Stacey Levine, a native of St. Louis, was named one of three finalists for the prestigious 2025 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction for her novel “Mice 1961.” The plot centers on a tense day in the lives of two orphaned sisters, seen through the eyes of their obsessive housekeeper. Mice, the younger sister, is mocked by neighbors for her odd looks and behavior, and Jody fears what will happen if Mice decides to leave home. When a strange visitor shows up, the lives of all three women shift in unexpected and lasting ways.
Now an English professor at Seattle Central College, Levine teaches both introductory essay composition and creative writing. A graduate of Parkway North High School and a former member of Congregation Temple Israel, Levine traces her literary roots back to her hometown, where she began writing short stories modeled after her early literary influences, Grace Paley and Jane Bowles.
Over time, Levine has evolved into a distinctive voice in American literature. Her short fiction collection “My Horse and Other Stories” won a PEN Fiction Award; “The Girl with Brown Fur,” longlisted for The Story Prize, was also shortlisted for the Washington State Book Award, and her novel “Frances Johnson” was also shortlisted for the Washington State Book Award. Her short fiction has been translated for Danish and Japanese publications.
Levine has been featured as a writing instructor/guest fiction presenter at San Francisco State University, the University of Utah-Salt Lake and Brown University, among others. She also participated in the Prose festival in Copenhagen, presenting alongside with other writers including Andrei Bitov and Grace Paley.
