SCWA / The Quill / Special Issue
A Newsletter of the South Carolina Writers Association
Special Issue
(Oct. 11, 2024)
(Editor’s Note: This tribute to the late Catherine Con, devoted SCWA member and former member of the SCWA Board of Directors, was intended to appear in the October issue of The Quill. Due to an editing error, It inadvertently was omitted. SCWA dedicated a tree memorial to Catherine, which was planted at Dixon Memorial State Forest in Georgia .)
Remembering Catherine Con
BY RAEGAN TELLER
It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of a beloved SCWA member. After a courageous battle with cancer, Catherine Con passed away on Sept. 20. I had the privilege of working alongside her on the SCWA Board of Directors, and when I started the Short Fiction Chapter in 2021, now led by Michael McIntyre, she was among the first to join.
Mike Lee, former SCWA president, remembers Catherine’s remarkable contribution: “Catherine Con made an immediate, favorable impression on me when we first discussed her joining the SCWA board. As part of our board recruitment team, we were looking for candidates who could truly make a difference, particularly in the area of information technology. Within minutes, Catherine grasped where we were, understood where we wanted to go, and already had ideas on how to get there.”
Catherine also will be remembered for her compelling stories, many of which were published in Tint Journal, The Bare Life Review, The Petigru Review, HerStry, Shards, Emrys Journal Online, National Women’s History Museum, Catfish Stew, Change Seven, Longridge Review, Limit Experience Journal, On The Run, Light House Weekly, and Black Fork Review—to name just a few. Lee recalls her unique storytelling: “Catherine could immerse readers in her world, making us feel we were right there, experiencing the social and cultural tensions through her simple yet profound descriptions.”
McIntyre, leader of the Short Fiction Chapter, shares similar sentiments. “Although I never had the chance to meet Catherine in person, I felt I knew her through her beautiful wordplay and the vivid emotions she breathed into her characters. It was a privilege to read her work. She was a gifted writer and a generous critic. Her presence will be keenly missed by all of us in the Short Fiction group.”
I, too, was a devoted fan of Catherine’s work. Her writing was poignant, lyrical, and deeply moving. As her obituary so eloquently stated, “Her stories contained thoughtful and often heart-wrenching reflections on the immigrant experience, often inspired by her own life.”
We in the Short Fiction Chapter are grateful to have known Catherine, even if only for a short time—and we will miss her dearly.
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