2019 Contest Winners
2019 Contest Chair: Roxana Cazan, roxanalcazan@gmail.com
Category 1: Humor
1st place - Dee Dee Chumley
2nd place - Lisbeth McCarty
3rd place - Judith Rycroft
Category 2: Juvenile
1st place - Lisbeth McCarty
2nd place - Susan Kite
3rd place - Barbara Shepard
Category 3: Essay
1st place - Nicki Rycroft
2nd place - Shelley Ann Richter
3rd place - Mary Flowers Brannon
Category 4: Poetry
1st place - Judith Rycroft
2nd place - Lisbeth McCarty
3rd place - Paul Wesselhöft
Category 5: Flash Fiction
1st place - Susan Kite
2nd place - Barbara Shepard
3rd place - Lisbeth McCarty
Category 6: Nostalgia
1st place - Shelley Ann Richter
2nd place - Nicki Rycroft
3rd place - Lisbeth McCarty
Category 7: Book (Adult)
1st place - Shelley White
2nd place - Shelley Pagach
3rd place - B.L. Mehnert
Category 8: Short Story
1st place - Gail Mattingly
2nd place - Dee Dee Chumley
3rd place - Lisbeth McCarty
Category 9: Inspiration
1st place - Dee Dee Chumley
2nd place - Lisbeth McCarty
3rd place - Shelley White
Category 10: Book (Juvenile)
1st place - Lorelei Sawtelle
2nd place - Nikki Davis
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME
Shelley White for her entry in Category 7, Book (Adult)
Category 1: Humor
1st place - Dee Dee Chumley
2nd place - Lisbeth McCarty
3rd place - Judith Rycroft
Category 2: Juvenile
1st place - Lisbeth McCarty
2nd place - Susan Kite
3rd place - Barbara Shepard
Category 3: Essay
1st place - Nicki Rycroft
2nd place - Shelley Ann Richter
3rd place - Mary Flowers Brannon
Category 4: Poetry
1st place - Judith Rycroft
2nd place - Lisbeth McCarty
3rd place - Paul Wesselhöft
Category 5: Flash Fiction
1st place - Susan Kite
2nd place - Barbara Shepard
3rd place - Lisbeth McCarty
Category 6: Nostalgia
1st place - Shelley Ann Richter
2nd place - Nicki Rycroft
3rd place - Lisbeth McCarty
Category 7: Book (Adult)
1st place - Shelley White
2nd place - Shelley Pagach
3rd place - B.L. Mehnert
Category 8: Short Story
1st place - Gail Mattingly
2nd place - Dee Dee Chumley
3rd place - Lisbeth McCarty
Category 9: Inspiration
1st place - Dee Dee Chumley
2nd place - Lisbeth McCarty
3rd place - Shelley White
Category 10: Book (Juvenile)
1st place - Lorelei Sawtelle
2nd place - Nikki Davis
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME
Shelley White for her entry in Category 7, Book (Adult)
2018 Contest Winners
2018 Contest Chair: Sandra Soli, 1632 Laurel Drive, Edmond OK 73003, 405-341-9611, sandrasoli@att.net
2018 Contest Co-Chair: Judith Rycroft: 405-942-4647, jsrycroft@yahoo.com
CATEGORY 1 HUMOR
JUDGE: William Bernhardt has sold more than 10 million books throughout the world in several genre and is the founder of the annual Red Sneakers Writing Conference. Most recent title is Justice Returns, in his wonderful Ben Kincaid series.
1st Place, Shelley Anne Richter – “When Chi Chi Did the Cha Cha”
2nd Place, Terri Lynn Cummings – “Do Something”
3rd Place, Lorelei Sawtelle – “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden”
CATEGORY 2 INSPIRATIONAL
JUDGE: Louise Tucker Jones is an Inspirational Speaker, Author, columnist for Edmond Outlook magazine, and founder of “Wives With Heavenly Husbands,” a support group for widows.
1st Place, Susan Kite – “Fire”
2nd Place, Shelley Anne Richter – “The Essence of Simplicity”
3rd Place, Kathleen Listman – “The Price of Miracles”
Honorable Mention, Susan Blumenthal Donchin – “For Sammi”
CATEGORY 3 JUVENILE
JUDGE: Sharon Edge Martin – Author of a picture book, Froggy Bottom Blues and a poetry collection, Not a Prodigal. A book of children’s poetry will be out next year. Sharon hosts the 2nd Sunday poetry series at Tidewater Winery in Drumright.
1st Place, Susan L. Kite – “The Legend of Billy Bob Flybottom”
2nd Place, Barbara Shepherd – “The Noisy Peacock”
3rd Place, Lisbeth L. McCarty – “Eli Eats Eighty Eggs Every Evening”
CATEGORY 4 ESSAY
JUDGE: Dr. Constance Squires-Johnston is a creative writing professor at the University of Central Oklahoma. She received an Oklahoma Book Award for her novel Along the Watchtower. Her second novel is Live from Medicine Park, which is in the running for a major award for Rock & Roll writing. Connie’s book of short stories is due out in 2019. Especially grateful to her for stepping in when the original judge was hospitalized.
1st Place, Susan Blumenthal – “Building Towers”
2nd Place, Barbara Shepherd – “Keys to My Future”
3rd Place, Shelley E. White – The Yellow “One”
Honorable Mention, Kathleen Listman – “Why Were They Laughing?”
CATEGORY 5 POETRY
JUDGE: Carol Hamilton, a well-known and revered Oklahoma author. The recipient of an Oklahoma Book Award and a Southwest Book Award, Carol has published children’s novels, Polish legends, poetry books, and chapbooks . She served as Oklahoma’s Poet Laureate 1995-97.
