Each year after the deadline for the contest submission has passed, contest entries are first screened blindly by a panel of judges, and then ten to twelve finalist pieces in each category are sent to our final judges for blind selection of winners. No judge at any step of this process is aware of the names of the writers who have submitted individual pieces. Writers may submit entries in all categories, and for an additional fee may submit a second entry, all of which means that writers may place or win up to two awards in multiple categories. Any writer who wins first place in a category is ineligible to enter that category the following year.

2024 TMW CONTEST WINNERS

STUDENT CATEGORIES:

Student Poetry Award:

Honorable Mention: Carson Brady, Oak Ridge High School, “Dear Me”

Honorable Mention: Leila Caicey Gilbert, West Ridge High School, “The Bridge”

Honorable Mention: Miriam Manna, West Ridge High School, “Courthouse on a Thursday Afternoon”

3^rd place: Jordan Bayless, West Ridge High School, “Highlands”

2^nd place: Kathryn-Ray Taylor, West Ridge High School, “Tote Memories”

1^st place: Parker Ezrea Guffey, West Ridge High School, “The Bridge on Ivory Street”

Student Prose Award:

Honorable Mention: Miriam Manna, West Ridge High School, “Running”

Honorable Mention: Derrick Eugene Rajnoor, West Ridge High School, “Iter Solis”

3^rd place: Madeline Cutler, Jefferson County High School, “The Green Fruit”

2^nd place: Calvin James Lee, West Ridge High School, “Dr. Jeramiah’s Hastily Cobbled 

Together Godforsaken Flying Machine: How My Brother Got Us Charged for Treason, Changed the Course of the Civil War, and Killed the Cat”

1^st Place: Leila Caicey Gilbert, West Ridge High School, “When It Rains”

ADULT CATEGORIES: 

Patricia Boatner Fiction Award:

Honorable Mention: Daniel Leonard, Oak Ridge, TN, “A Sailor’s Heart”

Honorable Mention, Chrissie Anderson Peters, Bristol, TN, “Genevieve”

Honorable Mention, Daniel Reiss, Maryville, TN, “Finding Honey”

3^rd place: Marilyn Layman Mascaro, Knoxville, TN, “Visitation”

2^nd place: Sophia Metz, Maryville, TN, “Writing on My Skin”

1^st place: Lisa Shirey, Norris, TN, “What I Didn’t Know”

Science Fiction/Fantasy Award:

3^rd place: Vicki J. Cypcar, Sparta, TN, “The Samaritan Wore Combat Boots”

2^nd place: Steven Skaggs, Prospect, KY, “Boundary Conditions”

1^st place: Daniel Leonard, Oak Ridge, TN, “The Portal”

Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award:

Honorable Mention: Laurie Doctor, Prospect, KY, “Bells and Time”

3^rd place: Sharon E. Waters, Beckley, WV, “Bully Tactics”

2^nd place: Gay Marie Logsdon, Oak Ridge, TN, “Are You Saved? A Delayed Response”

1st place: Evelyn Rennich, Colorado Springs, CO, “The Conundrum of Consuming”

Poetry Award:

Honorable Mention: Laura Miller, Soddy Daisy, TN, “Midnight Near Meers, Oklahoma”

Honorable Mention: Ralph Monday, Harriman, TN, “Mulberries”

3^rd place: Lacy Snapp, Johnson City, TN, “Villa de Borghese”

2^nd place: Jake Lawson, Johnson City, TN, “Fantasie Impromptu”

1^st place: Annette Sisson, Brentwood, TN, “Yield”

Children’s Literature Award:

3^rd place, Chrissie Anderson Peters, Bristol, TN, “Bingo’s Banjo”

2^nd place, RosiHollinbeck, Antelope, CA, “Rebekah’s Star”

1^st place: Pam Campbell, Brooklyn, NY, “Pieces the Pig”

Sue Ellen Hudson winner: Daniel Leonard, Oak Ridge, TN, “The Portal”

 

2023 TMW CONTEST WINNERS

STUDENT CATEGORIES:

Student Poetry Award:

HM, Harley Bolix, Tellico Plains High School, “Author’s Instinct”

3^rd place, Lake Sewell, Tellico Plains High School, “The Ghost”

2^nd place, Faye Estremera, Oak Ridge High School, “I Love You, for You Are a Dandelion”

1^st place, Addyson Owens, West Ridge High School, “elegy for the orange market”

Student Prose Award:

3^rd place, Tealaisha Wakefield, Tellico Plains High School, “Akarnia”

2^nd place, Meya Keener, Tellico Plains High School, “When the Trumpets Sound”

1^st place, Potter Owen Posey, Ivy Academy, “Portrait of a Soldier Facing Art”

ADULT CATEGORIES:

Patricia Boatner Fiction Award:

Honorable Mention, Jake Lawson, “Beyond the Clearing”

Honorable Mention, Ray Zimmerman, “The Cabin on the Bluff”

3^rd place, Carol Luther, “And Gladly Facilitate: a Tale”

2^nd place, Dakota Collins, “Funnyman”

1^st place, Sam Campbell, “Someone Planted Kudzu in New York City”

Humor Award:

3^rd place, Chrissie Anderson Peters, “Nice”

2^nd place, Sally Boyington, “Tortured by Dr. Seuss”

1^st place, Chrissie Anderson Peters, “Too Much Trouble”

Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award:

Honorable Mention, Susan Tidwell Brown, “Joseph Roberts, Pop”

Honorable Mention, Evelyn Rennich, “The Table We Orbit”

2^nd place, Laura Caton-David, “Unpacking”

1^st place, Margaret Cody, “Lonely Together”

Poetry Award:

HM: Sam Campbell, “Dream in Which the FBI Cares about My Flow”

3^rd place, DeAnna Stephens, “Persimmon”

2^nd place, Diane M. Williams, “Leap Girl”

1^st place, DeAnna Stephens, “Animal Psalm”

Children’s Literature Award:

2^nd place, Daniel Leonard, “A Thank You Note to Santa”

1^st place, Becky Parker, “Sid and Farmer Joe (Creek Time!)”

Sue Ellen Hudson winner:

Sam Campbell, “Someone Planted Kudzu in New York City”

 

2022 TMW CONTEST WINNERS

ADULT CATEGORIES:

Patricia Boatner Fiction Award:

Honorable Mention, Amara Bunten, “Wasteful”

Honorable Mention, Daniel Ray, “The End Man”

Honorable Mention, Carole Stice, “Mistaken”

3^rd place, Wilmoth Foreman, “Something Akin to Friendship”

2^nd place, Daniel Reiss, “What’s of the Soul is Not Forgotten”

1^st place, Larry D. Thacker, “Worn Out”

Science Fiction/Fantasy Award:

Honorable Mention, Vicki J. Cypcar, “An Angel Named Atticus”

Honorable Mention, Travetta Johnson, “Cosmic Jam”

3^rd place, Daniel Leonard, “Catching Up”

2^nd place, Daniel Leonard, “Ice Springs Phoenix”

1^st place, Daniel Ray, “Skyfort”

Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award:

Honorable Mention, Vicki J. Cypcar, “She Deserved Better”

Honorable Mention, Deborah Scaperoth, “Captured by a Cult”

3^rd place, David Hammond, “The Cotton Sack”

2^nd place, Natalie Kimbell, “An Attention Deficit Lollapalooza”

1^st place, Gail Tyson, “Homing”

Poetry Award:

HM: Larry D. Thacker, “Reunion”

HM: Ralph Monday, “Let Them Go to the Waters”

3^rd place, Larry D. Thacker, “How it All Comes to an End in the End”

2^nd place, DeAnna Stephens, “Summer Repair”

1^st place, KB Ballentine, “Heart, Full of Seed”

Children’s Literature Award:

3^rd place, Randi Lynn Mrvos, “To Be in a Book”

2^nd place, Dee Lynk, “Chapter One—Yes—Yes—YES!”

1^st place, Chrissie Anderson Peters, “Red Bird Rules”

Sue Ellen Hudson winner: Daniel Ray, “Skyfort”

 

2021 TMW CONTEST WINNERS

ADULT CATEGORIES:

Patricia Boatner Fiction Award:

Honorable Mention, Gail Tyson, “Surely Mercy”

3^rd place, Lisa Glisson, “Broken Places”

2^nd place, Carol Luther, “Cotton Mill Girl”

1^st place, Jim Overholt, “Anzio”

Humor Award:

3^rd place, Daniel Leonard, “Midnight Guard Duty”

2^nd place, Daniel Leonard, “Searching for a Graveyard”

1^st place, Chrissie Anderson Peters, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”

 Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award:

3^rd place, Kate Landers, “To Save a Turtle”

2^nd place, Daniel Leonard, “Sounds So Far Away”

1^st place, Kelly Dorgan, “The Making of Crazy Fred”

Poetry Award:

HM: Natalie Kimbell, “Covee”

HM: Deborah Scaperoth, “Hope in the Time of Covid & Cancer”

3^rd place, Deborah Scaperoth, “Bare Branches”

2^nd place, Ralph Monday, “Mountain Confessional”

1^st place, Linda Holmes, “The Art of Going”

Children’s Literature Award:

3^rd place, Randi Lynn Mrvos, “Adrianna Esperanza”

2^nd place, Daniel Leonard, “Snappy”

1^st place, Daniel Leonard, “Star of the Rodeo”

 Sue Ellen Hudson winner: Jim Overholt, “Anzio”

 

2020 TMW CONTEST WINNERS

The contest committee would like to thank all our 2020 contest final judges: Wes Browne, Beverly Connor, Wendy Dinwiddie, Jane Hicks, Stellasue Lee, Terry Shaw, and Julia Watts.

