MFA alum Michael Deagler’s debut novel Early Sobrieties won the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel.
From the judges’ citation: “Michael Deagler’s Early Sobrieties is an exquisitely honest, humorous, and poignant depiction of life on the far side of addiction. Its hero, Dennis Monk, seven months sober, finds temporary shelter on the guest beds and couches of Philadelphia while seeking a foothold in the young adulthood that’s been passing him by. This uniquely sustained portrait of recovery, all of its tedium shot through with moments of transcendence, lays bare the beautiful terror of each blank day, and the raw miracle of being alive.”
Congratulations, Michael!