1st Place, Sylvia Forbes – “Elegy for Norman”
2nd Place, Terri Lynn Cummings – “First Loss”
3rd Place, Jody Karr – “Soaking Up Summer”
Honorable Mentions (Unranked-Equal Order)
Lisbeth L. McCarty – “The Choreography of Chlorophyll”
Doris Beaton – “No More”
Barbara Shepherd – “She’s Always Late”
CATEGORY 6 SHORT STORY
JUDGE: Vickey Malone Kennedy – Former Editor in Chief of 4 RV Publishing, Vickey has won OWFI’s Crème de la Crème Award and 1st place in genre fiction in the Writer’ Digest 85th writing competition. Many of us have attended and been inspired by her workshops.
1st Place, Kristin Kaldahl – “A Dog’s Life”
2nd Place, Shelley E. White – “Rumpled”
3rd Place, Gail Mattingly – “Calvin”
3rd HM, Lorelei Sawtelle – “In Defense of Fairies”
2nd HM, Kathleen Listman – “A Kind of Immortality”
1st HM, Laci Liter – “Baking Bread”
CATEGORY 7 FLASH FICTION
JUDGE: Harvey Stanbrough – writer and editor, Harvey’s works have been nominated for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. His books include Punctuation for Writers and Writing Realistic Dialogue, as well as poetry books. A very interesting man who says he was “born in New Mexico, seasoned in Texas, and baked in Arizona.” You can sign up for his blog.
1st Place, Susan L. Kite – “Impasse”
2nd Place, Gail Mattingly – “My Peculiar Night With a Pint of Punctuation”
3rd Place, Mary Flowers Brannon – “Red Lips, Spike Heels, and Attitude”
Honorable Mention, Kathleen Listman – “Reaching Home Base”
CATEGORY 8 FEATURE ARTICLE
JUDGE: Karlie Tipton is the Managing Editor of Oklahoma Today magazine. She writes features for every issue of the magazines and also reads submissions.
1st Place, John T. Biggs – “Wounded Knee: the second time around”
2nd Place, Sylvia Forbes – “Bassoon Man: Arizona Musician, Bill Schink”
3rd Place, Bradley Neece – “LeBron James, Laura Ingraham, and the Importance of Knowing Your Audience”
CATEGORY 9 NOSTALGIA
JUDGE: Louise Farmer Smith facilitates a workshop around the country, “Saving Family Memories.” She is the author of One Hundred Years of Marriage and an award-winning story collection, Cadillac, Oklahoma (edited by my co-chair Sandy). Her latest is The Woman Without a Voice; all are set in Oklahoma.
1st Place, Marlys Gallagher – “The Best Dog in the World”
2nd Place, Gail Mattingly – “The Five and Ten Cent Stores”
3rd Place, Sylvia Forbes – “Every Day is a Nature Day”
Honorable Mentions (Unranked, Equal Order)
Vivian Finley Nida – “Indian Territory”
Terri Lynn Cummings – “Muse”
Barbara Shepherd – “Rag Rugs”
CATEGORY 10 BOOK (Adult)
JUDGE: Marcia Preston is an Honorary Lifetime Member of both OCWI and OWFI. She has six published novels; and another, The Spiderling, is under contract. In 2004 Marcia won both the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the Oklahoma Book award.
1st Place, Richard M. McClellan – “Return to Rainbow Ridge”
2nd Place, Shelley E. White – “Daughters of God, Daughters of Man”
3rd Place, Laurin Keller – “The First World”
Honorable Mention, Shelley Pagach – “Broken Together”
CATEGORY 11 BOOK (Juvenile)
JUDGE: Nick Lyon is the author of the young adult fantasy series Tales of Toratoga and a collection of short stories It’ll All Work Out .When not writing, he spends time teaching high school English, and playing with his band, The Dead Armadillos. As an Indie author of fantasy, crime, and historical novels, he is shopping for an agent.
1st Place, Susan L. Kite – “Moon Crusher”
2nd Place, Kristin Kaldahl – “Aslan: Running Joy”
3rd Place, Kathleen Listman – “Fleeing the Sunset”
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME
JUDGE: Carla Walker is editor of the Oklahoma Humanities magazine and director of communications for the Oklahoma Humanities Council. Carla has been honored for interviews and columns; under her leadership the magazine has earned 39 journalism awards.
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME AWARDED TO Kristin Kaldahl for her short story “A Dog’s Life”
Judge’s comment: Congratulations to the author of this year’s Crème de la Crème Award, “A Dog’s Life.” The imagery is vivid, constructing a presence of place and substance. Colloquial speech is hard to achieve, but she succeeded in defining the character of the old woman such that we want to steer well clear of her. This is a great piece of writing—inventive, suspenseful, and it leaves us wanting to know more of the story. Very well done!
JUDGE: William Bernhardt has sold more than 10 million books throughout the world in several genre and is the founder of the annual Red Sneakers Writing Conference. Most recent title is Justice Returns, in his wonderful Ben Kincaid series.
1st Place, Shelley Anne Richter – “When Chi Chi Did the Cha Cha”
2nd Place, Terri Lynn Cummings – “Do Something”
3rd Place, Lorelei Sawtelle – “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden”
CATEGORY 2 INSPIRATIONAL
JUDGE: Louise Tucker Jones is an Inspirational Speaker, Author, columnist for Edmond Outlook magazine, and founder of “Wives With Heavenly Husbands,” a support group for widows.
1st Place, Susan Kite – “Fire”
2nd Place, Shelley Anne Richter – “The Essence of Simplicity”
3rd Place, Kathleen Listman – “The Price of Miracles”
Honorable Mention, Susan Blumenthal Donchin – “For Sammi”
CATEGORY 3 JUVENILE
JUDGE: Sharon Edge Martin – Author of a picture book, Froggy Bottom Blues and a poetry collection, Not a Prodigal. A book of children’s poetry will be out next year. Sharon hosts the 2nd Sunday poetry series at Tidewater Winery in Drumright.
