Artist



Jennifer Robin Barr’s electrifying novel, Thunder and Mercy [Astra Books for Young Readers/Calkins Creek], has been selected as the winner of the 2026 Grateful American Book Prize, according to co-founder David Bruce Smith.
“White House Secrets: Medical Lies and Cover-Ups” by Gail Jarrow and “The Four Seasons of Florence Wallace” by Kirstie Myvett received Honorable Mentions. more

Clarice Smith was born, educated and resided in the Washington, DC area. She attended the University of Maryland and received a BA and MFA from the George Washington University, where she was also a member of the Art Department faculty from 1980-1987. In 2012, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts by the George Washington University to mark her distinguished career in the arts. She received the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, from the University of Maryland in 2015.
Photo credit: John T. Consoli, University of Maryland