Christine Benner Dixon ‘04, who writes under the pen name M.C. Benner Dixon, was recently awarded the 2022 Orison Fiction Prize for her first novel “The Height of Land.” She won $1,500 and publication by Orison Books. (Photo by Mark Dixon)

Christine Benner Dixon ‘04 earns prize, publication for her first novel

by EMU Communications

Christine Benner Dixon ‘04 was recently awarded the 2022 Orison Fiction Prize for her first novel “The Height of Land.”

Dixon, who writes under the pen name M.C. Benner Dixon, won $1,500 and publication by Orison Books. The contest was judged by author Tania James.

James praised the manuscript, selected from a pool of anonymously submitted entries, as memorable, “profoundly affecting,” and “a refreshing approach to the post-apocalyptic novel, showing us both the possibilities of collective action and the power of a single dissenting voice.”

James describes the farmer-carpenter protagonist, Red, as “a boy desperately searching for spiritual meaning and connection.” 

“Red is a blend of some of the gentlest men in my life (my father, brothers, and husband) as well as my own intense spiritual yearning that found its answer in poetry,” Dixon said. 

She reflects on her work and the community that nurtured it below:

This novel means so much to me, and to have it recognized by this prize from this press has been deeply moving. The Height of Land was my first major project after taking the enormous gamble of leaving my regular teaching job and allowing myself the chance to explore what it might mean to live my life not just as a teacher of language and literature but as a writer.

Being a writer is not an easy thing. You can labor on a story for years without any guarantee of its making it out into the world. There is a constant stream of rejection, disappointed hopes, and self-doubt. But that is where community comes in: people to tell you that your presence matters, that they are better off for having heard you speak, that there is room in this world for your voice. That’s a gift that we can give to one another, no matter the community. I’m so grateful for the people who have celebrated with me and for those who held me up when I was doubting myself — it’s the kind of joy I wish for everyone, no matter where they are in the process of finding their voice.

Dixon serves as the adult program director for Write Pittsburgh. Her poetry and fiction has appeared in Funicular, The Los Angeles Review, The Hopper, Fusion Fragment, Appalachian Review, and elsewhere. A second book, a co-authored collection of craft-of-writing essays is forthcoming from the University of Michigan Press in 2023.

Discussion on “Christine Benner Dixon ‘04 earns prize, publication for her first novel”

  2. As anyone who knows you can testify, you not just “waited” but worked toward this accomplishment. An honor to know and work with such a talented, refreshing, exciting new writer! Looking forward to reading “The Height of Land.”
    Congrats!
    Dawn

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