1st Place, Susan L. Kite – “The Legend of Billy Bob Flybottom”
2nd Place, Barbara Shepherd – “The Noisy Peacock”
3rd Place, Lisbeth L. McCarty – “Eli Eats Eighty Eggs Every Evening”
CATEGORY 4 ESSAY
JUDGE: Dr. Constance Squires-Johnston is a creative writing professor at the University of Central Oklahoma. She received an Oklahoma Book Award for her novel Along the Watchtower. Her second novel is Live from Medicine Park, which is in the running for a major award for Rock & Roll writing. Connie’s book of short stories is due out in 2019. Especially grateful to her for stepping in when the original judge was hospitalized.
1st Place, Susan Blumenthal – “Building Towers”
2nd Place, Barbara Shepherd – “Keys to My Future”
3rd Place, Shelley E. White – The Yellow “One”
Honorable Mention, Kathleen Listman – “Why Were They Laughing?”
CATEGORY 5 POETRY
JUDGE: Carol Hamilton, a well-known and revered Oklahoma author. The recipient of an Oklahoma Book Award and a Southwest Book Award, Carol has published children’s novels, Polish legends, poetry books, and chapbooks . She served as Oklahoma’s Poet Laureate 1995-97.
1st Place, Sylvia Forbes – “Elegy for Norman”
2nd Place, Terri Lynn Cummings – “First Loss”
3rd Place, Jody Karr – “Soaking Up Summer”
Honorable Mentions (Unranked-Equal Order)
Lisbeth L. McCarty – “The Choreography of Chlorophyll”
Doris Beaton – “No More”
Barbara Shepherd – “She’s Always Late”
CATEGORY 6 SHORT STORY
JUDGE: Vickey Malone Kennedy – Former Editor in Chief of 4 RV Publishing, Vickey has won OWFI’s Crème de la Crème Award and 1st place in genre fiction in the Writer’ Digest 85th writing competition. Many of us have attended and been inspired by her workshops.
1st Place, Kristin Kaldahl – “A Dog’s Life”
2nd Place, Shelley E. White – “Rumpled”
3rd Place, Gail Mattingly – “Calvin”
3rd HM, Lorelei Sawtelle – “In Defense of Fairies”
2nd HM, Kathleen Listman – “A Kind of Immortality”
1st HM, Laci Liter – “Baking Bread”
CATEGORY 7 FLASH FICTION
JUDGE: Harvey Stanbrough – writer and editor, Harvey’s works have been nominated for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. His books include Punctuation for Writers and Writing Realistic Dialogue, as well as poetry books. A very interesting man who says he was “born in New Mexico, seasoned in Texas, and baked in Arizona.” You can sign up for his blog.
1st Place, Susan L. Kite – “Impasse”
2nd Place, Gail Mattingly – “My Peculiar Night With a Pint of Punctuation”
3rd Place, Mary Flowers Brannon – “Red Lips, Spike Heels, and Attitude”
Honorable Mention, Kathleen Listman – “Reaching Home Base”
CATEGORY 8 FEATURE ARTICLE
JUDGE: Karlie Tipton is the Managing Editor of Oklahoma Today magazine. She writes features for every issue of the magazines and also reads submissions.
1st Place, John T. Biggs – “Wounded Knee: the second time around”
2nd Place, Sylvia Forbes – “Bassoon Man: Arizona Musician, Bill Schink”
3rd Place, Bradley Neece – “LeBron James, Laura Ingraham, and the Importance of Knowing Your Audience”
CATEGORY 9 NOSTALGIA
JUDGE: Louise Farmer Smith facilitates a workshop around the country, “Saving Family Memories.” She is the author of One Hundred Years of Marriage and an award-winning story collection, Cadillac, Oklahoma (edited by my co-chair Sandy). Her latest is The Woman Without a Voice; all are set in Oklahoma.
1st Place, Marlys Gallagher – “The Best Dog in the World”
2nd Place, Gail Mattingly – “The Five and Ten Cent Stores”
3rd Place, Sylvia Forbes – “Every Day is a Nature Day”
Honorable Mentions (Unranked, Equal Order)
Vivian Finley Nida – “Indian Territory”
Terri Lynn Cummings – “Muse”
Barbara Shepherd – “Rag Rugs”
CATEGORY 10 BOOK (Adult)
JUDGE: Marcia Preston is an Honorary Lifetime Member of both OCWI and OWFI. She has six published novels; and another, The Spiderling, is under contract. In 2004 Marcia won both the Mary Higgins Clark Award and the Oklahoma Book award.
1st Place, Richard M. McClellan – “Return to Rainbow Ridge”
2nd Place, Shelley E. White – “Daughters of God, Daughters of Man”
3rd Place, Laurin Keller – “The First World”
Honorable Mention, Shelley Pagach – “Broken Together”
CATEGORY 11 BOOK (Juvenile)
JUDGE: Nick Lyon is the author of the young adult fantasy series Tales of Toratoga and a collection of short stories It’ll All Work Out .When not writing, he spends time teaching high school English, and playing with his band, The Dead Armadillos. As an Indie author of fantasy, crime, and historical novels, he is shopping for an agent.
1st Place, Susan L. Kite – “Moon Crusher”
2nd Place, Kristin Kaldahl – “Aslan: Running Joy”
3rd Place, Kathleen Listman – “Fleeing the Sunset”
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME
JUDGE: Carla Walker is editor of the Oklahoma Humanities magazine and director of communications for the Oklahoma Humanities Council. Carla has been honored for interviews and columns; under her leadership the magazine has earned 39 journalism awards.
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME AWARDED TO Kristin Kaldahl for her short story “A Dog’s Life”
Judge’s comment: Congratulations to the author of this year’s Crème de la Crème Award, “A Dog’s Life.” The imagery is vivid, constructing a presence of place and substance. Colloquial speech is hard to achieve, but she succeeded in defining the character of the old woman such that we want to steer well clear of her. This is a great piece of writing—inventive, suspenseful, and it leaves us wanting to know more of the story. Very well done!
2017 Contest Winners
2017 Contest Chair: Marcia Preston
1. Humor – Robyn Conley has written and edited all types of humor from satire to silliness during 25 years as a freelance writer and book doctor. Go to www.robynconley.com to take advantage of her FREE critique service.