STUDENT CATEGORIES:

Student Poetry Award:

HM, Molly Featherston, Powell High School, “Masked”

3^rd place, Emily Guzman, Powell High School, “I Was Once an Icarus”

2^nd place, Grace Parkhill, Knoxville Catholic High School, “Backstage”

1^st place, Meghan Campbell, Oak Ridge High School, “Winter Perfume”

Student Prose Award:

HM, Kevin Farmer, Knoxville Catholic High School, “Here Now”

HM, Anna Summerville, Farragut High School, “The Name of Motivation”

3^rd place, Eleanor Weedman, Knoxville Catholic High School, “The Witch Next Door”

2^nd place, Kiersten Man, Knoxville Catholic High School, “You Ain’t Supposed to Live That Way”

1^st place, Meghan Campbell, Oak Ridge High School, “Whitethorn House”

ADULT CATEGORIES:

Patricia Boatner Fiction Award:

Honorable Mention, Tony Jordan, “Let’s Make a Deal”

3^rd place, Daniel Scaperoth, “My Wife’s Recurrent Breast Cancer”

2^nd place, Patricia McLaughlin, “The Bastard”

1^st place, Christina Fleisch, “How to Get a Husband”

Fantasy/Science Fiction Award:

Honorable Mention, Chrissie Anderson Peters, “Cades Cove Conversations”

3^rd place, Daniel Leonard, “Thinking Small”

2^nd place, Vicki J. Cypcar, “Jimmy Jack’s Voodoo Shack”

1^st place, DeAnna Stephens, “Dolor”

Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award:

Honorable Mention, Jim Young, “A Buddy Indeed”

3^rd place, Vicki J. Cypcar, “Wedding Daze”

2^nd place, Jill Thompson, “Dearly Beloved”

1^st place, Peggy Grigowski, “Christmas Tea”

Poetry Award:

Honorable Mention, Sean Purio, “A Proper Burial”

Honorable Mention, Linda Holmes, “Along the Rio Urubamba”

3^rd place, Annette Sisson, “My Keen and Doleful Heart”

2^nd place, Linda Holmes, “Shooting Squarely”

1^st place, DeAnna Stephens, “In His Owner’s Intolerable Absence, the Dog Forsakes Longing”

Children’s Literature Award:

3^rd place, Chrissie Anderson Peters, “When Wishing Still Worked: A Fairy Tale”

2^nd place, Chrissie Anderson Peters, “Rainy Day with Grandma”

1^st place, Patricia N. McLaughlin, “My Shadows & Me”

 Sue Ellen Hudson winner:

DeAnna Stephens, “In His Owner’s Intolerable Absence, the Dog Forsakes Longing”

 

2019 TMW CONTEST WINNERS

STUDENT CATEGORIES:

Student Poetry Award:

3rd place (tie), Emma Haines, Oak Ridge High School, “Las Vegas Grim”  

3rd place (tie), Halle Brown, Farragut High School, “Tight Grip”  

2nd place, Grace Bass, Farragut High School, “Forgotten Performance”

1st place, Seth Boullie, Oak Ridge High School, “The Pumpkin with the One Carved Eye”  

Student Prose Award:

Honorable Mention, Meghan Owens, Powell High School, “Lucius”  

3rd place: Anna Summerville, Farragut High School, “A Power Consumed by Darkness”

2nd place: Katie Orillion, Knoxville Catholic High School, “To Slay a Dragon”

1st place: Grace Bass, Farragut High School, “The Opposite of an Apocalypse”

ADULT CATEGORIES:

Patricia Boatner Fiction Award:

3rd place: Reid Sexton, “The Singin’ Bone,” Knoxville, TN

2nd place: Daniel Reiss, “What Esther Lost in Tennessee, 1933,” Louisville, TN

1st place: DeAnna Stephens, “The Prodigals,” Crossville, TN

Humor Award:

3rd place: Jennie Ivey, “Blind Date: The Poet,” Cookeville, TN

2nd place: Natalie Kimbell, “The Wedding Dress” (novel excerpt), Graysville, TN

1st place: Chrissie Anderson Peters, “Buddy,” Bristol, TN

 Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award:

3rd place: Judy Lee Green, “Memories of Ten Cent Burgers,” Murfreesboro, TN

2nd place: Daniel Scaperoth, “This is How You Hold a Shovel,” Lenoir City, TN

1st place: Chrissie Anderson Peters, “Elkmont Fireflies,” Bristol, TN

Poetry Award:

3rd place: Ann Thornfield Long, “Ode to Mary Oliver,” Norris, TN

2nd place: Phyllis Price, “Kitt Peak Observatory,” Blacksburg, VA

1st place: Phyllis Price, “Five Ways to Go,” Blacksburg, VA

Writing for Young People Award:

3rd place: Daniel Leonard, “Dahlia’s Dream,” Oak Ridge, TN

2nd place: Dee Lynk, “Chapter 7—the B.I.T. Institute,” Crossville, TN

1st place: Vicki J. Cypcar, “For Tucker’s Sake,” Sparta, TN

 Sue Ellen Hudson winner: Chrissie Anderson Peters, “Buddy”

__________________________________________________________

 

 

 

