2023 Contest Winners
Theme: The Writing Buffet
All Winners will be Published in our 2023 Anthology
Pen & Paint Contest Part I
A Collaboration Among Artists
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POETRY:
Donna Mork Reed for Memories of Mother's Vegetable Garden M. L. Stiehl for A Mouse Looks Out Freda J. Moriarty for Littlest Cowgirl Sherry Cerrano for Sand Surfer Carol Robertson for Daisy |
PROSE:
Denise Scott for Windows of the World R. G. Weismiller for One Last Float Cheri Remington for What Librarians Know John Marcum for Wild and Beautiful Sherry Copeland for The Struggle was Real |
President’s Contest
Theme: Drinks
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Prose:
First Place: Christine Anthony for Follow Me Second Place: Cheri Remington for The Boys in the Bar Third Place: Christine Anthony for Sweet Sugar Water Honorable Mention: Tom Klein for Business Affair Honorable Mention: Tammy Lough Flash:
First Place: Mark Vago for We'll Have Friends for Dinner Second Place: Heather Hartmann for The Secret in the Attic Third Place: Christine Anthony for Wedding Punch |
Drabble:
First Place: Mark Vago for Blood Relations Second Place: Christine Anthony for The Morning After Third Place: Sarah Angleton for The Toast |
Poet Laureate Contest
Theme: Wine and Cheese
First Place: Carol Robertson for Mount Zion
Second Place: Holly Elliott for A Refined Finish
Third Place: Donna Mork Reed for The Fancy Cheese
Honorable Mention: Robert Walton for Chateau Drowsy Kitten
Honorable Mention: Heather Hartmann for Morning After
Second Place: Holly Elliott for A Refined Finish
Third Place: Donna Mork Reed for The Fancy Cheese
Honorable Mention: Robert Walton for Chateau Drowsy Kitten
Honorable Mention: Heather Hartmann for Morning After
March Contest
Theme: Appetizers
First Place: R. G. Weismiller for Vulpine
Second Place: R. G. Weismiller for Come Monday Morning
Third Place: Jeffrey Czuchna for The hate of Mr. Smith
Honorable Mention: M. L. Stiehl for First Big Date
Honorable Mention: Donna Mork Reed for See You Soon
Honorable Mention: Mark Vago for Saturday Shuttle
Second Place: R. G. Weismiller for Come Monday Morning
Third Place: Jeffrey Czuchna for The hate of Mr. Smith
Honorable Mention: M. L. Stiehl for First Big Date
Honorable Mention: Donna Mork Reed for See You Soon
Honorable Mention: Mark Vago for Saturday Shuttle
April Contest
Theme: Main Course
First Place: Susan Gore Zahra for Lunch and Friendship With Cookies To Go
Second Place: Jeffrey S. Czuchna for Whatever Happened to Professor Potts
Third Place: Jessica Baumgartner for Hungry Bird
Honorable Mention: Jim Nuelle for Not Yet
Honorable Mention: Heather Hartmann for Best Seller
Honorable Mention: Christine Anthony for Allison's Castle
Second Place: Jeffrey S. Czuchna for Whatever Happened to Professor Potts
Third Place: Jessica Baumgartner for Hungry Bird
Honorable Mention: Jim Nuelle for Not Yet
Honorable Mention: Heather Hartmann for Best Seller
Honorable Mention: Christine Anthony for Allison's Castle
March and April Poetry Contest
Theme: Appetizer & Main Course
First Place: Holly Elliott for An Easter Toast
Second Place: Cheri Remington for Balance
Third Place: Donna Mork Reed for Invisible Girl
Honorable Mention: Ken Lee for What All Sunflowers See
Honorable Mention: Ken Lee for The Deer Visitor
Honorable Mention: Sherry Cerrano for political cousins
Second Place: Cheri Remington for Balance
Third Place: Donna Mork Reed for Invisible Girl
Honorable Mention: Ken Lee for What All Sunflowers See
Honorable Mention: Ken Lee for The Deer Visitor
Honorable Mention: Sherry Cerrano for political cousins
May Contest
Theme: Ethnic Food
First Place: R. G. Weismiller for Somewhere Between Paris and Istanbul
Second Place: Larry Duerbeck for A Multiethnic Holiday
Third Place: Cheri Remington for Cheer Up, Harry
Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Czuchna for A Fable Agreed Upon
Honorable Mention: Robert Walton for Alexander the Greatest
Honorable Mention: Susan Gore Zahra for Cousins
Second Place: Larry Duerbeck for A Multiethnic Holiday
Third Place: Cheri Remington for Cheer Up, Harry
Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Czuchna for A Fable Agreed Upon
Honorable Mention: Robert Walton for Alexander the Greatest
Honorable Mention: Susan Gore Zahra for Cousins
June Contest
Theme: Specialty Recipes/Meals
First Place: Jeanne Felfe for Recipe for Justice
Second Place: Sherry Copeland for Rewind
Third Place: Diane How for Mom’s Secret Recipe
Third Place: Robert Cerrano for Mom’s Helper
Honorable Mention: R. G. Weismiller for Jimmy McGee’s Quest
Honorable Mention: Mark Vago for Turning a Silk Purse into a Cow’s Ear
Second Place: Sherry Copeland for Rewind
Third Place: Diane How for Mom’s Secret Recipe
Third Place: Robert Cerrano for Mom’s Helper
Honorable Mention: R. G. Weismiller for Jimmy McGee’s Quest
Honorable Mention: Mark Vago for Turning a Silk Purse into a Cow’s Ear
May and June Poetry Contest
Themes: Ethnic Food & Specialty Recipes
First Place: Marilyn O’Neill for Grandma to Mom to Me
Second Place: Kenneth Lee for Still the Lilacs
Third Place: Heather Hartmann for Sunday Dinner
Honorable Mention: Donna Mork Reed for First Date
Honorable Mention: Diane How for The Price of Change
Second Place: Kenneth Lee for Still the Lilacs
Third Place: Heather Hartmann for Sunday Dinner
Honorable Mention: Donna Mork Reed for First Date
Honorable Mention: Diane How for The Price of Change
July Contest
Theme: Junk Food & Desserts
First Place: Kenneth Lee for Kiss Her, Boy!