1st place, “Coon Hunters” – Gail Mattingly
2nd place, “Are Men Necessary?” – Lynda Stephenson
3rd place, “Lincoln Park” – Judith Rycroft
2. Inspirational – Melanie Hemry has been writing for Guideposts magazine for 31 years. She has written 54 books, including Jerry Fallwell: His Life and Legacy, which she ghosted for his widow, Macel.
1st place, “Ann” – Judith Rycroft
2nd place, “West Memphis” – Kathleen Listman
3rd place, “Robin Redbreast Family” – Charles Richter
HM, “A Colossal Mistake” – Sylvia Forbes
3. Juvenile – Gwendolyn Hooks is the author of more than 20 books for young readers. She writes both fiction and nonfiction, including the award winning picture book biography, Tiny Stitches-The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas.
1st place, “The Riddle of the Golden Kid” – Nda-jiya M. Suberu
2nd place, “The Other Twin” – Mary Flowers Brannon
3rd place, “Thirteen” – Vivian Finley Nida
1st HM, “Oink! Chomp! Splash!” – Barbara Shepherd
2nd HM, “My Earliest Fine-Art Memory” – Skye Brannon Lucking
4. Essay – Gordon Greene is a retired theatre professional, a former college professor and an award-winning journalist. He is the author of six books, two produced plays and dozens of stories, essays, columns, articles, and poems. He was twice president of Oklahoma City Writers and is a past president of the OK Writers Federation.
1st place, “A Skunk by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet” – Lynda Stephenson
2nd place, “To Go or Not to Go” – Gail Mattingly
3rd place, “Oscar Moments” – Mary Flowers Brannon
5. Poetry – Sandra Soli is a well-known poet. She’s a past president of OKC Writers and has won our Crème de la Creme award. She’s the author of two poetry chapbooks, one of which won the Oklahoma Book Award in Poetry. She’s also written a workbook for memoir writers, called Who Will Tell the Story If Not You?
1st place, “Saffron” – Cynthia Boyd
2nd place, “Instructions to the Reader: Herta Muller Intertwined in Brain Space with White Space” – Doris Beaton
3rd place, “Whistle Blower” – Carol Muirhead
6. Short story – Jeff Spelman began writing for the Daily O'Collegian at Oklahoma State. He's published short stories and poetry in Byline Magazine, academic journals, and e-zines. He has won first place in the short story contests of the Oklahoma City Writers and Oklahoma Writers Federation, and placed in the Writers' Digest National Short Story contest.
1st place, “Daffodil Waltz” – Barbara Shepherd
2nd place, “Round Trip” – Lynda Stephenson
3rd place, “Alli” – Kathleen Listman
1st HM, “Eight Ball, Corner Pocket” – Lisbeth McCarty
2nd HM, “Becoming Dr. Myra” – Onis L. Cox
7. Flash Fiction – Wayne Wyrick is the author of four children's books and has written a monthly column since 1984. He has long been a reader, writer, and lover of flash fiction and presented a workshop on flash fiction to creative writing students at East Central University.
1st place, “The Moment” – John Biggs
2nd place, “The Ram” – Barbara Shepherd
3rd place, “Glow” – Lisbeth McCarty
8. Feature Article – Lynda Haller has been writing magazine articles for 50 years and holds a Masters in Creative Studies from UCO. Her credits include Persimmon Hill, Heartland USA, and The Ketchpen, a publication of the Rodeo Historical Society.
1st place, “Out for an Afternoon Stroll” – Sylvia Forbes
2nd place, “Blood Suckers” – Gail Mattingly
3rd place, “Why Appeal a Jury Verdict?” – Lisbeth McCarty
HM, “William Scott Receives Quilt of Valor” – Barbara Shepherd
9. Nostalgia – Nathan Gunter is the managing editor of Oklahoma Today magazine, and also managing editor of vox poetica, an online poetry salon. His writing has appeared in the Times of London, CNN.com, This Land Press, the Bingo Bugle of Wisconsin, and in the 2017 Woody Guthrie poetry anthology, Ain't Gonna Be Treated This Way.
1st place, “On Leaving the Freeway” – Kathleen Listman
2nd place, “Yellow Card Table” – Carol Muirhead
3rd place, “As We Become Our Mothers” – Lynda Stephenson
HM, “Madam” – Judith Rycroft
HM, “Buster Brown” – Vivian Finley Nida
10. Adult Book – Linda Apple is the author of two women's fiction books and five nonfiction books. Her stories have appeared in sixteen Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. In addition to writing she is a speaker and teaches writing workshops in both fiction and nonfiction.
1st place, The Murder House – John Biggs
2nd place, Galen’s Gift – Paulette Henderson
3rd place, The Bowels of Paris – Kathleen Listman
HM, Valor – Margy Pezdirtz
11. Juvenile Book – Anna Myers is the author of 20 nationally published books for children. She is a winner of the lifetime achievement award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book, a member of the Oklahoma Writers' Hall of Fame, and the recipient of numerous other awards for writing.
Only four entries, so according to our contest rules, no cash will be awarded, but the judge did name a first place.
1st place, Reinventing Maria – Kathleen Listman
Crème de la Crème Award – Judge was Sonia Gensler. Sonia is the award-winning author of three young adult novels published by Alfred Knopf/Random House Kids. She taught literature and writing for ten years. Her latest book is called Ghostlight.
The Crème de la Crème Award carries a prize of $50
“On Leaving the Freeway,” (Nostalgia category), by Kathleen Listman
1st place, “Coon Hunters” – Gail Mattingly
2nd place, “Are Men Necessary?” – Lynda Stephenson
3rd place, “Lincoln Park” – Judith Rycroft
2. Inspirational – Melanie Hemry has been writing for Guideposts magazine for 31 years. She has written 54 books, including Jerry Fallwell: His Life and Legacy, which she ghosted for his widow, Macel.
