2012 Submissions and Winners

Thank you to the nineteen wonderful people who submitted to our first ever writing contest! On this page will first be listed our three winners (this will appear tomorrow 4/17/12) along with all of our submissions. The winners’ pieces will also have their own feature post, be posted on our Facebook page, and shared on our Twitter account.

And don’t forget about our sample Twitter Shorts, some from our very own professors! First Batch Second Batch Third Batch Final Batch

In First Place is Timothy Phelps

I spent a year hiding in the closet. You can’t cross stitch, she said. It’s gay. So she slept, & I got high sewing platitudes on pillows.

In Second Place is Abbey Piersma

Alpen glow turned to snow/glacier ice, castle lights/cheap wine, mountain climb/italian view, swiss fondue/more cheese, no plane ride please

In Third Place is Rachel Grindstaff

“I could just see her tipping her head back to take the last gulp of beer and you smiling in the low light. When did she become your everything?”

And now, in the order that I received them, here are the rest of the submissions:

Hannah Bertram’s

The Waterworks An old woman stands by the casket of an old man. Widow: “Damn u 4 leaving me!” A tear falls onto his forehead which she kisses.

Samantha Starr’s

I couldn’t have fit anymore in if I tried. I could hear mum saying, “Don’t be a chubby bunny.” Why didn’t I listen? Now, I was going to die.

Michael Miller’s

Wasp 1: What a view! Let us make a home on this branch. Wasp 2: (vomits wood pulp) A wonderful place for the children!

Ben Hussung’s

I journeyed down the stairs, tripping most of the way. Reaching the bottom, I realized that I had climbed farther than I had fallen.

James Reliford’s

I am an island/unto myself/Cloaked in iron/Nobody else/in sight or in mind/Don’t need a thing/I am alone/in my own Arab spring

Krystol Stinson’s

Whiskey/Breathe: sultry musk of grain/Sniff: tang of raw mash/Whiff: singe of malt/Pant: distilling grain/Tongue: smooth smoke

Emma Wilczynski’s

Love/such a simple word with/ complex meaning/ can tear apart even/ the toughest mind. No one can come out unscathed/ only wounded.

Leah Railey’s

Oh what beautiful eyes/not the gateway to the soul,/but the gateway to those spacious cavities in your skull./Springtime our time to thrive.

Brittany Cheak’s

I do not understand/ Twitter. The bird is cute, but/ what is hash tag? What is trending? I/ once typed a status in and/ realized I ran out

Ashley Gore’s

SHE: Look, a June bug! HE: No surprise for June. SHE: It’s the 1st one I’ve seen. HE: Not unexpected though. SHE: But none the less special.

Whitney Koontz’s

Dean always wants to know me more. He’d ask questions and I’d turn them around. It’s been 8 years and the interview isn’t over.

Anthony Smith’s

The eraser/swept away/pride/Splotches of/envy/stained the canvas/The other five/were stenciled/in shades of/lust

Amy Lindsey’s

 Jackass show/$20 for donkey show/man givs $20./”Wheres the girls?”/”No girls, watch donkey/it does trix.”

Cana Herron’s

1 2 walk 20 pace he said. What did I do to deserve this?/8 9 At gunpoint, what else can I do?/14 15 What if I run? What if I don’t?/19 20.

Pam Pierce’s

Treading upwards/Pounding concrete/Arduous task/Déjà vu/Reaching higher/Lofty goals/Baby steps/Carpe diem

Maciena Justice’s

The little things that make me chuckle/ disappeared with your face/ now its all void/ please come back and fill my space.