2020 Winners
AWF GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES THE 2020 HIGH SCHOOL LITERARY ARTS AWARDS JUDGES:
CREATIVE NONFICTION: Lenore Vickrey is vice president of communications and editor of Alabama Living, the state’s largest lifestyle magazine and the award-winning official publication of Alabama’s rural electric cooperatives. She is a former newspaper reporter and editor in Birmingham, Anniston and Montgomery, with 25 years’ experience in covering state and local government, education health and lifestyle issues.
FICTION: James E. Cherry is the author of three collections of poetry, a collection of short fiction, and two novels. His latest novel, Edge of the Wind, was a Foreword Review Finalist for Book of the Year in 2016. He has been nominated for an NAACP Image Award, a Lillian Smith Book Award, and Next Generation Indie Book Award for Fiction. Cherry has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Texas at El Paso and is an adjunct professor of English at the University of Memphis Lambuth. He resides in Tennessee where he serves as president of the Griot Collective of West Tennessee, a poetry workshop, and pens a monthly column for Gannett on race, culture, and politics. Visit him on the web at: jamesEcherry.com.
POETRY: Dr. Susie Paul is associate professor, emerita, and Distinguished Teaching Associate in the AUM Department of English and Philosophy. For the 2018 HSLAA, Susie generously volunteered to coordinate the awards, selected judges, and judged the Poetry awards again. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Writers’ Forum as HSLAA Chair.
LITERARY MAGAZINE: Caitlin Rae Taylor is a writer, editor, and designer based in Auburn, Alabama. She earned her MFA in fiction from the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she served as the fiction editor for Ecotone and the publishing assistant for Lookout Books. She has also worked with nonprofit press Milkweed Editions and was a resident at the Taleamor Park Writers and Artists Residency near LaPort, Indiana. She is currently the managing editor for the literary magazine Southern Humanities Review and the layout and interior design editor for Press Pause Press. Her fiction, book reviews, and interviews can be found in Adroit, Hobart, Moon City Review, the Alabama Writers Forum, Southern Humanities Review online, and Germ Magazine.
SENIOR PORTFOLIO SCHOLARSHIP: James M. Hilgartner is a Professor of English at Huntingdon College. He has published in a number of literary journals, and has twice been awarded the Fellowship in Literature from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Since 2015 he has served as Fiction Editor of THAT Literary Review.
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
• Kamela Miles, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet School, winner of the Ruth & Jay Ott Senior Portfolio Scholarship
• Ariana Brown, student of Michelle Sisson, Lee High School, winner of the Mozelle Purvis Shirley Senior Portfolio Scholarship
• Emily Willford, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts, winner of the Marvin Lee Paul and Helen Scott Paul Senior Portfolio Scholarship
• Marika Hall, student of Nancy Fontenot, McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, winner of the Katherine W. and Byrd T. Thompson Senior Portfolio Scholarship
• Natalie Clasen, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School, winner of the Alabama Writers' Forum Senior Portfolio Scholarship
• Corrie Parks, student of Burgin Mathews, Spain Park High School, winner of the Wayne Greenhaw Memorial Senior Portfolio Scholarship
LITERARY MAGAZINE COMPETITION WINNERS
Exceptional Literary Content
• Cadence (Alabama School of Fine Arts)
Editors: Anna Butcher, Hannah Bray and Jane Ann Baggett, students of Iris Rinke-Hammer
Prize: $150 to the magazine
Judge’s Special Recognition for Exceptional Literary Content
• Harmoniouslee (Lee High School)
Editors: Colby Meeks and Zoe Maddox, students of Michelle Sisson
Prize: $50 to the magazine
Exceptional Graphic Design and Layout
• Ingenium (McGill-Toolen Catholic High School)
Editors: Marika Hall, Corinne Stein, Lexie Riley, Kendall Waltman, Griffin Dumont, students of Mary Carter and Nancy Fontenot
Prize: $150 to the magazine
Judge’s Special Recognition for Exceptional Graphic Design and Layout
• The Eclectic (Bob Jones High School)
Editor: Casey Kula, student of Brandy Panagos
Prize: $50 to the magazine
Honorable Mention for Literary Merit
• Open the Door: Poems and Stories (Lurleen B. Wallace School)
Editor: Marlin Barton
Prize: $25 to the magazine
• Verisimilitude (Gulf Shores High School)
Editor: Morgan Franklin, student of Jessica Sampley
Poetry Editor: Zoe Taylor, student of Jessica Sampley
Art Editor: Benjamin Malone, student of Jessica Sampley
Prose Editors: Garrett Ard and Robie Ray, students of Jessica Sampley
Prize: $25 to the magazine
• More Than Words: Arcadian (Pelham High School)|
Editors: Anna Carden, Kathleen Kelley, Erin Riley, Lupita Rios and Jerica Snowden, students of Connie Nolen
Prize: $25 to the magazine
• Esse (Oak Mountain High School)
Editors: Jada Bailey, Meredith Howell and Raylee Patton, students of Stacey Blakemore
Prize: $25 to the magazine
CREATIVE NONFICTION LONG ESSAY WINNERS
First Place: Izzy Cox, student of Kwoya Maples, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Second Place: Emily Wilford, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Third Place: Emily King, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Creative Nonfiction Judge's Special Recognition
Raven Horn, student of Ashley Jones, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Marielle Cornes, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Emily Russell, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Myra Grizzard, student of Ashley Jones, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Etta Putman, student of Ashley Jones, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Creative Nonfiction Certificates of Merit