1st place, “Ann” – Judith Rycroft
2nd place, “West Memphis” – Kathleen Listman
3rd place, “Robin Redbreast Family” – Charles Richter
HM, “A Colossal Mistake” – Sylvia Forbes
3. Juvenile – Gwendolyn Hooks is the author of more than 20 books for young readers. She writes both fiction and nonfiction, including the award winning picture book biography, Tiny Stitches-The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas.
1st place, “The Riddle of the Golden Kid” – Nda-jiya M. Suberu
2nd place, “The Other Twin” – Mary Flowers Brannon
3rd place, “Thirteen” – Vivian Finley Nida
1st HM, “Oink! Chomp! Splash!” – Barbara Shepherd
2nd HM, “My Earliest Fine-Art Memory” – Skye Brannon Lucking
4. Essay – Gordon Greene is a retired theatre professional, a former college professor and an award-winning journalist. He is the author of six books, two produced plays and dozens of stories, essays, columns, articles, and poems. He was twice president of Oklahoma City Writers and is a past president of the OK Writers Federation.
1st place, “A Skunk by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet” – Lynda Stephenson
2nd place, “To Go or Not to Go” – Gail Mattingly
3rd place, “Oscar Moments” – Mary Flowers Brannon
5. Poetry – Sandra Soli is a well-known poet. She’s a past president of OKC Writers and has won our Crème de la Creme award. She’s the author of two poetry chapbooks, one of which won the Oklahoma Book Award in Poetry. She’s also written a workbook for memoir writers, called Who Will Tell the Story If Not You?
1st place, “Saffron” – Cynthia Boyd
2nd place, “Instructions to the Reader: Herta Muller Intertwined in Brain Space with White Space” – Doris Beaton
3rd place, “Whistle Blower” – Carol Muirhead
6. Short story – Jeff Spelman began writing for the Daily O'Collegian at Oklahoma State. He's published short stories and poetry in Byline Magazine, academic journals, and e-zines. He has won first place in the short story contests of the Oklahoma City Writers and Oklahoma Writers Federation, and placed in the Writers' Digest National Short Story contest.
1st place, “Daffodil Waltz” – Barbara Shepherd
2nd place, “Round Trip” – Lynda Stephenson
3rd place, “Alli” – Kathleen Listman
1st HM, “Eight Ball, Corner Pocket” – Lisbeth McCarty
2nd HM, “Becoming Dr. Myra” – Onis L. Cox
7. Flash Fiction – Wayne Wyrick is the author of four children's books and has written a monthly column since 1984. He has long been a reader, writer, and lover of flash fiction and presented a workshop on flash fiction to creative writing students at East Central University.
1st place, “The Moment” – John Biggs
2nd place, “The Ram” – Barbara Shepherd
3rd place, “Glow” – Lisbeth McCarty
8. Feature Article – Lynda Haller has been writing magazine articles for 50 years and holds a Masters in Creative Studies from UCO. Her credits include Persimmon Hill, Heartland USA, and The Ketchpen, a publication of the Rodeo Historical Society.
1st place, “Out for an Afternoon Stroll” – Sylvia Forbes
2nd place, “Blood Suckers” – Gail Mattingly
3rd place, “Why Appeal a Jury Verdict?” – Lisbeth McCarty
HM, “William Scott Receives Quilt of Valor” – Barbara Shepherd
9. Nostalgia – Nathan Gunter is the managing editor of Oklahoma Today magazine, and also managing editor of vox poetica, an online poetry salon. His writing has appeared in the Times of London, CNN.com, This Land Press, the Bingo Bugle of Wisconsin, and in the 2017 Woody Guthrie poetry anthology, Ain't Gonna Be Treated This Way.
1st place, “On Leaving the Freeway” – Kathleen Listman
2nd place, “Yellow Card Table” – Carol Muirhead
3rd place, “As We Become Our Mothers” – Lynda Stephenson
HM, “Madam” – Judith Rycroft
HM, “Buster Brown” – Vivian Finley Nida
10. Adult Book – Linda Apple is the author of two women's fiction books and five nonfiction books. Her stories have appeared in sixteen Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. In addition to writing she is a speaker and teaches writing workshops in both fiction and nonfiction.
1st place, The Murder House – John Biggs
2nd place, Galen’s Gift – Paulette Henderson
3rd place, The Bowels of Paris – Kathleen Listman
HM, Valor – Margy Pezdirtz
11. Juvenile Book – Anna Myers is the author of 20 nationally published books for children. She is a winner of the lifetime achievement award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book, a member of the Oklahoma Writers' Hall of Fame, and the recipient of numerous other awards for writing.
Only four entries, so according to our contest rules, no cash will be awarded, but the judge did name a first place.
1st place, Reinventing Maria – Kathleen Listman
Crème de la Crème Award – Judge was Sonia Gensler. Sonia is the award-winning author of three young adult novels published by Alfred Knopf/Random House Kids. She taught literature and writing for ten years. Her latest book is called Ghostlight.
The Crème de la Crème Award carries a prize of $50
“On Leaving the Freeway,” (Nostalgia category), by Kathleen Listman
2016 Contest Chair: Gail Mattingly, 405-494-7384, evamattingly@cox.net
:2016 Rules: PDF Print Version
:2016 Rules: PDF Print Version
2016 Contest Winners
Humor - Judged by J. B. Hogan, the author of Tin Hollow, Losing Cotton, Fallen, & Living Behind Time.
Honorable Mention – A Gardner’s Woes by: Sylvia Forbes
Third Place – The Senility Rap by: Judith Rycroft
Second Place – The Living Dead by: Marlys Gallagher
First Place – Guess What’s Coming to Dinner: Mary Flowers Brannon
Inspirational - Judged by Jo Smith from Del City. A romance writer who is not yet published.
Third Place – Fifty Years of Closeness by: Shelley Anne Richter
Second Place – Dirt Stained Tears by: Robbie White
First Place – Lady in the Mantilla by: Mary Flowers Brannon
Juvenile – Judged by Jeanie Hagy, the author of several children’s books.
