annual Pushcart Prize recognizes the best literary work, including short fiction, poetry, essays and excerpts from novels, as submitted by small presses and literary magazines from across the country. These publications may nominate up to six selections each, alongside nominations from Pushcart editors. More than 10,000 pieces of writing are put up for the prize each year, with around 70 selected for publication in Pushcart's annual anthology.
"I've been reading the Pushcart anthology since I first started writing fiction," Prof. Delury says of the recognition. "I was living in France and used to haul it back in my suitcase from my visits home. It's a thrill to have my work included in the 50th anniversary issue."
Delury is the author of two novels, Hedge (a People Magazine and Oprah Daily selection), and The Balcony, which won the 2019 Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her short stories have appeared in Granta, The Sewanee Review, The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, The Yale Review, Narrative, and elsewhere. Her awards include a PEN/O. Henry Prize, a Pushcart Special Mention, and grants from the Maryland State Arts Council. Her essays have been published by the L.A. Times, Real Simple, and LitHub among others.
"Goodbye, Raymond Carver" is about a burned-out writing professor whose life imitates art when he's in a traffic accident on his way to class one morning.
Learn more about Prof. Jane Delury and the MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing Arts.