Fiction RUNNER UP:
Ariadne Blayde, “Tin Soldier”
Fiction WINNER:
Laura Brown, “Babies”
Of this piece, our judge E.M. Tran (@emtran3) wrote: “This story, about a woman taking a walk, so effectively compresses the intensity of that seemingly simple act onto the experience of the reader. The writer so deftly controls the narrative, making me feel it could careen into violence at any moment but always remaining taut. Because, if you are a woman in the world, you know that a walk is never so uncomplicated—it is freedom and movement alongside the fear and anxiety of your own vulnerability.”
CNF RUNNERS UP:
Gus Berg, “People You May Know”
Rabeetah Hasnain, “Bask”
CNF WINNER:
Doc McLemore, “Truffle Fuckers”
Of this piece, our judge Leah Myers (@n8v_wordsmith) wrote: “This essay intrigued me from the title, then gripped me with a personal narrative I was not expecting. The author’s use of repetition through multiple contexts and implications—the simple, insistent pleading of “C’mon. Do It.”—pulled me along through every thread. It was strong, focused, memorable, and overall incredibly well done.”
Poetry RUNNERS UP:
Jacob Budenz, “Erecura in Exile”
Judy Lea Steele, “rooms in mind”
Poetry WINNER:
Nicholas Reading, “Butterfly Nets”
Of this piece, our judge Carolyn Hembree (@carolyn.hembree.nola) wrote: “An allegory for the ephemerality of our connectedness to nature, “Butterfly Nets” is told through the voice of a parent who watches their children play. I admire the quiet elegance of the poem’s structure and music. A beautiful piece deftly rendered!”
Public High School RUNNERS UP:
Ida Schenck, “Rabbit Bones: Late June, Ohio”
Ahja Hawkins, “My Auntie Trina”
Public High School WINNER:
Nick Lavender, “Eighth Grade, 1972”
Of this piece, our judge Kirsten Reneau wrote: “In this short character study, the reader is invited to peek inside a deeply intimate and isolating relationship between two pre-teens. The narrative style mimics oral storytelling traditions, which makes this piece truly feel like eighth grade, where everything and everyone are seemingly on the verge of something in equal parts grand and devastating.”
Beyond the Bars RUNNERS UP:
Frank Parker, “Before I See the Light”
Dalton J. Barrett, “Pawpaw’s House”
Keith Jones, “In the Cell Alone”
Beyond the Bars WINNER:
Machi Oliver, “Is Home Safe?”
Of this poem, our Judge Adam Karlin wrote: “This is a tight, jarring poem. The author captures motion, confusion, a feeling like being chased, coupled with a sense of being trapped. There’s betrayal here, questioning of the self, and finally, a homecoming – but also, a question: ‘Does the author want to be home?’”