Programs

• CONFERENCE CHAIRPERSON: Anita Miller Garner, chair of the HSLAA since 1995, has taught fiction writing at the University of Alabama and Virginia Commonwealth University. She is Professor of English at the University of North Alabama. Undeniable Truths, her collection of short fiction, was released in late 2009. She blogs about Southern Culture at Talking in Accents.

• CREATIVE NONFICTION: James Buford lives and writes in Auburn, Alabama. In addition to The House Across the Road, he has published three books of essays, The Kindness of Strangers, The Best of Times, and Pie in the Sky, as well as a social history, When the Lights Come On. Mr. Buford has served on the board of the Alabama Writers’ Forum for a number of years, supporting services to Alabama writers and youth.

• FICTION: Daniel Wallace, a Birmingham native, is best known for his 1998 novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions, the basis for the Tim Burton film Big Fish and the Broadway musical of the same name. His other books include Ray in Reverse and The Watermelon King. His stories have also been published in a number of anthologies and magazines, including The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. His most recent book is an illustrated children’s book (for children of all ages), The Cat’s Pajamas.

• DRAMA: The Alabama Shakespeare Festival education department staff.

• POETRY: Susie Paul is associate professor, emerita, and Distinguished Teaching Associate in the AUM Department of English and Philosophy and an adjunct instructor at Huntingdon College.

• PORTFOLIO SCHOLARSHIP: Priya Menon, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of English at Troy University. Her areas of specialization include Postcolonial theory, South Asian literature, and representations of diaspora in world literature. Her current research focuses on examining the affinity of postcolonial studies to critical discourse analysis. Some of her recent publications can be found in Journal of Postcolonial Cultures and Societies, Revista Atenea, PoCo Pages, and Language, Literature and Cultural Studies.

• LITERARY MAGAZINE: Abraham Smith has authored four full-length poetry collections: Ashagalomancy (Action Books, forthcoming); Only Jesus Could Icefish in Summer, Hank, and Whim Man Mammon. Two new collaborations are forthcoming as well: Rope Swing, a book of poetry co-authored with Alexis Orgera and Hick Poetics, co-edited with Shelly Taylor, an anthology of contemporary rural American poetry. Smith is Instructor of English at the University of Alabama.

LITERARY ARTS AWARDS BY GENRE

PRIZES: First Place winner receives $150 and the judge’s book. Second Place receives $75 and the judge’s book. Third Place winners receive $50 and the judge’s book. Judge’s Special Recognition winners receive the judge’s book. Certificate winners receive a personalized certificate.

Creative Nonfiction Awards
• First Place: Cole Summersell, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
• Second Place: Morgan Sisk, student of Kerri Kay, Saint John Paul II Catholic High School
• Third Place: Miriam Bernard, student of Douglas Ray, Indian Springs School

Creative Nonfiction Judge’s Special Recognition
• Libby Hennington, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
• Rebekah-Rose Jones, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
• Jordan Harper, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
• Kayla Carden, student of Brandy Panagos, Bob Jones High School
• Miriam Bernard, student of Douglas Ray, Indian Springs School

Creative Nonfiction Certificates of Merit
• Sophia Giovanelli, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
• Zachary Choi, student of Douglas Ray, Indian Springs School
• Tatyana Ross, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
• Mar’Quisha Hall, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
• Jessie Kieve, student of Douglas Ray, Indian Springs School
• Hannah Edwards, student of Karen Powell, Prattville High School
• Andrzej Richardson, student of Douglas Ray, Indian Springs School

Drama
• First Place: Sarah Mathews, student of Darlene Freemon, Florence High School
• Second Place: Anna Corrine Robertson, student of Darlene Freemon, Florence High School

Drama Judge’s Special Recognition
• Alyssa Kennedy, student of Brandy Panagos, Bob Jones High School
• Hampton Adams, student of Melinda Cammarata, Mountain Brook High School
• Katharine Conaway, student of Stuart Flynn, Alabama School of Fine Arts
• Brandon Rieff, student of Darlene Freemon, Florence High School

Drama Certificates of Merit
• Kira Belcher, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
• Rachel Tucker, student of Darlene Freemon, Florence High School
• Seungjun Kim, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School

Fiction
• First Place: Adelaide Kimberly, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
• Second Place: Ansley Godwin, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
• Third Place: Sarah Polhill, student of Thomas Goldsmith, The Altamont School

Fiction Judge’s Special Recognition
• Meridean Donnelly, student of Stuart Flynn, Alabama School of Fine Arts
• India LaPalme, student of Mary Carter, McGill-Toolen High School
• Elliott Emfinger, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
• Henry Hamlett, student of Scott Richburg, The Montgomery Academy
• Samuel Reece, student of Erma Hinton, Montevallo High School
• Brandon Rieff, student of Darlene Freemon, Florence High School
• Lexi Mecikalski, student of Clay Combs, James Clemens High School