Honorable Mention – The Cooking Contest by: Staci Mauney
Third Place – Mystery at Black River Ranch by: Sylvia Forbes
Second Place – Miss Katy, The Squirrel Lady by: Carolyn Sue Bigbie
First Place – Web of Deceit by: Barbara Shepherd
Essay - Judged by Nathan Gunter. Nathan is managing editor and contributing writer of Oklahoma Today Magazine.
Honorable Mention – A Dog Named Wide Load by: Shelley Anne Richter
Third Place – Canyon Time by: Sylvia Forbes
Second Place – Saturday Afternoon in 1968 by: Mary Flowers Brannon
First Place – No Contest by: Judith Rycroft
Poetry – Judged by Robert Ferrier. He is an award-winning poet.
Fourth Honorable Mention – Windows by: Trina Lee
Third Honorable Mention – Lies by: Skye Lucking
Second Honorable Mention – The Cemetery by: Carolyn Sue Bigbie
First Honorable Mention – No Regrets by: Mary Flowers Brannon
Third Place – Oklahoma Seasons by: Bill Boudreau
Second Place – Sarah Pearl Hammond by: Lynda Stephenson
First Place – Ice Storm by: Judith S. Rycroft
Short Story – Judged by Nancy Hartney from Fayetteville, AR. She is the author of Washed in the Water.
Third Place – Warrior of Words by: Shelley Anne Richter
Second Place – The Family by: Nelda Paden
First Place – The Ride by: Brenda Thomas
Flash Fiction - Judged by Carolyn Leonard who is the author of Who’s Your Daddy? and To Israel With Love.
Second Honorable Mention – A Scary Situation by: Patti Koch
First Honorable Mention – The Cattyman by: Michelle Hendry
Third Place – Black Widow by: Edward Doney
Second Place – Summer Bliss by: Barbara Shepherd
First Place – A Minor Second by: Sylvia Forbes
Feature Article – Judged by Richard Mize, the real estate editor for the Oklahoman.
Third Place – How to Keep your Teeth by: Lisbeth McCarty
Second Place – Becoming a Story Book Character by: Sylvia Forbes
First Place – But Son, You Don’t Need a Pierced Ear by: Mary Flowers Brannon
Nostalgia – Judged by Frank Steele, an OWFI member from Sherman, Texas.
Third Place – Cobalt and Steel by: Lisbeth McCarty
Second Place – Da Adventures of Ollie and Olga by: Marlys Gallagher
First Place – Could He Do It? by: Mary Flowers Brannon
Book – Judged by Linda Basinger of Norman, Ok. Linda is a long-time member of the Norman Galaxy of Writers.
Honorable Mention – The Anuan Legacy by: Traci Ison Schafer
Third Place – Death of Innocence by: Kathleen Gibbs
Second Place – A Place to Belong by: Lorelei Sawtelle
First Place – A Threefold Cord by: Brenda Thomas
~~~~~~~~
Creme de la Creme - Judged by Marcia Preston, the author of Piano Man, Butterfly House, Trudy’s Promise and several other books.
No Contest by: Judith Rycroft
Honorable Mention – A Gardner’s Woes by: Sylvia Forbes
Third Place – The Senility Rap by: Judith Rycroft
Second Place – The Living Dead by: Marlys Gallagher
First Place – Guess What’s Coming to Dinner: Mary Flowers Brannon
Inspirational - Judged by Jo Smith from Del City. A romance writer who is not yet published.
Third Place – Fifty Years of Closeness by: Shelley Anne Richter
Second Place – Dirt Stained Tears by: Robbie White
First Place – Lady in the Mantilla by: Mary Flowers Brannon
Juvenile – Judged by Jeanie Hagy, the author of several children’s books.
Honorable Mention – The Cooking Contest by: Staci Mauney
Third Place – Mystery at Black River Ranch by: Sylvia Forbes
Second Place – Miss Katy, The Squirrel Lady by: Carolyn Sue Bigbie
First Place – Web of Deceit by: Barbara Shepherd
Essay - Judged by Nathan Gunter. Nathan is managing editor and contributing writer of Oklahoma Today Magazine.
Honorable Mention – A Dog Named Wide Load by: Shelley Anne Richter
Third Place – Canyon Time by: Sylvia Forbes
Second Place – Saturday Afternoon in 1968 by: Mary Flowers Brannon
First Place – No Contest by: Judith Rycroft
Poetry – Judged by Robert Ferrier. He is an award-winning poet.
Fourth Honorable Mention – Windows by: Trina Lee
Third Honorable Mention – Lies by: Skye Lucking
Second Honorable Mention – The Cemetery by: Carolyn Sue Bigbie
First Honorable Mention – No Regrets by: Mary Flowers Brannon
Third Place – Oklahoma Seasons by: Bill Boudreau
Second Place – Sarah Pearl Hammond by: Lynda Stephenson
First Place – Ice Storm by: Judith S. Rycroft
Short Story – Judged by Nancy Hartney from Fayetteville, AR. She is the author of Washed in the Water.
Third Place – Warrior of Words by: Shelley Anne Richter
Second Place – The Family by: Nelda Paden
First Place – The Ride by: Brenda Thomas
Flash Fiction - Judged by Carolyn Leonard who is the author of Who’s Your Daddy? and To Israel With Love.
Second Honorable Mention – A Scary Situation by: Patti Koch
First Honorable Mention – The Cattyman by: Michelle Hendry
Third Place – Black Widow by: Edward Doney
Second Place – Summer Bliss by: Barbara Shepherd
First Place – A Minor Second by: Sylvia Forbes
Feature Article – Judged by Richard Mize, the real estate editor for the Oklahoman.
Third Place – How to Keep your Teeth by: Lisbeth McCarty
Second Place – Becoming a Story Book Character by: Sylvia Forbes
First Place – But Son, You Don’t Need a Pierced Ear by: Mary Flowers Brannon
Nostalgia – Judged by Frank Steele, an OWFI member from Sherman, Texas.
