Writer-Author Janet Burroway Reveals Professional Relationship With Tom Jenks Prior to Her Big 2009 Contest Win

Not only do we have Janet Burroway now connected to Jenks and Edgarian prior to her big Narrative Magazine Winter 2009 Story Contest win this year, but in 2008 a fantastic coincidence took place: in the huge "Love Story" competition of 2008, we had Elizabeth Stuckey-French coming in first and Janet Burroway coming in third. Out of a field of many hundreds if not thousands of contestants, can it be just a coincidence that Burroway and Stuckey-French (who collaborated on a writing book together), were winners?

And now Burroway takes number one in the recent story contest after admitting openly to me in a recent letter that Jenks and Edgarian know her well? Judge for yourself. From the Burroway letter, detaling her relationship with Narrative's editors:

· I signed up on the Narrative web site, therefore read about the 2008 Love Story contest, sent in a story, “Blackout,” from a still-unfinished novel-in-stories, and won third prize.
· On the site I also learned that Narrative was having a party in New York that summer, in a week when I was to be there, so I wrote, again to an assistant, and invited myself. I was told I would be welcome.
· I went to the party, introduced myself to Tom Jenks and Carol Edgarian, who said very nice things about my work, but they were of course busy and we didn’t have a real conversation.
· When my novel Bridge of Sand was scheduled for publication by Harcourt, my agent sent a copy to Narrative, and they published an excerpt earlier this year, as did Prairie Schooner.
· When Carol Houck-Smith died (with whom I did have a very real and close relationship, though she kept rejecting my novels)­ I emailed Tom Jenks and asked if he would take her place on an AWP panel about the author-editor relationship ...

Obviously, Jenks knew Janet Burroway in several ways before personally choosing her to win the Winter 2009 Story Contest. She had invited Jenks to be on a panel, Jenks published a slice of her novel, she invited herself to a Narrative party and socialized enough with Jenks and Edgarian to receive praise for her work (without a conversation?), and she'd been a winner of a previous contest chosen by Jenks and Edgarian. And who knows what else?

What's wrong with this picture?

So why isn't Burroway agreeing to return the prize money rather than burrowing into me for calling them all out on it? In her letter, she states:

And on the other hand, you do successfully gain attention to yourself, because I will forward your letter and this reply to everyone who emailed congratulations and everyone implicated on your blog. But you shouldn’t call yourself a “recovering lawyer.” The point of recovery is to avoid drink or drugs or sex or whatever your addiction is, and you are far too litigious to be in recovery.

Sincerely,
Janet Burroway

There is nothing "litigious" about it. No one threatened her, and yet, she appears to feel threatened.

Why Janet?

And here is my original email to her (due to her admitted relationship with the Narrative editors and her statement re going public with my mail and her response, I feel it my obligation to publish this):

Dear Janet Burroway,

I recently wrote a blog post article about ongoing fraud in contests sponsored by Narrative Magazine. Before I jump to conclusions due to hearsay about an alleged relationship you have had with Tom Jenks and Carol Edgarian, I want to ask you whether or not in fact you have had any form of relationship with Jenks or Edgarian prior to winning the recent Narrative Magazine contest. I am investigating this matter and speaking to various people involved in their ongoing scam. I have contacts with many people who will provide testimony that winners of their contests nearly all have prior relationships with them.

I urge you to think carefully before attempting to avoid this growing situation with Narrative. My blog has a reputation for expose and a factual article connecting you with Narrative before the contest was judged will not go well for anyone involved in the crime. Jenks and Edgarian, in my opinion, are engaged in highly unethical and even illegal behavior. Tricking hundreds of writers into entering contests they have no chance of winning is mail fraud and incurs federal penalties. For example, do a google search on Tom Jenks and you will find my blog post exposing his behavior, number three, I believe.

Please do the right thing and tell the truth about any relationship you've had with Jenks or Edgarian prior to being chosen for their contest. You must know that taking a prize under unethical circumstances makes you unethical also. Prizes accepted under such conditions must be returned immediately. That is the right thing to do, and I know you know that. I have no wish to do damage to your reputation, but this ongoing fraud by Narrative must come to an end.

