a little sweetbrag: Ohioana Grant

So, a thing happened, and it’s a thing I’ve had my eye on since I was 18 years old.

I won the Ohioana Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant, which is an annual writing award given to a writer age 30 or under who hasn’t published a book yet.

Here’s the full text of the Ohioana Facebook post:

Congratulations to Ashley Bethard of Dayton, winner of the 28th Ohioana Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant, a competitive prize for Ohio writers age 30 or younger who have not yet published a book. A graduate of the Ashland University’s Master of Fine Arts Program, Ashley’s writing has appeared in PANK Magazine, The Rumpus, Hobart, Fanzine and others. Her essay, “Of Blood” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. A digital and new media specialist and winner of a Newspaper Association of America’s “30 Under 30” Award, Ashley is currently working on a book that doubles as a love letter to her late brother. Past winners of the Marvin Grant, named for Ohioana’s second director and endowed by his family, include Anthony Doerr, Ellis Avery, and Salvatore Scibona. Ashley will be honored October 6 at the Ohio Statehouse, along with the Ohioana Book Award winners, who will be announced tomorrow. To learn more about Ashley, visit her website: https://ashleybethard.com/

I am thrilled. So, so, SO thrilled. And grateful that I slid under the “30” benchmark just in time!

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