Pushcart Prize Nominee Paul Juhasz on Storytelling’s Power to Heal |

In this photo, Seminole State College Assistant Professor of English Paul Juhasz poses with his published works. The author was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize for his flash memoir “Row.” — *Seminole State College Assistant Professor of English Paul Juhasz poses with his published works. The author was recently nominated for a Pushcart Prize for his flash memoir “Row.”*

For Paul Juhasz, storytelling has always been more than words on a page—it’s been a means of survival. Born in Connecticut and shaped by experiences across seven states, Juhasz now writes and teaches in Oklahoma, a place where stories are as much a part of the landscape as the red earth. As an Assistant Professor of English at Seminole State College, he’s passing on power of storytelling to his students.

That storytelling prowess has earned him significant recognition. This year marks the second consecutive time Juhasz has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, one of the highest honors in independent publishing. Established in 1976, the Pushcart Prize celebrates the best poetry, short fiction and essays published by small presses.

His nominated flash memoir, “Row,” is an exploration of trauma, resilience and mentorship. The piece was nominated by the MoonPark Review and recounts an experience with his high school English teacher, Clara Gyorgyey, a former Yale professor who fled Hungary during the 1956 Revolution. In the story, Gyorgyey invites a young Juhasz to row a boat on a pond, sharing haunting memories of her own past, including the loss of her uncle and her own experiences of violence during her escape from Soviet forces. Gyorgyey’s wisdom and strength impacted Juhasz, particularly as she shared how reading Hamlet became a lifeline for her during her darkest moments.

“Row” connects Gyorgyey’s encouragement to “just row” with Juhasz’s own struggles and survival. The piece not only honors his teacher’s legacy but also speaks to the power of storytelling as a tool for healing.

For Juhasz, storytelling began as a survival mechanism during a tumultuous childhood. “I grew up with a lot of abuse,” he said. “I learned early on that humor and storytelling could defuse situations.”

Juhasz’s arrival in Oklahoma stemmed from a long-standing friendship with Hank Jones, a colleague from his days teaching at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas. “Hank was persistent,” Juhasz recalled with a chuckle. “He kept trying to get me involved in the Red Earth MFA program. Eventually, I gave it a shot, and I’m so glad I did.”

The Red Earth MFA program at Oklahoma City University is a low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Designed for students balancing creative aspirations with professional commitments, the program combines intensive on-campus residencies with distance learning Oklahoma’s literary culture captivated him. He described it as “unexpectedly welcoming,” highlighting the camaraderie among writers like Oklahoma Book Award Winner Ken Hada and 2014 Oklahoma Poet Laureate Benjamin Myers. “There’s no hierarchy here. It’s not snobbish. Everyone’s equal,” Juhasz said.

Juhasz has published several works, including “Fulfillment: Diary of a Warehouse Picker,” a creative nonfiction account of his time at an Amazon Fulfillment Center; “Ronin: Mostly Prose Poems,” a finalist for the 2022 Oklahoma Book Award; “The Inner Life of Comics,” and “As If Place Matters.” His most recent book, The Fires of Heraclitus, is a collection of poetry.

While establishing a substantial body of work, Juhasz remains committed to his students at SSC, where he teaches creative writing courses. Drawing inspiration from his high school teacher Clara Gyorgyey, Juhasz helps students turn their experiences into meaningful stories. By fostering creativity and encouraging growth, he continues to prove that storytelling has the ability to inspire and uplift.