2018	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Poetry	Jessica Ammendolia (Oak Ridge HS) “The Butcher”	Sean Jones (William Blount HS) “Where the Heart Dwells”	Madaline Dople (Anderson County HS) “My Roommate, Death”
Prose	Hailey Gann (Powell HS) “The Sour Taste of Sugar”	Anna Grace Gragg (Farragut HS) “Letters”	Olivia Carter (Sequoyah HS) “The Thoughts Within You”	Jacob Hattaway (Oak Ridge HS) “The Trials” Anna Summerville (Farragut HS) “My Own Corner of Fantasy” Ian Barry (Anderson County HS) “Lowly Blows the Howling Cold”
Adult Competition
Patricia Boatner Fiction Award	Anne Powers “The Word on the Water”	Jessica Pierce “Remnants of Evergreens”	Delonda Anderson “Weep the Wild Cares”
Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award	Jane Flanagan “Baking Lessons”	Judy Lee Green “Thumbtack Moon”	Ann Thornfield-Long “Becky’s Dream”
Poetry	Cathy Kodra “Snow Blind”	Cathy Kodra “What Mothers Know”	John Mannone “After the Fish Market”	Gail Tyson “Animal Instinct” and “Paperweights”
Writing for Young People	John Mannone “Little Wishing Star”	Katherine Bowman “In Your Dreams: Fairy Wings”	Mary Bess Dunn “The Boy Who Hummed Too Much”
Inspirational	Judy Lee Green “Leading the Fire Drill”	Regina Ferrin “A Beautiful Family of Misfits”	Daniel Leonard “Momma and the Birthday Cake”
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Anne Powers “The Word on the Water”

2017	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Poetry	Joanna Howell (Oak Ridge HS) “Following the Same Routine”	Sarah Lively (Oak Ridge HS) “Guilt”	Jennaly Nolan (Farragut HS) “Tennessee Sunrise”	Seth Boullie (Oak Ridge HS) “Hatred”
Prose	Angel Bowers (Sequoyah HS, Madisonville) “Forget Me Not”	Anna Grace Gragg (Farragut HS) “Writer’s Block”	Lizzie Moncur (Hardin Valley HS, Knoxville) “I’m Sorry”
Adult Competition
Patricia Boatner Fiction Award	Ann Thornfeld-Long (Norris, TN) “The Crying Room”	John Mannone (Niota, TN) “The Quality of Mercy”	Jarrett Kaufman (Lafayette, LA) “Plum Hill”
Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award	John Mannone (Niota, TN) “The Walnut Street Bridge”	Carol Robbins (Montgomery, AL) “How Old is Old?”	Robert B. Robeson (Lincoln, NE) “I Knew You’d Come”
Poetry	Sandy Coomer (Brentwood, TN) “Available Light”	Sandy Coomer (Brentwood, TN) “Blue Moon and Bright Stars”	Cathy Kodra (Knoxville, TN) “Goat, Bridge”	Chloe Hanson (Knoxville, TN) “After the Third Ring”
Writing for Young People	Lydia Phillips (Sparta, TN) “Beast”	Linda Underwood (Knoxville, TN) “Things I Love”	John Mannone (Niota, TN) “The Treehouse”
Inspirational	Rita M. Reali (Crossville, TN) “A New Day for Xena”	Donna M. Crow (Irvine, KY) “TIME”	Lou Ann Cristy (Oak Ridge, TN) “Melody: A Song”	Mary K. Hodges (Powell, TN) “The Thawing” Deborah Scaperoth (Lenoir City, TN) “Risk Delight”
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Sandy Coomer (Brentwood, TN) “Available Light”

2016	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Poetry	Jahnney Cantrell (Oak Ridge HS) “Late Nigh Texts with a Math Enthusiast”	Jake Goodlaxson (Oak Ridge HS) “Melting”	Summer Duncan (Tellico Plains HS) “Mystery”
Prose	Chloe Rhodes (Christian Academy of Knoxville) “Forgotten”	Kensie Payne (Northview Academy) “Christmas Dinner’s Not-So-Ordinary Tradition”	Sarah Moler (William Blount HS) “Strike Team LA”	Jahnney Cantrell (Oak Ridge HS) “Coffee” Aaron Tobler (Oak Ridge HS) “What’s In a Name”
Adult Competition
Patricia Boatner Fiction Award	Mary K. Hodges (Powell, TN) “Song Bird”	Carol Robbins (Montgomery, AL) “Tangerine Tango”	Rita M. Reali (Crossville, TN) Glimpse of Emerald, novel excerpt
Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award	Emily Welch (Cumberland Gap, TN) “Untitled”	Rita M. Reali (Crossville, TN) “Xena’s Adventures in Doggy Hell”	Carol Robbins  (Montgomery, AL) “Saying Goodbye”	Sharon Boudreaux (Knoxville, TN) “Goodwill” Carol Robbins (Montgomery, AL) “Images of Ida”
Poetry	Deborah Scaperoth (Knoxville, TN) “Coffin Carved Out of Time”	Sally Clark (Fredericksburg, TX) “Cow Jumps Over the Moon”	Deborah Scaperoth (Knoxville, TN) “From What Country Is This Love?”	Sally Clark ( Fredericksburg, TX) “Crop Rotation”
Writing for Young People	Sally Clark (Fredericksburg, TX) “Boogie Man Jam”	Russel Hirst (Knoxville, TN) “I Heard Two Hippopotami”	Carol Robbins  (Montgomery, AL) “Lulu and the Magic Word”
Inspirational	Barbara J. Turner (Kingston, TN) “The Path to My Roots”	Barbara J. Turner (Kingston, TN) “The Space Between”	Littie Croft (Cookeville, TN) “Meet Me at the Crossroads, Podna”	Mary K. Hodges (Powell, TN) “Neighbors for Christmas” John Mannone (Niota, TN) “The Samaritan Woman”
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Deborah Scaperoth (Knoxville, TN)

