Pushcart Prize Nomination, 2017 "The Water Master," Semi-Finalist: Big Moose Prize, Black Lawrence Press, May 2016 "Hattertown," Semi-Finalist: Big Moose Prize, Black Lawrence Press, April 2015 "The Inventors, a Memoir," First Finalist / Second Place, AWP Award for Creative Nonfiction, June 2014 “My New York: A Romance in Eight Parts,” Best American Travel Writing 2014, Selected by Guest Editor Paul Theroux, January 2014 “My New York: A Romance in Eight Parts,” Best American Essays 2014, (John Jeremiah Sullivan: Series Editor), Best Notable Essay, 2014 “The Kuhreihen Melody,” Best American Essay 2013 (Cheryl Strayed: Guest Editor), Best Notable Essay, 2013 “The Kuhreihen Melody,” Pushcart Nomination (by Pushcart Distinguished Editorial Board member Wally Lamb), 2013 "Confessions of a Left-Handed Man: An Artist's Memoir," Short-Listed, William Saroyan Prize for International Writing, 2012 "The Water Master," Finalist, Dana Award for Novel, 2012 “The Kuhreihen Melody”, Winner, The Dana Award in the Essay category, 2012 “The Kuhreihen Melody”, Winner, Essay category, The Missouri Review Editor's Prize, 2012 "The Water Master," William Faulkner-William Wisdom prize for best Novel, 2012 “Alone: Two Types of Solitude”, Best American Notable Essay, 2011 “Titanic Obsession”, Second Prize, The Missouri Review Editor's Prize, 2011 Finalist, ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year, Life Goes to the Movies, 2010 “Dead to Rights: Confessions of a Caricaturist”, Best American Notable Essay, 2009 Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Residency Fellowship, 2009, 2008 “A Pre-Victorian Bathtub”, Best American Notable Essay, 2008 Restaurant, Best American Notable Essay, 2007 Drowning Lessons,Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction, 2007 A God in the House, Winner, Stage 3 Theatre New Play Festival, 2007 Bronx Arts Council Fellowship, 2007 “Confessions of a Left-Handed Man,” Best American Essays 2006, Selected by Guest Editor Lauren Slater, 2006 Second Place, Association of Writers & Writing Programs Award for the Novel, Best American Essay, 2006 Glimmer Train Very Short Fiction Award, Man in the White Car, 2001 Blue Mountain Center, Residency Fellowship, 1999 Mill Mountain Theatre New Plays Award, A God in the House, 1992 National Playwright's Conference Award, A God in the House, 1991 Charlotte Repertory New Plays Award, Night Blooming Serious, 1991 Books S. S. Gigantic Across the Atlantic (1999), Simon & Schuster, By Cunning & Craft: Sound Advice and Practical Wisdom for Fiction Writers (2007), Writer's Digest Books, Drowning Lessons (2008), University of Georgia Press, Life Goes to the Movies (2009), Dzanc Books, 179 Ways to Save a Novel: Matters of Vital