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Over the weekend "Made in China," a story by RBM about whether American groceries and garden supplies should contain human hair, won third prize among research and reporting-based essays at the 2009 Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference in Grapevine, Texas. The essay will appear in the 2010 volume of the conference's journal, Ten Spurs. Above: an organic weed mat, intended for potted plants, is sold online and woven entirely from Chinese hair.
Update -- The full list of winners at July's conference, and our benefactors:
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