The Results Are In!
First of all, a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this contest. We learned so much from all of your pieces and it was truly a pleasure to read and discuss each and every one of your works. Your words colored America in for us in so many unique, personal, and moving ways. And now, we're proud to announce the winners and runners-up of the America: color it in. Contest for summer 2020. Congratulations to the following authors!
In the Short Fiction Category...
- The Juried Winner is "Trespassing — a Criminal Offense" by Mark Budman. Mark is a first-generation immigrant to the US. He is an engineer by training, but currently works as a medical interpreter. His fiction has appeared in Catapult, Witness, World Literature Today, Mississippi Review, The London Magazine (UK), McSweeney’s, Painted Bride Quarterly, and elsewhere. He is the author of the novel “My Life at First Try,” published by Counterpoint. Find out more at http://markbudman.com
- The Juried Runner-up is "Inheritance" by Susannah Cate. Susannah is a writer, filmmaker, and Davidson College alumna rediscovering her hometown of Columbia, SC, in a time of pandemic.
- The Public Winner is "Maize of Color" by Tony Martello. Tony is a Californian and Hawaiian surfer with publications in route 7 review, Forbidden Peak Press, and New English Review. Through his writing, he explores interesting humans, wild nature, and all the interactions between.
In the Creative Nonfiction Category...
- The Juried Winner is "America The Green" by Sunny Lancaster. Sunny is a creative writer with a penchant for nonfiction and poetry. Her poetry has been featured in literary e-zines and scholastic publications. She has three rescue chihuahuas that were obtained through Craigslist.
- The Juried Runner-up is "Tiger, Oh Tiger" by Kenneth N. Margolin. Kenneth is a retired attorney, and lives with his wife, Judith, in Newton, Massachusetts. As an attorney, Ken made it a sacred mission to avoid legalese in his professional writing. Still relatively new to fiction, Ken's stories have been published in print and online, in Short Edition, Evening Street Review, Twenty-Two Twenty-Eight, among others; poetry in Shot Glass Journal.
- The Public Winner is "You Be the Judge" by Mary Tabor. Mary is a reader, author, teacher, radio host, and columnist. The best advice she's ever gotten? "Only connect..." E.M. Forster.
In the Poetry Category...
- The Juried Winner is "Libraries In The South" by Thomas Maluck. Thomas is a teen services librarian and compulsive writer in South Carolina. His poetry has been published by Stepping Stone Press, South Carolina Poetry Initiative, Muddy Ford Press, and the State Libraries of Virginia and South Carolina, to name a few. He reviews graphic novels for School Library Journal and No Flying, No Tights but he'll take any excuse to read more, comics or otherwise.
- The Juried Runner-up is "One way or another" by Robin Reynolds. Robin is an artist, writer, and journaler. She left Ohio many years ago for the rugged beauty of Albuquerque, New Mexico and has been smitten with the landscape ever since. You can find her on Instagram as @inkandalchemy or her website, robin-reynolds.com.
- The Public Winner is "Let's paint America" by Felix Culpa. Felix is passionate about fantasy literature and philosophy. He has written several collections of short stories around these themes. He also loves music and started writing songs very early on, for himself and for others. He later worked as a theater teacher. His travels around the world, from the day he left his native Corsica, have been a great source of inspiration for him.
And because we couldn't resist...
There were just too many good ones. Here are our Honorable Mentions from all categories:
- "Paper and Ink" by Mountain Nose. Mountain Nose is a 74-year old grandfather. Served with IVS, Vietnam, 1968-69 in II Corps/III Corps. Police-fire-court reporter for Holyoke (MA) Transcript. Editor for GTE NW "Newsworthy" paper. PA Officer (DAE) for FEMA, Region 10, 15 years. Member Poets West Society. Currently, substitute high school teacher, Everett, WA.
- "Out of Reach" by Julie Wilkerson. Julie is an architect, writer and observant reader. She teaches architectural design and currently calls South Carolina home. She has lived across several states and traveled through many pages.
- "Eva" by Gregory Fodero. Gregory is a fiction writer based in Boston, MA. He writes primarily screenplays and short fiction, some of which he hopes readers find funny.
- "Sunflower" by Gabrielle Jamieson. Gabrielle is an aspiring creative writer who enjoys writing poetry and short stories.
- "I Dare Thee America" by Quinn Hayes. Quinn has been writing since she was five, which many people wouldn’t guess about her. She has an extensive background in youth programming, donor relations, health education, chronic disease prevention and management. By means her work, she’s led and been instrumental in getting policies, systems, and environmental changes adopted to help build and foster healthier communities.
- "Indiana at 3 a.m." by Mountain Nose.
- "Greenville" by Manny Blacksher. Manny grew up in Mobile, Alabama. He went far away--to Montreal, to Dublin, to Pittsburgh . . . Now he lives and works in Mobile, Alabama. He writes, he edits, he reads a lot, and he wonders what Alabama's state flag would be if, like Mississippi, we gave up our vestige of the Lost Cause.
Donations on behalf of our winners and runners-up
It was our pleasure to donate $900 on behalf of our winners and runners-up to the charities of their choice.
Check out these incredible organizations fighting against racism, for equality: