By Ethan Rice
We are thrilled to announce the final judge for the 2024 River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize.
Beth Nguyen is an author and professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she directs the MFA Program in Creative Writing. Born in Saigon, Nguyen’s family came to America as refugees while she was a baby, settling in Michigan, where she grew up and would receive her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan.
The recipient of an American Book Award, a PEN/Jerard Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship, Nguyen has been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Time, and Best American Essays. Her published books include two novels and two memoirs, the most recent of which – Owner of a Lonely Heart – was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice Pick and listed among the best books of 2023 by NPR, Time, Oprah Daily, and BookPage.
Owner of a Lonely Heart tells the story of Nguyen’s coming-of-age and relationship with her mother, who remained in Vietnam after her family’s flight. It carries themes of “absence, parenthood, and the condition of being a refugee; the fragmentation of post-war resettlement; and the uncertainty of home.” Beyond the many year-end lists it appeared on in 2023, it has received high praise from Nguyen’s fellow authors, such as Alexander Chee, Lacy M. Johnson, Joanna Rakoff, and Aimee Nezhukumatathil. We could not be happier to have her as the final judge for our 2024 Prize.
Submissions for the 2024 River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Book Prize will be open from August 1 – October 31, 2024. A list of past winners, including the 2023 winner, Laura Julier, can be found on our website and can be purchased from University of New Mexico Press site and wherever you buy books.