2015	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Prose	Shane Harris (Oak Ridge HS) “Summer in a Madhouse”	Colleen Hulsey (Oak Ridge HS) “Beyond Control”	Kayla Collins (Oliver Spring HS) “The Game of Death”
Poetry	Rachel Smith (Oliver Spring HS) “A Perfectly Composed Memory”	Allissa Leudemann (Tellico Plains HS)  “Will You Remember Me?”	Jessica Tinnel (Oak Ridge HS) “Two Different Streams of Thought”
Adult Competition
Patricia Boatner Fiction Award	Wendy Dinwiddie (Talbott, TN) “The Box and the Machine”	Victoria Hubbell (Lake Ozark, MO) “Mrs. Noah”	Tony Jordan (Clinton, TN) “The Penitent Priest”	J. Kyle Johnson (Knoxville, TN) “The Canary’s Song”
Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award	John Mannone (Niota, TN) “Antietam National Battlefield”	Deborah Scaperoth (Lenoir City, TN) “Into the Thin Air of Tibet”	J. Kyle Johnson (Knoxville, TN) “My Best Day Fishin’…Ever”	Jane Flanagan (Oak Ridge, TN) “The Sneeze” Nancy Rayside (Oak Ridge, TN) “The Following Summer”
Poetry	John Mannone (Niota, TN) “Night Rhythms”	Ronald Lands (Oak Ridge, TN) “Breathing the Same Air”	Ronald Lands (Oak Ridge, TN) “Small Talk”
Writing for Young People	Barbara Gold (Stamford, CT) “Weed Whackers, Open for Business”	Randi Lynn Mrvos (Lexington, KY) “Totally, Completely, Perfectly Me”	Judy Kagley Bingham (Alcoa, TN) “Hold It…Write!”
Inspirational	Donna M. Crow (Irvine, KY) “The Bobcat”	Donna Reichle (Kingston, TN) “Journey of the Ladies”	Tony Jordan (Clinton, TN) “Sewanee as Touchstone”	Linda Hudson Hoagland (North Tazewell, VA)  “Moms Know”
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Wendy Dinwiddie (Talbott, TN) “The Box and the Machine”

2014	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Prose	Tucker Rouse (William Blount HS, Maryville, TN) “The Vagrant’s Fable”	Abigail Douglas (Oak Ridge HS) “Easier Than I Had Imagined”	Lucas Potter (Oak Ridge HS) “Forever Friends”
Poetry	Abigail Douglas (Oak Ridge HS) “The Other Ten Percent”	Drew Dixson (Christian Academy of Knoxville) “The Cabin”	Emily Stansfield (Oak Ridge HS) “The Enemy”	Joe Bivens (Tellico Plains HS) “Junk Food Johnny” &  Hannah Clothier (Christian Academy of Knoxville) “Warm with Autumn”
Adult Competition
Patricia Boatner Fiction Award	Lauren Glenn (Jacksboro, TN) “Silence”	Donna Reichle (Kingston, TN) “A Letter to Luke”	Richard Drew (Gatlinburg, TN) “Stranded”	John C. Mannone (Niota, TN) “Lavender Stars and the Jasmime Wind”
Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award	Stephanie Levy (Knoxville, TN) “Sharing Christmas”	J. Kyle Johnson (Knoxville, TN) “Living in the Shadow of the Nuclear Warhead”	Linda Underwood (Knoxville, TN) “The First Ever Artificial Christmas Tree”
Poetry	Wanda Ensor Grooms (Oak Ridge, TN) “Photo of the Unborn”	Mary K. Hodges (New Tazewell, TN) “Wash Day”	John C. Mannone (Niota, TN) “Gambles”	Wanda Ensor Grooms (Oak Ridge, TN) “Summer People”
Writing for Young People	Sally Clark (Fredericksburg, TX) “Lilah Belle’s Busy Day”	J. Kyle Johnson (Knoxville, TN) “The Bear’s Picnic”	Wanda Ensor Grooms (Oak Ridge, TN) “Growing Ginny”
Inspirational	Victoria Hubbell (Lake Ozark, MO) “Mount Everest”	Mary K. Hodges (New Tazewell, TN) “Flowers for William”	Jennie Ivey (Cookeville, TN) “Still Beating”	Jennie Ivey (Cookeville, TN) “More Than a Souvenir”
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Victoria Hubbell (Lake Ozark, MO) “Mount Everest”

