Announcing Tell Your Story’s Spring 2021 Contest Winners
To be honest, I didn’t know how this would go. Frankly, I wanted to draw some attention to this new idea I had for a publication. A publication for writing that’s quite different from what you typically see here. A publication of literary-journal-worthy pieces, that’s a whole heck of a lot more accessible than literary journals.
And here we are.
No, I didn’t know how this would go. But I was blown away. Several dozen submissions later, I had to pick three winners. Here they are, in alphabetical order by title.
And by the way, this experiment absolutely succeeded, and there will be another contest this fall. Stay tuned. :)
Perennial, by Atlas Sallow
Why I love it — evidence that shorter can sometimes be better. There isn’t a single wasted word in this piece. And it punches me in the gut. Great writing sticks with you, and I’ve found myself thinking about this piece often, even now a month after Atlas submitted it.
The Scent of Memory, by Vanessa Gunter
Why I love it — I found myself revisiting my own past as I read it. I’ve heard before that scent is strongly connected to memory, but I’ve never heard or read it as beautifully expressed as Vanessa does here. Straightforward writing, with just the right amount of elegance. Beautifully done.
Seedings, by Anne Spollen
Why I love it — I laughed out loud three times before I’d even finished the second paragraph, and it only gets better from there. Brilliant voice — engaging and self-deprecating, it resonated with me completely. Feels like it could be one essay in a collection, and I want to read the collection.
Please check out the finalists as well. I am proud to publish all of these in TYS, and it was incredibly difficult to select just three winners.
Finalists, in alphabetical order by title: A Chat Worth the Hassle, by Adam Reich Dear Spring, by Mark Elliott Existing in Double, by Ines May My Guitar, A Lonely Stranger, and New Me, by Shikhar Chaudhary Nothing Really Dies, by JD Greyson Spring Fling Into Mania, by Shieldshannah The Spring’s Boundaries, by Julie Charlebois To See What I Might Otherwise Miss, by Mandy Osterhaus Ream