We’re thrilled to introduce the 2024 Oregon Literary Fellowship recipients with individual features on our blog! Out-of-state judges spent several months evaluating the 500+ applications we received, and selected eight writers and two publishers to receive grants of $3,500 each. Literary Arts also awarded two Oregon Literary Career Fellowships of $10,000 each. The 2024 Fellowship recipients will be recognized at the 2024 Oregon Book Awards ceremony on April 8.
Eric Simons (he/him) is a 2024 Oregon Literary Career Fellowship recipient. He is a writer, improviser, teacher, producer, and Cool Dad™ hailing from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, yet he’s taken to swimming in the chilly rivers of Portland since 2015. He’s accumulated 20+ years of comedy experience from all across the contiguous US—and THREE CANADIAN PROVINCES—and he seeks to inject all that world-weary experience into his writing, his performing (Broke Gravy, the CVLT), and his teaching (Kickstand’s BIPOC Comedy Program).
Q&A WITH LITERARY ARTS
What is the most exciting thing about receiving a Fellowship?
It’s nice to have people who don’t know you say, “Oh, hey, this is pretty good, keep going.” Like, my family kind of has to say that. My friends can be a little more critical, but I can write them off easily. But strangers? That’s the juice.
How would you describe your creative process?
I tend to write best when I escape. The life of an artist/teacher/dad/husband means I can always find SOMETHING I could be working on. Finding a nice cabin with crappy wifi but a nice view lets me let go and follow the tangents in my head.
What keeps you persevering and inspired as a writer?
My daughter constantly offers me new perspectives on any and everything. As a society, we like to strip kids of all their “whys” because they can be unending, yes, but also because they’re a reminder of how little we actually do know. But once they’re finally asleep and you have an hour of free time, you realize that kids are making some really cool observations.
What are you working on now?
I’m continuing to write and edit and expand and retract my script American Dreaming, including the title. I have no shortage of improv performances, improv teaching and improv coaching—which are all different. I’m also in the early stages of a Minnesota Fringe Festival show.
Do you have any advice for future applicants?
After spending 10+ years writing in the corporate world, I realized my grant writing tended to have the same “clean” (i.e. boring) style. This last round I wrote truer to my style of wobbly, silly, indirect-directness. It felt more natural, and I think (I hope) that energy got the best of the judges.
EXCERPT FROM AMERICAN DREAMING
JUDGE’S COMMENTS
“Eric Simons’s screenplay, American Dreaming, beautifully showcases his technical ability and original voice as a screenwriter . . . The themes of dignity and survival of those at the margins of the American Dream are important elements of this screenplay, which succeeds in both being critical of mainstream ideologies and shedding light on these crucial issues.”
– Ana Candida Carneiro
“Eric Simons’s screenplay critiques capitalism’s absurdities with devastating humor and robust humanity.”
– Jessica Nelson
