Utah Arts & Museums Announces Winners of 2012 Utah Original Writing Competition

For immediate release                Alyssa Hickman Grove,  801.236.7548

6 September 2012                      Constituent Relations & Media, Utah Arts & Museums

Geoffrey Fattah,  801.245.7205

Communications Director, Utah Dept. of Heritage and Arts

Utah Arts & Museums Announces Winners

of 2012 Utah Original Writing Competition

SALT LAKE CITY — The winners of the 2012 Utah Original Writing Competition have been announced. Selected from more than 200 entries received this year, Utah Arts & Museums is presenting awards to 22 writers in seven categories. The awardees are:

Novel category, judged by Ron Carlson:

First place: Inclemency by Stephen Tuttle, Provo

Second place: Wyoming Gold by Margaret L. Pettis, Hyrum

Honorable mention: The End of the Road by Roan W. Poulter, Ogden; Falling for Johnny by Alison McLennan, Ogden

Creative non-fiction and history category, judged by Brian Doyle:

First place: 52 by 52 by Jeff Metcalf, Salt Lake City

Second place: Lazarus’s Denial by Linda S. Rotnem, West Jordan

Honorable mention: White Indians by Michael Gills, Salt Lake City; Tongues of Men and of Angels and Other Adventures in Brief Memoir by Nate Liederbach, Salt Lake City

Book-length collection of poetry category, judged by Sue Walker:

First place: Pretty Marrow by Shanan L. Ballam, Wellsville

Second place: The Stars Come All the Way Down to the Ground by Dawn Houghton, Salt Lake City

Honorable mention: Miracles, Mutinies & Microbuses by David Robert Boyce, Harrisville

Juvenile book category, judged by Claudia Mills:

First place: Discovering Isaac by Elaine Vickers, Cedar City

Second place: Deliver Me by Kate Birch, Salt Lake City

Honorable mention: The Polliwog Pond War by Kimberly Jensen, Layton

Poetry category, judged by Connie Voisine:

First place: “from Hermaion” by Jennifer J. Tonge, Salt Lake City

Second place: “but the rain is full of ghosts tonight” by Dawn Lonsinger, Salt Lake City

Honorable mention: “Armor Against Air” by Elisabeth Loveland, Provo

Short story category, judged by Darrell Spencer:

First place: “Petey Immigrates North, Then Moves West” by Larry Menlove, Payson

Second place: “Zuri” by Sarah E. Allen, Provo

Honorable mention: “One Woman Rescuing Another” by Dawn Houghton, Salt Lake City

Personal essay category, judged by Phyllis Barber:

First place: “On Understanding” by J. Travis Washburn, Provo

Second place: “The Streets of Lisbon” by Nathan M. Robison, Provo

Honorable mention: “On Becoming a Lord of the Earth” by John Bennion, Provo

“We warmly congratulate the winners of the 2012 Original Writing Competition,” said Margaret Hunt, Director of Utah Arts & Museums. “We look forward to wonderful accomplishments from these talented writers. Past winners have gone on to receive such accolades as the Flannery O’Connor Award and the International Reading Association Award. These past awardees include Orson Scott Card, Ron Carlson, and all four Utah Poets Laureate: David Lee, Ken Brewer, Katharine Coles and Lance Larsen.”

Manuscripts were reviewed in a blind process by judges who reside outside of Utah. First- and second-prize winners are awarded prize money ranging from $150 to $1,000. In a new partnership with theUniversity of Utah Press, the book-length non-fiction winning manuscript will be submitted to the press to consider for publication.

An awards ceremony honoring the winners will take place October 30, 2012 at the Rio Grande Depot as part of the Utah Humanities Book Festival. Next spring, winners will read from their work at a public event. For more information, contact Literary Arts Specialist David Pace at  801.533.5760 or davidpace@utah.gov.

About Utah Arts & Museums

Utah Arts & Museums is a division of the Utah Department of Heritage and Arts with a goal to promote innovation in and the growth of Utah’s arts and culture community. The division provides funding, education, and technical services to individuals and organizations statewide so that all Utahns, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or economic status, can access, understand, and receive the benefits of arts and culture. Additional information on the programs and services can be found at artsandmuseums.utah.gov or by calling  801.236.7555.

Alyssa Hickman Grove

Constituent Relations & Media

617 E. South Temple, SLC, UT 84102

Phone:  801.236.7548

Utah Arts & Museums on Facebook