Congratulations to Teaching Assistant Professor April Johnston! Her multimedia project, Twin, is a finalist in the Eric Hoffer Book Awards, which is one of the largest international awards for small, academic, and independent presses. The award honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer. Two grand prizes are awarded annually: one for short prose (i.e. fiction and creative nonfiction) and one for independent books from small, micro, and academic presses, as well as self-published books.
Twin is the true story of Derris Lewis, an Ohio man imprisoned and later acquitted of his twin brother’s murder. Johnston used www.creatavist.com, an online tool for writers, publishers and other media professional to create a multimedia experience for her audience. Not only did she use text, she collaborated with her husband, College of Media lecturer David Smith, to incorporate photos and videos into the narrative.