These contemporary stories by emerging writers were judged by Joyce Carol Oates, who also wrote the introduction. Among the twenty stories in the anthology, there were two first prizes: Elizabeth Graver of Lincoln, Massachusetts, and Margo Rabb of Tucson, Arizona. Dulcie Leimback of New York City wrote the second prize story. Third prize went to Nancy Reisman of Madison, Wisconsin. An honorable mention went to Jim Nichols of Thomaston, Maine.