The top 36 young writers from 537 entries were recently honored at the Southern Arkansas University annual Creative Writing Festival.
Students from across south Arkansas submitted poems, short stories and creative non-fiction essays to be judged. Cash prizes were awarded for first, second and third place honors in the twelve categories, and first-place winners took home a trophy.
The festival is hosted by the SAU Department of English and Foreign Languages, and was held on March 8, 2014.
The 2014 winners are as follows:
Elementary Poem
Gerald F. Scott Award
Abby Flow
Title: I-Poem-The Wind in the Field
School: Emerson Elementary
Teacher: Lacey Stuart
2nd Place
Lauren Nelson
Title: My Great Poem
School: Yocum Elementary
Teacher: Pam Aubrey
3rd Place
Linda Graham
Title: The Magic Brat
School: Yocum Elementary
Teacher: Pam Aubrey
Elementary Fiction
Gerald F. Scott Award
Mattie Nash
Title: The Magical Book
School: Hugh Goodwin Academy
Teacher: Donna Fields
2nd Place
Avery Bega
Title: Turkey Almost Died
School: East Side Elementary School
Teacher: Teri Burge
3rd Place
Sarah Sprawls
Title: The Magic Couch
School: Hugh Goodwing Academy
Teacher: Donna Fields
Elementary Creative Non-fiction
Gerald F. Scott Award
Therran Moreno
Title: I Have a Dream
School: Emerson Elementary School
Teacher: Wendi Pittman
2nd Place
Austin Bevins
Title: If I Was a Bald Eagle
School: Emerson Elementary School
Teacher: Shannon Pyle
3rd Place
Reese Rodgers
Title: A Red Eared Slider Turtle
School: Blevins Elementary School
Teacher: Meagan Thomason
Intermediate Poem
Betty Fincher Scott Award
Kera Middleton
Title: It Isn’t Easy Being a Monkey
School: Central Elementary School
Teacher: Angela Watson
2nd Place
Audrey Gildon
Title: Snow
School: Taylor Elementary School
Teacher: Denise Calhoun
3rd Place
Eli Chow
Title: Jo the Alien
School: Yocum Elementary School
Teacher: Pam Aubrey
Intermediate Fiction
Betty Fincher Scott Award
Karlie Helms
Title: With All My Heart
School: Emerson Elementary School
Teacher: Tara Hollis
2nd Place
EmmiGrace Miller
Title: Land of Adryom
School: Central Elementary School
Teacher: Patricia Lawson
3rd Place
Madison Dalhover
Title: Blue the Horse
School: Blevins Elementary School
Teacher: Malissia Tolliver
Intermediate Creative Non-fiction
Betty Fincher Scott Award
Emma Grace Howell
Title: My Special Place
School: Central Elementary School
Teacher: Angela Watson
2nd Place
Macayla Newsom
Title: We Left Jaime
School: Blevins Elementary School
Teacher: Stephanie Clark
3rd Place
Kayla Thomas
Title: My Dog Myah
School: Retta Brown Elementary
Teacher: Pam Aubrey
Jr. High Poem
D.J. Fincher Award
Savannah Kennedy
Title: “That Reindeer”
School: Trinity Christian School
Teacher: Deann Fellers
2nd Place
Ariel Smith
Title: Day and Night
School: Trinity Christian School
Teacher: Deann Fellers
3rd Place
Spencer Cowgill
Title: Christmas Messages
School: Trinity Christian School
Teacher: Deann Fellers
Jr. High Fiction
D.J. Fincher Award
Callie Blair
Title: Half a Heart
School: Camden Fairview High School
Teacher: Chauna Edney
2nd Place
Elizabeth Phillips
Title: Little Clifford’s Story
School: Barton junior High School
Parent: Haley Phillips
3rd Place
Savura Muresan
Title: Ghostly Presence
School: Blevins High School
Teacher: Cyndi Moorman
Jr. High Creative Non-fiction
D.J. Fincher Award
Kansas Parker
Title: The State of Mind
School: Blevins High School
Teacher: Cindy Moorman
2nd Place
Myles Jones
Title: Person of Admiration
School: Emerson High School
Teacher: Jennifer Kyle
3rd Place
Melody Rinehart
Title: The Lady Next Door
School: Emerson High School
Teacher: Jennifer Kyle
High School Poem
Harold Fincher Award
Joe Williamson
Title: I Am
School: Blevins High School
Teacher: Tarah Gentry
2nd Place
Kristina Johnson
Title: I Am Sensitive and Loving
School: Blevins High School
Teacher: Tarah Gentry
3rd Place
Ashleigh Jones
Title: I Am
School: Blevins High School
Teacher: Tarah Gentry
High School Fiction
Harold Fincher Award
Molly Sisson
Title: The Overcomer
School: Blevins High School
Teacher: Tarah Gentry
2nd Place
Kenzie Richardson
Title: The Super Hero Story
School: Bleving High School
Teacher: Tarah Gentry
3rd Place
Wyatt Parker
Title: The Incredible Dangerman
School: Blevins High School
Teacher: Tarah Gentry
High School Creative Non-fiction
Harold Fincher Award
Kile Pletcher
Title: The Freaks of Nature
School: Magnolia High School
Teacher: Amanda McMahan
2nd Place
Jasmine Mohdzain
Title: This I Believe
School: Magnolia High School
Teacher: Amanda McMahan
3rd Place
Austin Roark
Title: The Chase
School: Magnolia High School
Teacher: Amanda McMahan
The annual festival developed from a summer writing class for public school teachers taught by Dr. Kathleen Mallory, retired associate professor of English at SAU. The event is co-sponsored by the Gerald F. and Betty Fincher Scott Academic Endowment, made available through the generosity of Harold and D.J. Fincher and the Peoples Bank of Magnolia, Waldo and Southwest Arkansas.
On the day of the festival, students are separated into grade levels and model writing workshops are held, followed by peer reading sessions. The day was capped off with the awards ceremony.
