Dante Chavez '20 (pictured bottom left) was named a 2024 finalist for the Washington College Sophie Kerr Prize, a literary prize with a total award amount surpassing the combined value of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. Graduating seniors from any major program can submit a portfolio of any literary style for the Kerr, now in its 57th year. According to an article from the Washington College website, one award committee member praised the finalists by saying, “The five finalists have in common a sonorous lyricism, a bravery to voice from the margins, and a love of both literary tradition and a daring to reinvent it."

 

Chavez recently graduated from Washington College with a degree in English and dual minors in computer science and creative writing. The portfolio he submitted for the Kerr, entitled "The Shape of Story: An Exploration in 5 Forms," was described in the article as “[intending] to be an exhibition of the ‘provocative power’ of the story across five normally disparate forms, including but not limited to poetry, research paper, and even a podcast.” Chavez read two selections in the final award ceremony, which can be viewed at approximately the 35-minute mark in this video recording.