Second Place: Andrea Lewis for Desserts for Demigods
Third Place: Cheri Remington for Do You Believe in Magic?
Honorable Mention: Kenneth Lee for Going on Safari
Honorable Mention: Robert Cerrano for Letters
Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Czuchna for Because of You
Second Place: Andrea Lewis for Desserts for Demigods
Third Place: Cheri Remington for Do You Believe in Magic?
Honorable Mention: Kenneth Lee for Going on Safari
Honorable Mention: Robert Cerrano for Letters
Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Czuchna for Because of You
August Prose and Poetry Contest
Theme: Any Food Goes
PROSE:
First Place: John Marcum for Buy Me Some Peanuts
Second Place: R. G. Weismiller for Avatar Mountain
Third Place: Mark Vago for To Protest and Serve
Honorable Mention: Marilyn O’Neill for Halloween 1993
Honorable Mention: Kenneth Lee for Jarius’s Daughter
Honorable Mention: Holly Elliott for Unboxing the Past
POETRY:
First Place: D. J. Hedges for Just Too Busy
Second Place: R. R. J. Sebacher for New Meat
Third Place: Mark Vago for Ode to a Twinkie
Honorable Mention: Billie Holladay Skelley for Marilyn’s Specialty Supper
Honorable Mention: R. R. J. Sebacher for The Way of Tea
Honorable Mention: Sherry Copeland for Justice
First Place: John Marcum for Buy Me Some Peanuts
Second Place: R. G. Weismiller for Avatar Mountain
Third Place: Mark Vago for To Protest and Serve
Honorable Mention: Marilyn O’Neill for Halloween 1993
Honorable Mention: Kenneth Lee for Jarius’s Daughter
Honorable Mention: Holly Elliott for Unboxing the Past
POETRY:
First Place: D. J. Hedges for Just Too Busy
Second Place: R. R. J. Sebacher for New Meat
Third Place: Mark Vago for Ode to a Twinkie
Honorable Mention: Billie Holladay Skelley for Marilyn’s Specialty Supper
Honorable Mention: R. R. J. Sebacher for The Way of Tea
Honorable Mention: Sherry Copeland for Justice
Pen & Paint Contest Part II
A Collaboration Among Artists
Eagle: R. R. J. Sebacher for Damaged Eagle
Church: Jeffrey Czuchna for Rodney
Cowgirl: Kenneth Lee for Dream with Me, Kiddo!
Native American: Kenneth Lee for Music of the Soul
Beach: Mickey Schoonover for Too Fast
Tribe: Billie Holladay Skelley for Storm-Bird
Woman & Cat: Jeffrey Czuchna for Maria Torres and Roberto
Guard: Heather Hartmann for Mistaken Identity
Dog: Donna Mork Reed for Real-life Hero
Car: Mark Vago for A World Away
Church: Jeffrey Czuchna for Rodney
Cowgirl: Kenneth Lee for Dream with Me, Kiddo!
Native American: Kenneth Lee for Music of the Soul
Beach: Mickey Schoonover for Too Fast
Tribe: Billie Holladay Skelley for Storm-Bird
Woman & Cat: Jeffrey Czuchna for Maria Torres and Roberto
Guard: Heather Hartmann for Mistaken Identity
Dog: Donna Mork Reed for Real-life Hero
Car: Mark Vago for A World Away
Fun Statistics from our 2023 Writing Contests
55 different people submitted at least one entry this year. We had 33 different winners. There was a whooping grand total of 404 submissions spread out over our 13 contests. Out of 404 submissions we ended our year with 89 winning entries. Our 2023 anthology will feature 30 poems and 59 prose pieces!