The twenty-six American authors in A Journey Through Literary America wrote about their hometowns and/or the hometowns of their protagonists in tones that run the gamut: satirical, comical, reverential, nostalgic, matter-of-fact, but always evocative and revealing. We want you to write about your hometown (we leave it up to you how you choose to define the term, whether it be the town your grew up in, the town you have adopted as your own, the place that feels most like “home.”) The most important thing is that your entry must strongly evoke place.

Prizes: $1,000 first prize and $250 each for two runners-up.

Download: My Hometown :: Writing Contest Entry Form (PDF)

We encourage you to purchase this book at your local bookstore — if they don't have it, please tell them about it and ask them to order it for you. Remember some local bookstores will allow you to place orders online.