The Briar Cliff Review nominates six for Pushcart Prize
- Dec 19, 2016
- 1 min read

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — The Briar Cliff Review literary magazine has nominated six of its recent published entries for a prestigious Pushcart Prize.
The nominations include two works of fiction, “Thirty and Out” by S.J. MacLean and “Acqua Alta” by Kate Bullard Adams; a nonfiction essay titled “On Kindness” by Laura S. Distelheim; and three works of poetry — “Midwinter, My Mother” by Laura Apol, “Twilight” by Christopher Todd Anderson and “We Didn’t Have Air Conditioning” by Nancy Lael Braun. All six pieces are featured in the 2016 edition of The Briar Cliff Review.
Publication in “The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses” is awarded annually for works of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction published by literary magazines or small presses during the previous year. The Pushcart Prize has been recognized as the most honored annual literary anthology in America.
Founded in 1989, The Briar Cliff Review is an eclectic literary and art magazine, published annually by the Department of English and Writing at Briar Cliff University. Its editors are committed to nurturing writers and artists and fostering the best of both emerging and established writers and artists.

This article announces the Briar Cliff Review’s Pushcart Prize nominations, highlighting a selection of outstanding fiction, poetry, and nonfiction works chosen from its recent publications. It explains that these nominated pieces represent some of the journal’s strongest writing of the year and reflects the editorial team’s effort to recognise literary excellence across different genres, including storytelling, poetry, and reflective essays. The post also situates the Pushcart Prize as an important recognition in the small-press literary world, celebrating high-quality creative work that may not appear in mainstream publishing. Overall, it showcases the journal’s commitment to promoting diverse and meaningful voices in contemporary literature. It also connects well with Fresh Philosophy Dissertation Topics, as both literary recognition systems and philosophical research involve…