2013	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Prose	Shane Harris (Oak Ridge HS) “Dear Lilly”	Abigail Douglas (Oak Ridge HS) “Second Chances”	Kelsey Rochelle (Oak Ridge HS) “Cold Eyes”
Poetry	Harrison Weible (Oak Ridge HS) “87 Volvo”	James Eston Dunn, III (Oak Ridge HS) “The Explorer”	Christian Cain (Oak Ridge HS) “A Letter of Remembering”	Noah Gurley (Oak Ridge HS) “Orion” &  Andrew Strader (Oak Ridge HS) “Preserved”
Adult Competition
Patricia Boatner Fiction Award	Vicki Crawford (Scott Depot, WV) “One Busted Wheel”	L. R. Burgess (Cookeville, TN) “Tale of the Magpie/Sug and Sukey” Chapter 1	Heidi Greenhalgh (Oak Ridge, TN) “The Ice Skating Cow”	Laura Hunter (Northport, AL) “Letter from Vicksburg, 1863”
Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award	Chrissie Anderson Peters (Bristol, TN) “I Changed My Mind”	Lou Ann Harris Cristy (Oak Ridge, TN) “The Run-Away Trio”	Donna Reichle (Kingston, TN) “Poot Roots in the Closet”	Linda Underwood (Knoxville, TN) “The Christmas Sally Haskins Stonecipher Went Blind” & Elsie Schmied Knoke (Oak Ridge, TN) “Some Thoughts for Retirees”
Poetry	Deborah Scaperoth (Lenoir City, TN) “After Reading Hunger Games at the Monastery”	Sally Clark (Fredericksburg, TX) “Barking and Clawing Against a Sensible Leash”	Deborah Scaperoth (Lenoir City, TN) “Plentitude: Joel 2:25”	Gretchen McCroskey (Bristol, TN) “Washed Clean”
Writing for Young People	Linda Underwood (Knoxville, TN) “A Boy A Dog and A Frog”	Vicki J. Cypcar (Sparta, TN) “Clara’s Prayers”	Jan Sherbin (Cincinnati, OH) “Marina, Galina, Come Eat Your Semolina”
Inspirational	Nancy Rayside (Oak Ridge, TN) “Therapy”	Ronald Michaels (Seymour, TN) “Life”	Casey Walton (Huntsville, AL) “Pot Luck for Maria”	Judy Lee Green (Murfreesboro, TN) “Leading the Fire Drill”
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Deborah Scaperoth (Lenoir City, TN) “After Reading Hunger Games at the Monastery”

2012	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Prose
Poetry
Adult Competition
Patricia Boatner Fiction Award	Elsie Schmied Knoke (Oak Ridge, TN) “The Caregivers”	Linda Hudson Hoaglund (North Tazewell, VA) “And the Next Day”	Bob Mustin (Asheville, NC) “The Faithful City”	Laura Glenn (Henderson, TN) “The Good Ole Days”
Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award	Linda Lou Weaver (Harrogate, TN) “Biscuits in a Can”	Chrissie Anderson Peters (Bristol, TN) “Learning to Drive”	Judy Lee Green (Murfreesboro, TN) “From Blush to Bloom”	—
Poetry	Donna Doyle (Knoxville, TN) “Extreme Measures”	Shannon Collins (Cookeville, TN) “Waking One Thursday”	Donna McClanahan (Berea, KY) “Unwordable Utterance”	Marian Shapir (Lexington, MA) “Around Here, March” & Sue Dunlap (Walland, TN) “Home Water”
Writing for Young People	Jean Leigh Claudette (Thelma Lee Hartigan-Seymour, TN) “The Mystery of the Owl’s Music”	Jean Leigh Claudette (Thelma Lee Hartigan-Seymour, TN) “Mercedes James Book 2: Shrugs, Hugs and Other Valuable Things”	Mike French (Rives Junction, MI) “How Ryan Stole the Monster’s Brain”	—
Inspirational	Mary K Hodges (New Tazwell, TN) “The Scrapbook”	Donna Reichle (Kingston, TN) “The Infusion Room”	Annie Golson (Clinton, TN) “The Old Man”	—
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Donna Doyle (Knoxville, TN) for her poem “Extreme Measures”

2011	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Prose	Alysse Riggs (Oak Ridge HS) “Forgiven”	Travis J. Labossiere-Hickman (Brush Creek, TN home school) “Scourge of the Mediterranean”	Chelsea Sue Conley (Roane County HS) “The Story That Was Never Told”
Poetry	Kyle Poteet (Oak Ridge HS) “The Rising Sunset”	Kurt Smith (Oak Ridge HS) “Crashing Down”	Kayla Sweet Gonzales (Oak Ridge HS) “The Soundtrack of My Life”
Adult Competition
Patricia Boatner Fiction Award	Luther Kirk (Pulaski, TN) “The Bastard Child of My Oldest Sister Vivian”	Denton Loving (Speedwell, TN) “Fiddlers”	Jacob P. Cline, III (Middlesboro, KY) “The Mine”
Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award	Allen Russell (Hartford, KY) “Mule and the Razor-strop”	Jennie Ivey (Cookeville, TN) “Scooter Chicks Rule”	Ralph Bowden (Cookeville, TN) “First Boat”
Poetry	Denton Loving (Speedwell, TN) “Your Very Flesh”	Gretchen McCroskey (Bristol, TN) “Camouflage”	None awarded.
Writing for Young People	Randi Lynn Mrvos (Lexington, KY) “Maggie and the Third Grade Blues”	Marian Lewis (Owens Crossroads, AL) “Miss Bo Likes to Go”	Linda Hudson Hoagland (North Tazewell, VA) “I Dare You”
Inspirational	Jennie Ivey (Cookeville, TN) “A Mother Who Read to Me”	Karen Hebert(Oak Ridge, TN) “I Miss You on Sunday ”	Susan Ray (Cookeville, TN) “It’s Not Much”
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Jennie Ivey (Cookeville, TN) “A Mother Who Read to Me”

