Chris Belden is the author of two novels, "Carry-on" and Shriver. He has also written screenplays ("Amnesia," starring Ally Sheedy)and his plays have been showcased in New York. Chris has taught Creative writing in various forums for the past two decades: with the Bronx WriterCorps where he worked with senior citizens, with Literacy Partners inc., and in other non-traditional environments such as a soup kitchen and a welfare to work program in New York City. He currently teaches in the Ridgefield Continuing Education Program, in Ridgefield Connecticut and the Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, Connecticut where he is the current Editor of Sentences literary journal. In 2012, Chris founded the Ridgefield Writers Workshop and a year later, cofounded the Ridgefield Writers Conference. Aside from fiction and creative non-fiction, Chris also teaches playwriting, screenwriting, film criticism, contemporary and twentieth century fiction. His debut novel, Carry-On, was published by Rain Mountain Press in 2012. Followed by Shriver, also a novel, in 2013. Chris has published fiction frequently in Skidrow Penthouse as well as Six Fold, The Fat City Review, SNReview, and VENU. His plays have been showcased at Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York, The New York international Fringe Festival (in which he co-starred), and Manhatten Theatre Source. Chris co-wrote the film, Amenisia with David Henry in 1997. In 1995, Chris was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Bronx Council on the Arts. Along with fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and an Artist Fellowship grant from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Truism, he won the Bechtel Prize from Teachers and Writes Collaborative, judged by Susan Orlean, for his essay "Inside Words: How to Teach Writing in Prison." His short story, "Talk" received honorable mention for the American Fiction Prize. This past year, his first collection of short stories, The Floating Lady of Lake Tawaba, won the 2013 Fairfield Book Prize.