Third Place – Cobalt and Steel by: Lisbeth McCarty
Second Place – Da Adventures of Ollie and Olga by: Marlys Gallagher
First Place – Could He Do It? by: Mary Flowers Brannon
Book – Judged by Linda Basinger of Norman, Ok. Linda is a long-time member of the Norman Galaxy of Writers.
Honorable Mention – The Anuan Legacy by: Traci Ison Schafer
Third Place – Death of Innocence by: Kathleen Gibbs
Second Place – A Place to Belong by: Lorelei Sawtelle
First Place – A Threefold Cord by: Brenda Thomas
~~~~~~~~
Creme de la Creme - Judged by Marcia Preston, the author of Piano Man, Butterfly House, Trudy’s Promise and several other books.
No Contest by: Judith Rycroft
2015 Contest Chair: Inez Phillips, Contest Chair 6200 N. Quapah Avenue Oklahoma City, OK 73112 Home: 946-0981
2015 Rules: PDF Print Version
2015 Rules: PDF Print Version
2015 Contest Winners
Humor
1st place – Shelley Anne Richter, Switched
2nd place – David Severe, Making an Audience Disappear
3rd place – Molly Lemmon, Patsy’s Ghost
Inspirational
1st place – Terri Lynn Cummings, A new Season
2nd place – Maria Veres, Okay, God, I Got It
3rd place – Mary Brannon, Christmas in March
1st HM – Trina Lee, Wanting to Write
1st HM – David Severe, The Lost Drum Major Lessons
2nd HM – Sandy Soli, God with Us: A Devotion
3rd HM – Karen Graham, Rose Chintz
Juvenile
1st place – Shelley Anne Richter, Tattletale
2nd place – Barbara Shepherd, Hear Me on the Radio
3rd place – Maria Veres, The Secret Life of Ketchup
Essay
1st place – Maria Veres, Worst Employee of the Year
2nd place – Marlys Gallagher, Plastique
3rd place – Paula Severe, A Russian Tea Party
HM – Karen Graham, Tentative Steps
Poetry
1st place – David Severe, Shining Mountains
2nd place – Terri Lynn Cummings, His Goodnight Moon
3rd place – Maria Veres, What to Do with Thought of Suicide
Short Story
1st place – Mariana Llanos, The Unimportance of Being Oscar
2nd place – Maria Veres, The Color of Hope
3rd place – Gail Mattingly, Such a Nice Family
Flash Fiction
1st place – Sandra Soli, War Lords
2nd place – Barbara Shepherd, Soldier Lost
3rd place – Maria Veres, Caught
Feature Article
1st place – Jean Stover, From a Creek Springs a Town
2nd place – Sandy Soli, Open Courseware: Get Smart for Free
3rd place – Nelda Holliman-Paden, Miniature Garden
HM – Shelley Pagach, 52 Card Pick Up
Nostalgia
1st place – Marlys Gallagher, At Home on the West Bank
2nd place – Hart Tillett, Yoli
3rd place – Gail Mattingly, Riding with Daddy
Book
1st place – Barbara Shepherd, Searching for Mandalay
2nd place – Ed Doney, Target: Rocky Mountain High
3rd place – Brenda Clark Thomas, Dryiege’S Key
HM – Hart Tillett, The Other Fort George
Crème de la Crème
Sandra Soli, War Lords
1st place – Shelley Anne Richter, Switched
2nd place – David Severe, Making an Audience Disappear
3rd place – Molly Lemmon, Patsy’s Ghost
Inspirational
1st place – Terri Lynn Cummings, A new Season
2nd place – Maria Veres, Okay, God, I Got It
3rd place – Mary Brannon, Christmas in March
1st HM – Trina Lee, Wanting to Write
1st HM – David Severe, The Lost Drum Major Lessons
2nd HM – Sandy Soli, God with Us: A Devotion
3rd HM – Karen Graham, Rose Chintz
Juvenile
1st place – Shelley Anne Richter, Tattletale
2nd place – Barbara Shepherd, Hear Me on the Radio
3rd place – Maria Veres, The Secret Life of Ketchup
Essay
1st place – Maria Veres, Worst Employee of the Year
2nd place – Marlys Gallagher, Plastique
3rd place – Paula Severe, A Russian Tea Party
HM – Karen Graham, Tentative Steps
Poetry
1st place – David Severe, Shining Mountains
2nd place – Terri Lynn Cummings, His Goodnight Moon
3rd place – Maria Veres, What to Do with Thought of Suicide
Short Story
1st place – Mariana Llanos, The Unimportance of Being Oscar
2nd place – Maria Veres, The Color of Hope
3rd place – Gail Mattingly, Such a Nice Family
Flash Fiction
1st place – Sandra Soli, War Lords
2nd place – Barbara Shepherd, Soldier Lost
3rd place – Maria Veres, Caught
Feature Article
1st place – Jean Stover, From a Creek Springs a Town
2nd place – Sandy Soli, Open Courseware: Get Smart for Free
3rd place – Nelda Holliman-Paden, Miniature Garden
HM – Shelley Pagach, 52 Card Pick Up
Nostalgia
1st place – Marlys Gallagher, At Home on the West Bank
2nd place – Hart Tillett, Yoli
3rd place – Gail Mattingly, Riding with Daddy
Book
1st place – Barbara Shepherd, Searching for Mandalay
2nd place – Ed Doney, Target: Rocky Mountain High
3rd place – Brenda Clark Thomas, Dryiege’S Key
HM – Hart Tillett, The Other Fort George
Crème de la Crème
Sandra Soli, War Lords
OCWI 2014 Contest Winners
CATEGORY #1 HUMOR
HONORABLE MENTION: NANCY E. VINEYARD- ONE COOL PAT DOWN
THIRD PLACE: BARBARA SHEPHERD- PACEMAKERS-ARE THEY THE REAL DEAL?