2010	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Prose	Catherine Moskos (Townsend Harris HS, Douglaston, NY) “Nightmare”	Sam Gamble (Western HS, Davie, FL) “Masks”	Dustin Anderson (Wm French HS, Palatine, IL) “The Tenets”
Poetry	Molly K. Ensign-Simmons (Oak Ridge HS) “Coronation”	Emma Elisabeth Fosso McNairy (Salem Academy, Winston-Salem, NC) “Real”	Candice Marie (South Doyle HS) “Where I’m From”	Arianna Greenberg (Oak Ridge HS) “Long Lost Friend”
Adult Competition
Patricia Boatner Fiction Award	Ruth Pettey Jones (Cookeville, TN) “Since January”	Elsie Knoke (Oak Ridge, TN) “Wedding Day”	DeVan Burton (Knoxville, TN) “Cake”
Joy Margrave Nonfiction Award	Judy Lee Green (Murfreesboro, TN) “The Tampa Turquoise Flash”	Laura Martin-Palmatier (Crossville, TN) “The Suitcase”	Donna R. Reichle (Kingston, TN) “The Ammo-Camo Safari”
Poetry	Sandy Coomer (Brentwood, TN) “Common Miracles”	Sandy Coomer (Brentwood, TN) “Questions You Ask”	Heather Hayes (Sparta) “To An Amphora”	Robert Ward (Oak Ridge, TN) “Sea Life, a Sestina”
Writing for Young People	Florence Rita Monette (Deer Lodge, TN) Zone of Fear (novel excerpt)	Florence Rita Monette (Deer Lodge, TN) Legend of Ghost Dog Island (novel excerpt)	Marian Lewis (Owens Crossroads, AL) “Copper With Venom”	Kathleen E. Fearing (Clinton, TN) “Voyage of Dreams”
Inspirational	Judy Lee Green (Murfreesboro, TN) “Married One Hundred Years”	Ruth Pettey Jones (Cookeville, TN) “The Great Thanksgiving Challenge”	Jane Flanagan (Oak Ridge, TN) “A Doe in the Window”
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Ruth Pettey Jones (Cookeville, TN) “Since January”

2009	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Prose	Jordan Frye (Cookeville High School) “Rayne”	Melanie McNeely (Knoxville, TN home school) “The Cup of Tea”	Alexandra Nicole Shipp (Oak Ridge High School) “Summer’s End”
Poetry	Monica Silvera (Oak Ridge High School) “To Certain Girls”	Kelsey Hook (Oak Ridge High School) “Summer Ghosts, Waking Dreams”	Lauren Nettles (Oak Ridge High School) “But I Am”	Claire Northern (Knoxville Catholic High)  “Where I’m From”;  Lauren Krouse (Farragut High School)  “Cape Hatteras ”
Adult Competition
Patricia Boatner Fiction Award	Laura Hunter (Northport, AL) “A Widow’s Mite”	Reilly Maginn (Daphne, AL) “High Iron”	Rebecca B. Carroll (Clinton, TN) “Granny Polyester”	Laura Martin-Palmatier (Crossville, TN) “Fence Jumper”; Frank Jamison (Kingston, TN) “Catfish”
Nonfiction	Michael J. Paskel (Oak Ridge, TN) “All We Have To Fear”	Ruth Pettey Jones (Cookeville, TN) “That Which Doesn’t Kill Us”	Lou Ann Harris Cristy (Oak Ridge, TN) “No Electricity”
Poetry	Shannon Collins (Cookeville, TN) “Thinking of Your Oldest”	Donna Doyle (Knoxville, TN) “After Rain, Fireflies”	Emily Grimes-Henderson (Birmingham, AL) “We Are Water Stones Air and Light”	Emily Grimes-Henderson (Birmingham, AL) “Examining History”;  Vicki H. Moss  (Chattanooga, TN) “The Debatable Land”
Writing for Young People	Jan Sherbin (Cincinnati, OH) “Pasha, Natasha, Come Eat Your Kasha”	Jennie Ivy (Cookeville, TN) “Harriet Hoffmeister’s Big Girl Bed”	Connie Foster (Woodbury, TN) “Cherokee Sky”	Charlene W. Dickinson (Cookeville, TN) “The Red Dress”; Randi Lynn Mrvos (Lexington, KY) “Charlie and the Book of Cat”
Inspirational	Michael R. Cates (Oak Ridge, TN) “Mr. Evans”	Patti Perry-Armes (Knoxville, TN) “Dorie’s Legacy”	Ruth Pettey Jones (Cookeville, TN) “Call Me Pollyanna Hope, Queries, and Rejection Letters”	Donna Reichle (Kingston, TN) “Christmas Angels”; Vicki H. Moss (Chattanooga, TN) “Christmas Fishing”
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Shannon Collins (Cookeville, TN) “Thinking of Your Oldest”

