Looking for Tomorrow’s David Carr
The Forrest Four-Cast: November 22, 2016
The vibrancy of SXSW reflects the creativity of some of the top minds of the new media industry.
One of these top minds who contributed so much to the event was the author and New York Times columnist David Carr. Over the years, some of the top-name talent that he served on SXSW panels with included Ta-Nehisi Coates, Anthony De Rosa, Max Linsky, Molly McAleer, Eli Pariser, and Maria Popova. He was also particularly aggressive in covering the new ideas that came out of the event and he was likewise a central player in the “Page One” documentary that screened in March 2011 in Austin.
SXSW was devastated by Carr’s sudden passing in February 2015. As part of our grieving process, we brainstormed on ways that we could honor his legacy, as well as recognize the next generation of talented thinkers who can carry forth with his vision. The result of this brainstorming was the David Carr Prize, which debuted at SXSW 2016. The price of entry to this contest is an essay or short story of 2,000 words or less. For Year Two of this competition, all entries must address these simple (but not so simple) questions: “What will it mean to be human in the age of machine learning and artificial intelligence? What will this mean to you in terms of human creativity, identity, love, communication, and community? Given that current AI-based algorithms are a big part of today’s fake news problem, your essay might also address human solutions to this pressing issue.”
Entry deadline for the 2017 David Carr Prize is the end of the day on Friday, December 16.
All essays will be reviewed by SXSW’s in-house judging committee. The writer of the winning essay will be honored at the Interactive Innovation Awards on Tuesday evening, March 14, 2017. The complete prize package for this winner includes one SXSW Platinum Badge, one airline voucher, and complimentary four night stay in Austin in March.
If you know of an an emerging (or established) writer, then please forward them this information so that they can be involved. If you are an emerging (or established) writer, then we urge you compose an essay for this competition. If you are not sure if your composition skills qualify you for entry in the 2017 David Carr Prize, then we assure you they they most certainly do! Per the sage advice of a wise elder who is no longer with us: “Keep typing until it turns into writing.”
