What Miranda July and Charlotte's Kathryn Schwille have in common

Miranda July

Question: What does award-winning Charlotte fiction writer Kathryn Schwille have in common with filmmaker and actor Miranda July, whose debut novel, "The First Bad Man," is being hailed as "so totally weird and wonderful" that it's like "watching an insane person dance"?

Schwille and July have been friends since high school?

No.

They were roommates at the Bread Loaf writers' colony?

No.

They both write about kinky sex?

Well, sort of.

The truth is, Miranda July graces the cover of a recent edition of Printer's Row Journal, in which Schwille's short story, "White Birch," appears. Printer's row is an experimental insert of The Chicago Tribune which goes only to premiere subscribers and which includes book reviews, long short stories and essays. Printer's Row, named for the area of Chicago where printers once had their shops, replaces the Tribune's former book pages.
In December, Schwille learned she was a finalist for this year's Pushcart Prizes, awarded to "important works published by small presses last year." The award was for her short-short story, "FM 104," which originally appeared in the literary journal Memorius. Other fiction has appeared in West Branch, River Styx, Sycamore Review and Crazyhorse. She was also a 2013 recipient of an artist's fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council.

Two Charlotte writers win $10,000 awards

Parkison

 Two Charlotte writers, Aimee Parkison and Kathryn Schwille, are among 11 recipients of N.C. Arts Council literary fellowships for 2013-14.

The N.C. Arts Council awards the $10,000 fellowships to writers every other year to support new works by and creative development of N.C. artists.

Parkison, a UNC Charlotte English professor, is the author of two short story collections, "Woman with Dark Horses" and "The Innocent Party." She has won several writing prizes, including the 2004 Kurt Vonnegut Fiction Prize from North American Review. Read one of her stories: "Lessons from a Sinoloan Beauty Queen."

Schwille

Schwille, a graduate of the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers and a former Charlotte Observer editor, has published short stories in various magazines, including one cited for Special Mention, Pushcart Prize. Read one of her stories: "FM 104."

Other fellowship winners and their art forms are:

• Keith Flynn, poetry, Asheville.
• Shirlette Ammons, poetry, Durham.
• Valerie Nieman, poetry, Greensboro.
• Catherine Reid, creative nonfiction, Asheville.
• Leigh Ann Henion, creative nonfiction, Boone.
• Liza Wieland, nonfiction, Arapahoe.
• Monica Byrne, playwriting, Durham.
• Janet Allard, playwriting, Greensboro.
• Preston Lane, playwriting, Greensboro.