2008	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Prose	Monica Silvera (Oak Ridge High School) “The Way Things Are”	Hannah Fronzak (Oak Ridge High School) “Why We Will Eventually Ban Pigeons”	Anna Reddick (Oak Ridge High School) “Elephants”	Anna Namey (Knoxville Catholic High)“A Big Little Conversation with Grandpa”; Renee Braden (Oliver Springs High) “Blood Stain: The First Murder”
Poetry	Kellsey Hook (Oak Ridge High School) “To the Pretty Boy”	Hannah Fronzak (Oak Ridge High School) “I’d have a Pulitzer by now (if I hadn’t forgotten my pen)”	Anna Reddick (Oak Ridge High School) “Bridges”
Adult Competition
Fiction	Donna McClanahan (Irvine, KY) “Common Ground”	Lisa Barrick (Speedwell, TN) “Monkey Business”	Thomas White (Dunlap, TN) “Semper Fidelis for Melissa”	Patricia Perry-Armes (Knoxville, TN) Willie’s Wisdom; Thomas Keats McKnight (Cedar Bluff, VA) “Things Stand Just the Way They Were”
Nonfiction	Sylvia D. Lynch (New Tazwell, TN) “August Women”	Howard Dykes (Mt. Juliet, TN) “Christmas 1936”	Linda L. Weaver (Harrogate, TN) “Skipping Cards”	R. Reilly Maginn (Daphne, AL) “Cutthroat”
Poetry	Frank Jamison (Kingston, TN) “Second Chance”	Sylvia Woods (Oak Ridge, TN) “What We Take With Us”	Judy Lee Green (Murfreesboro, TN) “The Dogtown Wishy-Washy”	Brooke Drinnon (Sneedville, TN) “My Song”
Writing for Young People	Rose Nelson (Greenville, NC) Freeing Mattie, a novel excerpt	Jennie Ivy (Cookeville, TN) “Something Just As Good”	Sharon Mowery (Oak Ridge, TN) “Billie’s Gift”
Inspirational	Jennie Ivy (Cookeville, TN) “Pumpkin-Nut Bread Baking Buddies”	Ruth Pettey Jones (Cookeville, TN) “The Joy of Books”	Joanna Hanigan (Knoxville, TN) “Between Byways and Doorways”
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Donna McClanahan (Irvine, KY) “Common Ground”

2007	1st PLACE	2nd PLACE	3rd PLACE	HONORABLE MENTION
Student Competition
Prose	Katie Dunkirk (Oak Ridge High School) “Impact”	Taylor Hawley (Oak Ridge High School) “Reading Assignments”	Kara LeNoir (Oak Ridge High School) “Sunglasses”	Arwyn Karney (Oliver Springs High School) “Two’s Company, Three’s Murder”
Poetry	Mary Ann Aabye (Oak Ridge High School) “The Stage of My Life”	Taylor Hawley (Oak Ridge High School) “The Memory Tree”	Maureen White (Oak Ridge High School) “Not Even a Glass Half Empty ”
Adult Competition
Fiction	Jimmy Carl Harris (Birmingham, AL) “Colores de Mayo”	Susan Murphy (Birmingham , AL) “The Elegiac of the Seas”	Don Morrison (Maryville, TN) “The Deal”	Charlene W. Dickinson (Cookeville, TN) a novel excerpt from Queen Sistuh Camellia
Nonfiction	Victoria Hubbell (Osage Beach, MO) “Saturday Night”	Tracy Paul (Cookeville, TN) “A Lapse of Judgement”	Vicki H. Moss (Chattanooga, TN) “Unlike Elvis, Jesus Hasn’t Left The Building”	Elsie Schmied Knoke (Oak Ridge, TN) “The Invasion”
Poetry	Donna Doyle (Knoxville, TN) “Sunbathing with Elvis”	Luke Horn (Knoxville, TN) “Elijah”	Donna Doyle (Knoxville, TN) “Daphne’s Lament”
Writing for Young People	Eleanor Langford (Algood, TN) “Kite Day Dragons”	Randi Lynn Mrvos (Lexington, KY) “Brooke and the Ladies of Bath”	Jennie Ivey (Cookeville, TN) “Trading Places”	Jennie Ivey (Cookeville, TN) “One Tall Tree”; Daniel Leonard (Oak Ridge, TN) “Little Tugs”
Inspirational	Patti Perry-Armes (Knoxville, TN) “Time With Ms Emily”	Lou Carter (Murfreesboro, TN) “Music of My Life”	Elsie Schmied Knoke (Oak Ridge, TN) “To Dream the Impossible Dream”
Sue Ellen Hudson Excellence in Writing Award	Victoria Hubbell (Osage Beach, MO) “Saturday Night”