Poetry
• First Place: Katie McMath, student of Kwoya Maples, Alabama School of Fine Arts
• Second Place: Sarah Polhill, student of Thomas Goldsmith, The Altamont School
• Third Place: William Jones, III, student of Douglas Ray, Indian Springs School
Poetry Judge’s Special Recognition
Connor Pelham, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Kathryn Hargett, student of Stuart Flynn, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Anna Smith, student of Connie Nolen, Pelham High School
Keandra Pope, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
Allyson Payne, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Hannah Denham, student of Andre LaPalme, Daphne High School
Elliott Emfinger, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Rachel Bryan, student of Brandy Panagos, Bob Jones High School
Sarah Mathews, student of Darlene Freemon, Florence High School
Lydia Oliver, student of Stuart Flynn, Alabama School of Fine Arts

Poetry Certificates of Merit
William Jones, III, student of Douglas Ray, Indian Springs School
Peyton Bittle, student of Kathleen Larson, A.P. Brewer High School
Name Withheld, student of Marlin Barton, Lurleen B. Wallace School
Kira Belcher, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
Jordan Harper, student of Kwoya Maples, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Lindsay Gaines Fincher, student of Kelly Seymour, Handley High School
Greer Hart, student of Darlene Freemon, Florence High School
Kirsten Williams, student of Mary Hudson, Virgil Grissom High School
Name Withheld, student of Marlin Barton, Lurleen B. Wallace School
Hannah Hynds, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Adriane Tharp, student of Kwoya Maples, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Annika Bastian, student of Katie Frost, Pell City High School
Anna Rodgers, student of Holly Michaels, Scottsboro High School
Andrew Akers, student of Rebecca Sims, Highland Home School
Asha McCall, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
Madison Crain, student of Jennifer Culver, Helena High School
Afura Taylor, student of Mary Hudson, Grissom High School
Charlotte McRae, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Caitlin Coats, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Rachel Tucker, student of Darlene Freemon, Florence High School
Hannah Jane McCarty, student of Douglas Ray, Indian Springs School
Gwenafaye McCormick, student of Stuart Flynn, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Name Withheld, student of Marlin Barton, Lurleen B. Wallace School
Tearra Hargrove, student of Gin Phillips, Center Point High School
Katharine Conaway, student of Stuart Flynn, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Hannah Crowe, student of Jennifer Culver, Helena High School
Shonna Browder, student of Holly Michaels, Scottsboro High School
Elizabeth Dillard, student of Douglas Ray, Indian Springs School
Jennifer Norris, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS (seniors). Award: $500 cash to use toward college of recipient’s choice.

• Madison Hunter, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School, winner of the Ruth & Jay Ott Senior Portfolio Scholarship

• Katharine Conaway, student of Stuart Flynn, Alabama School of Fine Arts, winner of the Mozelle Purvis Shirley Senior Portfolio Scholarship

• Sarah Mathews, student of Darlene Freemon, Florence High School, winner of the Lindsey Stricklin Senior Portfolio Scholarship

• Eliza Graham, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian High School, winner of the Curnutt Family Senior Portfolio Scholarship

• Julianna Schock, student of Stuart Flynn, Alabama School of Fine Arts, winner of the Alabama Writers’ Forum Senior Portfolio Scholarship

• Chandler Gory, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School, winner of the Leah Marks Memorial Senior Portfolio Scholarship

LITERARY MAGAZINE COMPETITION

Exceptional Literary Content
• Winner: Cadence ( Alabama School of Fine Arts)
Editors: Adriane Tharp, Gwenafaye McCormick, students of Stuart Flynn
$150 to the magazine

Judge’s Special Recognition for Exceptional Literary Content
• The Torch (Scottsboro High School)
Editor: Cheyenne Dalton, student of Holly Michaels
$50 to the magazine

Exceptional Graphic Design and Layout
• Winner: The Eclectic (Bob Jones High School)
Editors: Mary Butgereit, Emily Bohatch, Madeline Wong, Daniel Lang, Adam Woelke, students of Brandy Panagos
$150 to the magazine

Judge’s Special Recognition for Exceptional Graphic Design and Layout
• Ravel (Pelham High School)
Editor: Maggie Smith and Sarah Sanson, students of Connie Nolen
$50 to the magazine
• The Artisan (Briarwood Christian School)
Editors: MeMe Collier and Rachel Sinclair, students of Jon Carter
$50 to the magazine

Certificates of Merit for Literary Magazine
• The Cosmos (Hale County High School)
Editor: Zachary Wyatt, student of Donna Randall
• Silhouette (Sparkman High School)
Editor: Rebecca McDaniel, student of Renee Quaife
• Soul Spoken (John L. LeFlore High School)
Editors: Daphney Portis, Christian Mitchell, Kierstein Williams. Latoya Dixon, students of Erica Massey
• Signatures (Florence High School)
Editor: Brandon Rieff, student of Darlene Freemon
• The Dragon’s Tooth (The Altamont School)
Editor: Sarah Polhill, student of Thomas Goldsmith