Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest 2007
Congratulations to the winners of the 2007 Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest!
Honorable Mention $200
- Jan Breen, A Standing Ovation for my Father
- Abby Ingraham, Live Like a River
- Marianne Sciucco, Collection
- Laura Shumaker, A Regular Guy
Most Highly Commended $100
- Jessica Greene, Beyond Expectations
- Geoff Griffin, “Hey White Guy!”
- Linda Oatman High, Coming Together in God’s Country
- Abby Ingraham, Island of my Heart
- Susan Keith, Labor of Love Day, 2005
- Susan Keith, Magnolia
- Nicholas Kennedy, Pushing Patagonia
- Juhi Sinha, For Tomorrow and More
Highly Commended
"Wann Gambler" by Warren Ashburn
"We Had Faces Then" by Lori Hahnel
"On a Roll" by Tania Hershman
"Mrs. Johnston and Me" by Susan Keith
"I Like Cookies Too" by Emily Miller
"Hello Darling" by Johnmichael Simon
"Dream House" by Francine Trevens
Commended
"The Tender Groin of the Land" by Fred Bahnson
"A Dubious Mission" by Patricia D'Ascoli
"Vegged Out at Mickey D's" by Wanda Ehrlich
"Levitanium" by Peter Kettle
"The Twisted Heart" by Skeelo Khumalo
"A Real Writer" by Kelly Kyrik
"The Report of My Death" by Niki Nymark
"A Life Less Perfect" by Lisa Peters
"A Gamble" by Joanne Peterson
"Your Pleasure Is Mine" by Sue Rosenstock
"Equus Felinus" by Lynn Sadler
"Parental Guidance Strongly Suggested" by Damien Stednitz
"Daddy's Women" by Joanne Weck
Shortlisted
"Including the Periphery" by Roselee Blooston
"Nature's Bounty" by Mack Edwards
"Imagining: A Leap of Mind" by Patricia Heim
"Wide Awake" by Colleen Kelley
"Walking Out of Vukovar" by M.F. Persson
First Prize, $1,200 - Bonnie Lurie, USA
"Primary Day"
The judges said, "An eyewitness account of a tragic event made even more powerful and unnerving by the writer's extremely skillful writing style with its meticulous attention to riveting detail and its engrossing portrait of the writer herself. This is no impersonal report or a dull recitation of hideous facts, but a living, involving and deeply moving account of personal experience.
"In her story, Ms. Lurie pulls the reader into a forever-frightening event in New York City through the personal experience of one of the 'girls' who had faced the horror of a similar experience eight years before. Now she was caught, almost trapped, in a new horror of an extreme degree. Language, carefully chosen and forcefully expressive, highlights this ghastly event. At the end, a touch of human kindness and assistance provides a powerful contrast to the terrifying catastrophe. In this essay, the strength of one survivor suggests recognition of both that terrible time when the Twin Towers fell and the indomitable spirit of New Yorkers that remained courageous and stable."
Second Prize, $800 - Susan Keith, USA
"Visiting My Father's Office"
The judges said, "This memoir by Ms. Keith brings forward life in its special development through the experiences of a young woman and her father. Each step clearly delineates the passage of time until the father's death. The inclusion of the father's 'Funeral File' acknowledges, in a special way, the importance of a human life. The writer's last sentence, 'I wish he could have been there to see just how remarkable a life he had led,' enhances the values of both the individual and the memory. Maturity and understanding are not only engagingly revealed in the unfolding of this remembrance, but the language Ms. Keith employs always remains admirably clear and natural."
Third Prize, $400 - Elana Bregin, South Africa
"They"
The judges said, "Ms. Bregin does not conform to the usual Science-Fiction format: The horror of the story's central situation seems more insidious because it is never fully revealed but strikingly cloaked by incidents that are themselves terrifying. The conflict of science and humane rationality is effectively deepened by beautifully chosen, almost poetic, language. These three features move the reader inexorably forward with power and precision. Tension thus created builds to a tangible height that is further augmented by strange and chilling developments such as the inclusion of a girl who disappears and a wolf who becomes an important figure in the compelling plot. This story attains an extremely high level of intensity that is unusual to experience, leaving the reader with a serious realization of the control and possible misdirection of science."
Contest Judges
John Reid
John Howard Reid, founder of the Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction & Essay Contest and the Tom Howard/Margaret Reid Poetry Contest, won first prizes and other awards in prestigious literary events. A former journalist and magazine editor, he published several historical novels, a collection of poetry, a guide to winning literary contests, and over fifty books of film criticism and movie history. See his work at Lulu. He lived in Wyong, Australia, and passed away in 2018.
Contest Judges
Dee C. Konrad
A leading educator and published author, Mrs. Dee Konrad was Associate Professor in the English faculty of Barat College of DePaul University, and served as Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences for the year 2000-2001.
