International Short Prose and Poetry Contest

In the short prose category, the winners are:

• First place—Holly Jacobson, Ipswich, Mass., for “Tonic and Remedy”
• Second place—Bonnie McCune, Denver, Colo., for “The Singer”
• Third place—Hilary Sloin, Ashfield, Mass., for “Radio Head”

In the poetry category, the winners are:

• First place—Annette Pizzino, Solon, Ohio for “Into the Woods . . . Ohio”
• Second place—Diane Maciejewski, Elmwood Park, Ill., for “Summer Night Ghost”
• Third place—Carroll Grossman, Louisville, Ky., for “Nearly Noon”

In addition to cash prizes for first, second and third place, and publication in Calliope, the organization’s annual anthology, each winner will be invited to read their work at an awards ceremony in December. The 2011 Calliope will be available for sale on Amazon in December.

The contest was open to all women writers 18 years old or older. The organization received 88 entries from 22 U.S. states and Canada.

Home for the Holidays: Stories and Recipes

The organization’s second annual cookbook contest asked women writers to submit favorite holiday recipes and original stories or poems to accompany them. First, second and third place winners will receive a cash prize. The stories and recipes will be published in Home for the Holidays: Stories and Recipes. The book will be available on Amazon in December.

• First place—Cynthia Canada, Louisville, Ky., for “It’s Just a Trifle”
• Second place—MaryAnn Strickland, Prospect, Ky., for “The Money Jar”
• Third place—Martha Clark Scala, Palo Alto, Calif., for “Christmas Eve Pantoum”

There were also three honorable mentions:

• Cindy Kerschner, Schnecksville, Pa., for “So Close, Yet so Far Away”
• Diane Smith, Salem, Mass., for “A Mother’s Mix”
• Carrie Grant, Louisville, Ky., for “The Pavement and the Peas”

Judges

Winners in both contests were chosen in blind judgings by independent judges.

Anne Shelby of Oneida, Ky., judged the prose entries. She is an author, poet, newspaper columnist, essayist, and playwright. Shelby is the recipient of the American Folklore Society’s Aesop Accolade, and the Delaware Diamond Award.

Karen Williams Angelucci of Lexington, Ky., judged the poetry entries. Angelucci has written four gardening books for adults and children, and developed a gardening app for iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch.

Sheri L. Wright of Louisville judged the cookbook entries. Wright has published a full-length book of poetry, as well as four poetry chapbooks. Her work has appeared in New Southerner, Pegasus, LEO, Clark Street Review, and other publications. She is also host of “From the Inkwell” on Crescent Hill Radio.