There are things I’ve done that I’m incredibly proud of. Yet far too often, I let Instagram and Facebook get the glory and save none of it for here, my very own personal space on the interwebs. As a result, I let the whole of 2021 pass by without so much as a single blog post here. But today’s it’s time. These are the things that I’ve accomplished since the last time we spoke, all the way back in December of 2020.
First, I had a short story published in the anthology Wasatch Witches: A Collection of Utah Horror. My submission, titled “The Pestilence,” was inspired entirely by the events of 2020: the demonization of science, the politicization of disease, the persecution of minorities and people who “look different,” and the blind allegiance to pious men. The story illustrates how despite scientific and sociological advancements, mankind remains as barbaric today as it was during the witch hunts of the late 1600s. You can get the book here.
Next, in collaboration with my wife, Jane, who is an incredibly talented artist, I wrote and published a second book of short stories, a sequel to 2020’s Shadows on the Page appropriately titled More Shadows on the Page. Both books can be found here.
Then the first book, Shadows on the Page, picked up a few honorable mentions and second-place prizes in a couple of national contests. But these accomplishments were dwarfed when the book won the prestigious 2021 League of Utah Writers Gold Quill Award in the collections/anthology category. I wasn’t expecting that, nor was I expecting some of the feedback I received from the reviewing judge, who said things like “Night Visit was one of the better horror stories that I’ve read in a long while. I found myself guessing and guessing and guessing and was actually disappointed when it ended. So disappointed that I had to read the rest of the book immediately” and “Vince Font has a unique voice in horror that both pulls one in and keeps one guessing. It is intriguing and beguiling while also making one feel like they should stay far, far away. It’s a dangerous voice, but one I couldn’t stay away from.”
Finally, I wrote a short nonfiction piece called “Dear Carlitos” that won second place in the creative nonfiction essay category of the 62nd annual Utah Original Writing Competition, which is put on every year by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and the SLCC Community Writing Center. See the list of winners here. Following that, “Dear Carlitos” was published by Artists of Utah’s 15 Bytes online magazine. You can read it here.
Oh, and I almost forgot about Anthology of Hope, a collection of prose and poetry I curated, edited, and published under the Glass Spider Publishing imprint in October 2021. You can read more about it here. This book was the culmination of my personal desire to somehow make the world a better place through the written word. We got some good press, including this beautifully written article by Deann Armes, which appeared in the Ogden Standard-Examiner and online at The Ogdenite.
Considering that I spend the vast majority of my time editing other people’s words and publishing other people’s books for Glass Spider Publishing, I feel incredibly accomplished when I look back at 2021, and I look forward to making more inroads in the coming year. Here’s to hoping it’s not another year and a half before my next blog post, but hey.
Vince Font 