Kamela Miles, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet School
Aliyah Dunbar, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet School
Will Black, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Mary Carolyn Sink, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Victoria Spencer, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Haley Pate, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Kenzie Price, student of Ashley Jones, Alabama School of Fine Arts
CREATIVE NONFICTION SHORT ESSAY WINNERS
Cash Award: Parker Snellgrove, student of Ashley Jones, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Cash Award: Daniel Kimble, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Cash Award: Colby Meeks, student of Michelle Sisson, Lee High School
Cash Award: Kamela Miles, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet School
Creative Nonfiction Judge’s Special Recognition
Lucy Gardner, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Abigail Baird, student of Scott Richburg, The Montgomery Academy
Margo Belden, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Anna Perry, student of Scott Richburg, The Montgomery Academy
FICTION WINNERS
First Place: Etta Putman, student of Ashley Jones, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Second Place: Izzy Cox, student of Kwoya Maples, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Third Place: Jacob Franklin, student of Stacey Blakemore, Oak Mountain High School
Fiction Judge's Special Recognition
Emily Willford, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Parker Snellgrove, student of Ashley Jones, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Kamela Miles, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
Carolyn Thompson, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Grace Sullivan, student of Ashley Jones, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Abigail Mann, student of Denise Mann, Homeschool
Caleb Mcdonald, student of Brandy Panagos, Bob Jones High School
Arden Tapp, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Emily King, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Steven Dykes, student of Stacey Blakemore, Oak Mountain High School
Fiction Certificates of Merit
Hannah Kennedy, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
James Nichols, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Patrick Neil, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Shelby West, student of Brandy Panagos, Bob Jones High School
Lily Hughes, student of Brandy Panagos, Bob Jones High School
Jorja Nassirian, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Jane Ann Baggett, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Abigail Coulter, student of TJ Beitelman, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Kathrynanne Eastman, student of Karen Hall, Auburn High School
Bree Soto, student of Brandy Panagos, Bob Jones High School
Jamalia Huffman, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
Isabella Vincent, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
Ashley Bloemetjie, student of Michelle Sisson, Lee High School
Meredith Howell, student of Stacey Blakemore, Oak Mountain High School
Cydney Pepple, student of Scott Richburg, The Montgomery Academy
Bethany Prince, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Skye Anderson, student of Michelle Sisson, Lee High School
POETRY WINNERS
First Place: Jane Ann Baggett, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Second Place: Jamia Jackson, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet School
Third Place: K.T., student of Marlin Barton, Lurleen B. Wallace School
Poetry Judge's Special Recognition
Tessa Mcclinton, student of Ashley Jones, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Benjamin Watts, student of Michelle Sisson, Lee High School
Lindsey Smith T, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
Ajoi Caldwell, student of Michelle Sisson, Lee High School
Cathryn Jacks, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Maggie Brown, student of Brandy Panagos, Bob jones High School
Mason Mathias, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Lee Gaines, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
Peyton Roll, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
V.P., student of Marlin Barton, Lurleen B. Wallace School
Emily Willford, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Jada Bailey, student of Stacey Blakemore, Oak Mountain High School
Pete Marvin, student of Connie Nolen, Pelham High School
J.H., student of Daniel DeVaughn, Adele Goodwyn McNeel School
Poetry Certificates of Merit
A.W., student of Daniel DeVaughn, Adele Goodwyn McNeel School
Victoria Adderhold, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Cydney Pepple, student of Scott Richburg, The Montgomery Academy
Hannah Kim, student of Connie Nolen, Pelham High School
David Lewis, student of Stacey Blakemore, Oak Mountain High School
Ann Gardner Herren, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
Felicity Meadows, student of Jane Baker, Daphne High School
Katherine Tanner, student of Brandy Panagos, Bob Jones High School
Etta Putman, student of Ashley Jones, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Suzonna Parr, student of Denise Burroughs, Cullman High School
Isabella Vincent, student of Foster Dickson, Booker T. Washington Magnet High School
Emily Willford, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Gabrielle Caudle-Williams, student of Michell Sisson, Lee High School
Haley Pate, student of Iris Rinke-Hammer, Alabama School of Fine Arts
Hannah Kennedy, student of Jon Carter, Briarwood Christian School
P.D., student of Marlin Barton, Lurleen B. Wallace School
Jack Smith, student of Denise Trimm, Mountain Brook High School
