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Elizabeth McKenzie is the author of The Portable Veblen, forthcoming from Penguin in 2016. Her collection, Stop That Girl, was short-listed for The Story Prize, and her novel MacGregor Tells the World was a Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle and Library Journal Best Book of the year. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Best American Nonrequired Reading, and the Pushcart Prize Anthology, and recorded for NPR’s Selected Shorts.

ARTIST LAUREATE AWARD INFO

What do you do now? Has your art evolved or changed?

It was an honor. Writers I admire had received it.?SVCreates is a generous organization and has supported many unique and interesting artists. It is very nice to be included among those.

What is one piece of advice you would give to an emerging artist?

In the famous rice experiment, the rice that is ignored turns to black mush and the rice that is praised begins to emit a pleasant aroma. Anytime there is good news it can be just enough to keep you from turning into black mush.?To see what I do, go to: http://www.macgregortells.com

Briefly, how would you describe the state of the arts locally, as well as national and beyond?

Keep a low overhead. Ignore expectations of material success. Resist the urge to be clever. Prepare for lots of stumbling and feeling lost.

Strong, determined, hungry.