Washington College's Douglas Carter Named Sophie Kerr Finalist

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Sophie Kerr Finalist, Douglas Carter

CHESTERTOWN, MD (05/07/2012)(readMedia)-- Washington College is pleased to announce that Douglas S. Carter, Jr '12, son of Doug and Doris Carter of Pasadena, MD, is one of five finalists for the famous Sophie Kerr Prize, the largest undergraduate literary prize in the nation, this year valued at more than $58,000.

Carter is an English and Art History double major with a minor in Creative Writing. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, he has volunteered in New Zealand through Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WOOF) and, as a Douglass Cater Fellow, hiked the mountain ranges of Northern England and Southern Ireland on Professor Richard Gillin's Kiplin Hall trip. His writing portfolio includes poems, short non-fiction, scholarly writing and a travel essay. "Doug's portfolio is defined by a passionate interest in literature and the arts and an engagement with social issues, especially environmental stewardship," said one judge. "He is optimistic and believes in the power of the arts to do good in the world. He establishes an intimacy with the readers, and his intellectually cordial personality shows through." Residents of Chestertown, MD, may know Doug through his work as a barista at Sam's coffee shop and a server at the Chester River Yacht and Country Club. After graduation, he will intern for the new vineyard and winery at Crow Farm, a B & B and grass-fed beef farm in Kennedyville, MD.

Carter and the other four finalists, all graduating seniors who submitted portfolios of their writing to be judged, will travel to New York City for a special program and reception on May 15. There, in a private club in midtown Manhattan, they will read selections from their portfolios and then hold their breath as internationally renowned novelist Colum McCann announces the winner.

In holding the announcement ceremony in New York, the College acknowledges the importance of the city as the literary capital of the world and the personal journey of Prize benefactor Sophie Kerr. A native of Denton, MD, Kerr moved to New York as a young woman and built a successful 40-year career as a national magazine editor and writer. Her townhouse on East 38th Street became a literary salon for her friends in journalism and the arts. At her death, she bequeathed much of her estate to Washington College, with the stipulation that half its income would be awarded annually to the senior showing "the most ability and promise for future fulfillment in the field of literary endeavor."

Founded in 1782 under the patronage of George Washington, Washington College is a private, independent college of liberal arts and sciences located in colonial Chestertown on Maryland's Eastern Shore.