Contests, Entries, Featured, General Announcements
Amended list of Contest Entries
May
Literati
Below is the complete lit of all contest entries. Please choose one and send your choice to thorn@awordwithyoupress.com Only those who entered the contest are eligible to vote, and you are free to vote for yourselves.
Your decision should be based on the same criteria that Pulitzer Prize winner Jonathan Freedman will use to select the winner from a list of three finalists I will send him: Vote for the entry that in your opinion most poignantly evokes our painful past (or present) but inspires us to a more hopeful future, reminding us that we have more in common than our pain. Clarity and use of language are important characteristics to consider, as well as reverence for humanity.
This vote is to determine finalists. Jon Tobias and Sarah Akhtar are already finalists by default (see previous posts) so voting for either of them is a wasted vote. The top three vote-getters plus Jon and Sarah will be given a new prompt Saturday morning left-pond time, and have three days to submit their entry. I will chose the best three based on my own tastses and prejudices, but I will tell you that creative and persuasive use of language always figures in to my thinking. Jonathan will then determine our winner and provide authoritative commentary that carries the weight of a Pulitzer Prize winner, whose award was given for addressing the xenophobia that still contaminates the air we breathe. Entering this contest, sharing your stories and insights, is about the most noble thing you can do to be part of the solution.
Here are the contestants with links to their stories:
The Drinking Fountain Entries
Untitled contest opener Claudia Barillas
My Great Grandmother Karen Worstell
Untitled entry #11 Kristina Tsatsakos
Racism DOA Baruch Howard
The Open Gate Sal Buttacci
Salute Laura Elizabeth
The Last Time Sarah Akhtar
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/01/17/entry-16-sara-crysl-ahktar-the-last-time/
Stonework Shawna Smart
Lessons from Virginia Leslie Clark
Stages of Attention Martin David
Pearls Tiffany Vakilian
Just shut up and smile Sunny Reed
Blackout Mischa Blank
Either or Neither Noir Jeff Swit
Just for a Moment Miryam Meiers (Howard)
Untitled Entry #1 Claudia Barillas
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/02/18/claudia-barillas-entry-23-family-really-matters/
The Drinking Fountain Grant Lawrence
Whose Skin is that? Katalyn Keim
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/02/23/katy-keim-has-some-skin-in-the-game-entry-24/
Black Poem Sheri Strobaugh
The Superior Race Jan Kalish
Race Story Jennifer Redmond
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/04/06/jennifer-redmond-makes-it-33/
Untitled entry #28 Julie Dunaway
Little Hell Michael Dilts
https://awordwithyoupress.com/tag/contestant10/
No Negroes Allowed Katalyn Keim
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2017/12/21/katalyn-keim-contestant9-tosses-another-pebble-in-the-pond/
Let Freedom Sting Kyle Katz
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/04/12/kyle-katz-is-entry-number-34/
The Angel of Bread Jon Tobias
An Equality Certain FJ Dagg
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/03/26/fj-dagg-makes-it-thirty/
Miss, why are all the girls grey? Anna Munter
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2017/12/19/anna-munter-contestant-7-miss-why-are-all-the-girls-grey/
A Sharper Color Kristine Grant
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/03/06/kristine-grant-makes-it-26/
The Divided Emancipation of America Pafia Marigold
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/05/09/lady-parfia-marigold-entry-38/
Broken Glass still under my Skin Sarah Akhtar
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/05/12/sarah-akhtar-is-contestant-39/
Betty Davis Eyes Miryam Meiers (Howard)
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2017/12/20/shalom-baby-miryam-howard-is-contestant-8/
The Land of Oz Michael Stang
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/01/05/michael-stang-contestant-12-on-the-road/
The Test Riley Sampson
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/02/17/riley-sampson-entry-22the-same-caliber-as-a-gun/
The Crucible Shawna Smart
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2017/12/10/the-crucible-shawna-smart-contestant-3/
Tzschia’s Summer Vacation on Earth Pafia Marigold
Don’t nobody get off the Sidewalk Baruch Howard(Brian)
November Blues Kristy Webster
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/03/28/kristy-webster-entry-31/
Black like her Briana Beaver
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2017/12/18/entry-6-briana-beaver-black-like-her/
The Color Line Kyle Katz
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/01/09/klye-katz-contestant14-shares-a-memory/
Privileged (ineligible for the contest) His Moiness-in-Chief
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2018/01/27/the-healing-game/
Segregations Martin David
https://awordwithyoupress.com/2017/12/09/contestant-2-martin-david-behind-closed-doors/
Handy to have a spare vote so my altruism needn’t be tested…
Thorn, a few links lead to stories that are not by the author listed. Shawna Smart’s “Stonework” link goes to Grant’s poem. Both of Baruch’s links go to the same story rather than each of his 2 stories..Just FYI in case people want to read all of them.