If the rumors of your relationship with them are false, then please go on the record. If you had no relationship or contact whatsoever with Edgarian and/or Jenks prior to winning the contest,then all this will go away. This matter concerns everyone in the literary field in America. I really hope you can see that ...

Sincerely,
Liz
http://artsandpalaver.blogspot.com

Did Tom Jenks and Carol Edgarian, Editors of Narrative Magazine, Fix The 2008 First-Person Story Contest for Friend Gina Oschner?

Getting back to the "Arts" in this blog, I was just tipped off about potential fraud in a recent, showboat-and-yahoo contest held online by one of the biggest players in the literary arts biz: Narrative Magazine. Given Narrative's young history, I found it hard to believe that the editors would really be guilty of anything unethical. Usually that only comes after many years of status and power finally add up to an equal measure of hubris and arrogance.

Upon first glance, it appears that Narrative Magazine is more interested in running a lucrative business than anything else. Everything about it feels corporate. Money-making contests abound. The editors, Tom Jenks and Carol Edgarian, look like celebs with their air-brushed faces poking out in sharp digi-color from the slickly designed web pages. Is this "vision" of corporate cut and egoistic self-promotion the future of literary journals on the Internet? ... Well, argh. Let's hope not. Perhaps good news for some, but a lot is potentially bad news.

Tom Jenks and Carol Edgarian recently judged their latest contest, the 2008 First-Person Story Contest. I find it highly irregular that the editors, rather than choose an independent judge or a panel of judges, picked themselves to judge. Egoistic? Foolish? All the above? Regardless, it definitely opens them up to charges of favoritism, and more importantly, fraud, especially if the winner of their expensive, big pay-off contest turns out to be someone they know, e.g., an associate or friend in the literary world.

Writer blogs across the Internet helped Jenks and Edgarian publicize their contest. Narrative Magazine tapped everyone on their huge mail list (mail fraud?) and generally let out all the stops to push this competition.

Years ago, a poet board run by Alan Cordle, Foetry.Com, made it a holy mission to expose fraud in poetry contests. It made everyone realize (despite the overzealousness of some Foetry followers) that favoritism was rampant in the literary world and that closer scrutiny was needed to asssure contest-paying customers got a fair shake.

Now, back to Narrative Magazine's contest. Here is the announcement of the winners broadcast all over the Internet.

THE 2008 FIRST-PERSON STORY CONTEST
First Place ($3,000) Gina Ochsner On Principle

Second Place ($1,750) Heather Brittain Bergstrom Celilo Falls

Third Place ($1,000) Holly Wilson Night Glow

Now, here is where it gets ugly. A simple google search with Edgarian's name and Gina Oschner, the big $3000.00 winner, reveals what appears to be a strong relationship between the two writers before the judging of the contest in question.

As follows:

http://www.ugapress.org/0820323144.html
Gina Ochsner writes with the delight and knowing of a born conjurer. Her world is that liminal space, that disconnect, between nature and our lives-heaven's winking outside the office window, grass pushing up around the casket, umbrellas opening like the great beating of wings. — Carol Edgarian

Okay, so after reading this gushy blurb we are able to place Oshsner and Edgarian close enough in relationship that the Narrative editor agrees to blurb her book.

Next we have this little eye opener right from the pages of Narrative:

http://narrativemagazine.info/pages/rcntbks.htm

Ochsner's story collection The Necessary Grace to Fall won the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction from the University of Georgia Press. Afterward, Ochsner wrote to Tom Jenks and Carol Edgarian to say, "Many thanks for your superb editing of 'Signs: Markings.' It found a happy home with Image: A Journal of Arts and Religion. Thanks to you, Carol, for your encouragement and excellent teaching.

"Thanks to you, Carol, for your encouragement and excellent teaching."

I believe this proves without doubt that Ochsner had pursued a relationship with the editors of Narrative Magazine and had established that relationship effectively. She personally thanks Carol for "encouragement and excellent teaching."

One can't but wonder if Edgarian also helped edit the winning piece that Ochsner submitted to the contest.

Narrative ... I'll be watching you closely, as I hope will thousands of others.

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