Boulder resident Jeff Guay has been awarded the Whitefish Review’s 2024 Montana Prize for Fiction for his short story “Emerald Casino.” The prize, which comes with $1000 and publication in the Review, is Guay’s first since receiving his masters in creative writing from the University of Montana this past May.
“I hate to admit that I do like things like recognition, and winning a prize here and there,” said Guay. “But I try to remember that that’s not why I’m writing. When something of mine does land, I need to take a moment to recognize that this thing that has largely existed only in my head has actually connected with someone else now. That’s all it’s about, and probably all it ever should be about.”
“Emerald Casino” is a vignette from the life of a woman with sleeping problems. Guay’s protagonist, having recovered from a gambling addiction and substance abuse issues, struggles to navigate current relationships while coming to terms with her past. “Tameless, Unruly Animals,” Guay’s only other published short story to date, also touches on themes of memory, loss, reconciliation, and finding beauty in the detail and petty difficulty of daily life.
