Monday, January 11, 2010
Writing Contest Fiction, Nonfiction Winners
It looks as if the Moscow Rules continue to apply towards our writing competition. I have been waiting on a couple emails - affirming authorship - before publishing the winning entries from our two prose laureates, T.C. Gray (The Mission) and Gary Andrews (Top). For reasons you can deduce from the Labels on today's post, I will not publish the fiction/nonfiction winners, after all. Grrr. The experience has, however, prompted me to craft new rules going forward for the next competition. So thanks, T.C./Gary, for your part in making this an honest contest! Meanwhile, please take the time to read Jean Adams' evocative winning poetry entry. posted below.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Poetry Winner: Jean Adams, "Invisible wounds..."
Invisible wounds...
Elizabeth's sister
isn't the same anymore.
Her husband went to war.
He came back whole
but aching inside.
He sits in shadow
and cries.
"There's no one left." says he.
"I'm still here." says she.
"I can hear their pain."
"Your son wants to play."
"This isn't what he should see."
"We want you at home. Please,
don't leave us alone."
"I'll be back when I can."
The door closed.
Elizabeth's sister
isn't the same anymore.
She sits in shadow.
And cries.
Elizabeth's sister
isn't the same anymore.
Her husband went to war.
He came back whole
but aching inside.
He sits in shadow
and cries.
"There's no one left." says he.
"I'm still here." says she.
"I can hear their pain."
"Your son wants to play."
"This isn't what he should see."
"We want you at home. Please,
don't leave us alone."
"I'll be back when I can."
The door closed.
Elizabeth's sister
isn't the same anymore.
She sits in shadow.
And cries.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Writing Contest Winners Announced!
Yes, I know these were supposed to be posted yesterday. But, as we know from the Moscow Rules (item 15), Technology Will Always Let You Down. It's not worth giving the full convoluted explantation, but suffice it to say, I was unable to log in yesterday. Obviously, the problem has been remedied.
And now, without further ado, the long awaited results.
WINNERS LIST
1.Fiction: T.C. Gray, The Mission
2. Nonfiction: Gary Andrews, Top
3. Poetry: Jean Adams, Invisible wounds...
Congratulations to our three winners! Your works are both moving and memorable. We are proud that you submitted them to this contest.
Many thanks to all our fine (and courageous!) entrants. As a sometime writing contestant, I understand the mix of hope, pride, honesty, and fingernail nibbling that goes into tossing your literary hat in the ring. Look for a new contest to be announced soon. Meanwhile, as soon as we do the usual contest housekeeping, the winning entries will be posted here.
Stay tuned!
And now, without further ado, the long awaited results.
WINNERS LIST
1.Fiction: T.C. Gray, The Mission
2. Nonfiction: Gary Andrews, Top
3. Poetry: Jean Adams, Invisible wounds...
Congratulations to our three winners! Your works are both moving and memorable. We are proud that you submitted them to this contest.
Many thanks to all our fine (and courageous!) entrants. As a sometime writing contestant, I understand the mix of hope, pride, honesty, and fingernail nibbling that goes into tossing your literary hat in the ring. Look for a new contest to be announced soon. Meanwhile, as soon as we do the usual contest housekeeping, the winning entries will be posted here.
Stay tuned!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Check Our Sister Site For Contest Update!
Check our sister site, Susan Katz Keating, for a tantalizing tidbit and contest update!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Announcing the GC3 Writing Contest to Benefit Wounded Troops
Hey, everyone! As promised on our sister site, Susan Katz Keating: We have a writing competition!
UniformEnCounters is hosting a fundraiser/writing competition designed to benefit three good causes (GC3): wounded troops; soldier morale; and you, the writer. Here's what you do.
Contest Rules
1. In 700 words or less, write an essay, story, or poem depicting a servicemember or members of the U.S. Armed Forces or their allies (i.e., Australia, Canada, etc.)
2. The subject matter can be any active duty scenario from World War I through the present.
3. Submit your entry in the body of an email to Uniformencounters@gmail.com. In the subject header, use your last name and a slash for category. Example: Obama/Poetry. If you enter more than once in a category, simply add a number in your header (Obama2/Poetry).
4. Submit a $15 entry fee through the UniformEncounters blogsite.
5. Your entry fees will go toward the purchase of voice-activated laptops for wounded troops, in the form of a donation to a remarkably worthy cause, Project Valour-IT.
6. Winning entries will be selected in each of three categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. Winning entrants will receive $50 each, plus publication on the UniformEnCounters site. Runners-up will receive prizes TBD.
7. Entries must be submitted by 8 a.m. EST on 1 December, 2009. Winners will be announced on the UniformEnCounters site on New Year's Day.