SECOND PLACE: PATRICIA J. KOCH- A HAIR-RAISING TALE
FIRST PLACE: INEZ PHILLIPS- TAINTED LARGESS
CATEGORY #2 INSPIRATIONAL
THIRD PLACE: BARBARA SHEPHERD- NIGHT OF THIEVES
SECOND PLACE: PAULA SEVERE- WHAT DO CROWS KNOW?
FIRST PLACE: NIKKI FERGUSON- THE PIGHEADED HEART
CATEGORY #3 JUVENILE
HONORABLE MENTION: PATRICA J. KOCH- OLD HERBERT
THIRD PLACE: JEAN STOVER- BARNYARD ANTICS
SECOND PLACE: STACI MAUNEY- CAN I HAVE THIS DANCE?
FIRST PLACE: BARBARA SHEPHERD- LEARN TO WRITE A HAIKU POEM
ESSAY #4 DID NOT MAKE
CATEGORY #5 POETRY
HONORABLE MENTION: NANCY E. VINEYARD- THE HANDS OF JESUS
THIRD PLACE: MARLYS GALLAGHER- I AM WOMAN
SECOND PLACE: LYNDA STEPHENSON- UPON ATTENDING THE FUNERAL OF A FIRST HUSBAND
FIRST PLACE: GAIL MATTINGLY- THE PARTING
CATEGORY #6 SHORT STORY
THIRD PLACE : BARBARA SHEPHERD- ZIANNA’S NEW TRIBE
SECOND PLATE: STACI MAUNEY- LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE
FIRST PLACE: NIKKI FERGUSON- THE SECRET
CATEGORY #7 FLASH FICTION
THIRD PLACE: INEZ PHILLIPS- GASTRONOMICAL PREFERENCES
SECOND PLACE: NELDA HOLLIMAN-PADEN- EVERYONE HAS A STORY
FIRST PLACE: BARBARA SHEPHERD-PAINTING ON SAFARI
FEATURE ARTICLE #8 DID NOT MAKE
CATEGORY #9 NOSTALGIA PROSE
HONORABLE MENTION: DAVID SEVERE- THE HUNTING DOG
THIRD PLACE: SHELLEY PAGACH- SWIMMING FOR CRAYONS
SECOND PLACE: INEZ PHILLIPS- OUR POLISH CHRISTMAS
FIRST PLACE: GAIL MATTINGLY- IT’S COMING UP A CLOUD
CATEGORY #10 BOOK
HONORABLE MENTION: KATHLEEN GIBBS- WILL MY SONG BE HEARD?
THIRD PLACE: NIKKI FERGUSON-OUT BY DARK
SECOND PLACE: MARLYS GALLAGHER-GO INTO THE PAIN
FIRST PLACE: KAREN GINTHER- GRAHAM-FINDING ROCKS
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME AWARD
NIKKI FERGUSON- THE SECRET
HONORABLE MENTION: NANCY E. VINEYARD- ONE COOL PAT DOWN
THIRD PLACE: BARBARA SHEPHERD- PACEMAKERS-ARE THEY THE REAL DEAL?
SECOND PLACE: PATRICIA J. KOCH- A HAIR-RAISING TALE
FIRST PLACE: INEZ PHILLIPS- TAINTED LARGESS
CATEGORY #2 INSPIRATIONAL
THIRD PLACE: BARBARA SHEPHERD- NIGHT OF THIEVES
SECOND PLACE: PAULA SEVERE- WHAT DO CROWS KNOW?
FIRST PLACE: NIKKI FERGUSON- THE PIGHEADED HEART
CATEGORY #3 JUVENILE
HONORABLE MENTION: PATRICA J. KOCH- OLD HERBERT
THIRD PLACE: JEAN STOVER- BARNYARD ANTICS
SECOND PLACE: STACI MAUNEY- CAN I HAVE THIS DANCE?
FIRST PLACE: BARBARA SHEPHERD- LEARN TO WRITE A HAIKU POEM
ESSAY #4 DID NOT MAKE
CATEGORY #5 POETRY
HONORABLE MENTION: NANCY E. VINEYARD- THE HANDS OF JESUS
THIRD PLACE: MARLYS GALLAGHER- I AM WOMAN
SECOND PLACE: LYNDA STEPHENSON- UPON ATTENDING THE FUNERAL OF A FIRST HUSBAND
FIRST PLACE: GAIL MATTINGLY- THE PARTING
CATEGORY #6 SHORT STORY
THIRD PLACE : BARBARA SHEPHERD- ZIANNA’S NEW TRIBE
SECOND PLATE: STACI MAUNEY- LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE
FIRST PLACE: NIKKI FERGUSON- THE SECRET
CATEGORY #7 FLASH FICTION
THIRD PLACE: INEZ PHILLIPS- GASTRONOMICAL PREFERENCES
SECOND PLACE: NELDA HOLLIMAN-PADEN- EVERYONE HAS A STORY
FIRST PLACE: BARBARA SHEPHERD-PAINTING ON SAFARI
FEATURE ARTICLE #8 DID NOT MAKE
CATEGORY #9 NOSTALGIA PROSE
HONORABLE MENTION: DAVID SEVERE- THE HUNTING DOG
THIRD PLACE: SHELLEY PAGACH- SWIMMING FOR CRAYONS
SECOND PLACE: INEZ PHILLIPS- OUR POLISH CHRISTMAS
FIRST PLACE: GAIL MATTINGLY- IT’S COMING UP A CLOUD
CATEGORY #10 BOOK
HONORABLE MENTION: KATHLEEN GIBBS- WILL MY SONG BE HEARD?
THIRD PLACE: NIKKI FERGUSON-OUT BY DARK
SECOND PLACE: MARLYS GALLAGHER-GO INTO THE PAIN
FIRST PLACE: KAREN GINTHER- GRAHAM-FINDING ROCKS
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME AWARD
NIKKI FERGUSON- THE SECRET