Tips and insights
There are no subject rules, but keep in mind that UniformEnCounters exists to raise support for our men and women in uniform. Enter as often as you like, but each entry must be accompanied by its own fee/donation. Fees are processed through PayPal. If you wish to use another method, please email uniformencounters@gmail.com for instructions on how to submit via snail mail.
Thank you in advance to everyone, and in particular to my intrepid squad of reader-volunteers! So now it's time to start writing. GC3 awaits!
The fine print: You retain all rights to your composition/s. By entering the competition, you agree to allow your winning submission to be published on the UniformEnCounters site.
UniformEnCounters is hosting a fundraiser/writing competition designed to benefit three good causes (GC3): wounded troops; soldier morale; and you, the writer. Here's what you do.
Contest Rules
1. In 700 words or less, write an essay, story, or poem depicting a servicemember or members of the U.S. Armed Forces or their allies (i.e., Australia, Canada, etc.)
2. The subject matter can be any active duty scenario from World War I through the present.
3. Submit your entry in the body of an email to Uniformencounters@gmail.com. In the subject header, use your last name and a slash for category. Example: Obama/Poetry. If you enter more than once in a category, simply add a number in your header (Obama2/Poetry).
4. Submit a $15 entry fee through the UniformEncounters blogsite.
5. Your entry fees will go toward the purchase of voice-activated laptops for wounded troops, in the form of a donation to a remarkably worthy cause, Project Valour-IT.
6. Winning entries will be selected in each of three categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry. Winning entrants will receive $50 each, plus publication on the UniformEnCounters site. Runners-up will receive prizes TBD.
7. Entries must be submitted by 8 a.m. EST on 1 December, 2009. Winners will be announced on the UniformEnCounters site on New Year's Day.
Tips and insights
There are no subject rules, but keep in mind that UniformEnCounters exists to raise support for our men and women in uniform. Enter as often as you like, but each entry must be accompanied by its own fee/donation. Fees are processed through PayPal. If you wish to use another method, please email uniformencounters@gmail.com for instructions on how to submit via snail mail.
Thank you in advance to everyone, and in particular to my intrepid squad of reader-volunteers! So now it's time to start writing. GC3 awaits!
The fine print: You retain all rights to your composition/s. By entering the competition, you agree to allow your winning submission to be published on the UniformEnCounters site.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Fosco, The Canine Army Jumpmaster
A couple years ago, I arranged to step out of a speeding aircraft at 12,000 feet with a really cute Army guy tied to my back. Talk about a dream date! Okay, so it was an Army P.R. event, and the guy was old enough to be my nephew and was a purely professional parachutist; but, still... my friends were jealous, and that's all that mattered. As things turned out, though, weather forced us to cancel The Outing. I took it as a sign: Don't jump! I didn't even try to reschedule.Now comes little Fosco the Dog, a sergeant major in the Canine Corps. He didn't turn tail. He didn't whimper. Maybe they offered him some really good kibble, or maybe he didn't know what he was getting into, but he did it. He jumped! And he lived to bark about it! All I can say is, Good Boy, Fosco! You are a braver creature than I.
In Photo: U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Chris Lalonde, center, holds his military working dog, Sgt. Maj. Fosco, while jumpmaster Kirby Rodriguez deploys his parachute over Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. Lalonde is with Company D, 701st Military Police Battalion. Members of the Army’s Golden Knights look on. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Vince Vander Maarel
**** UPDATE ***
Here is an eyewitness report from lifelong civilian Tessa Long, who blogs about the Army:
Sergeant Major Fosco was...calm as a cucumber. That is, until he touched down and was unstrapped. Then the dog took off running towards another Soldier and attacked him! Don’t worry; it was all part of the plan. The other Soldier was wearing a padded training arm for the dog to bite. Good thing, because SGM Fosco did not let go! “You’d better not throw me out of an airplane again!” I heard someone in the audience say as the dog hung on the training arm. But I don’t think SGM Fosco was angry. As soon as he was told to let go, he let his handler hook him onto a leash and trotted obediently away.
Sergeant Major Fosco was...calm as a cucumber. That is, until he touched down and was unstrapped. Then the dog took off running towards another Soldier and attacked him! Don’t worry; it was all part of the plan. The other Soldier was wearing a padded training arm for the dog to bite. Good thing, because SGM Fosco did not let go! “You’d better not throw me out of an airplane again!” I heard someone in the audience say as the dog hung on the training arm. But I don’t think SGM Fosco was angry. As soon as he was told to let go, he let his handler hook him onto a leash and trotted obediently away.
Yip, yip! I want to meet this dog!
Cross-posted from Susan Katz Keating: On National Security
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