LAND Writing Contest – Creative Essay Winners

1st Place
“Another, Another Day” by Justin Randles
Henry Ford College

Judge’s comments: This piece uses bleak, startling imagery and poignant metaphors to capture the feelings of hopelessness, shame, frustration, and despair experienced by a veteran struggling with PTSD. The unexpected light at the conclusion allows the reader to recognize the potential and capability of the human spirit to both survive and to elevate itself over dark and seemingly futile situations.

2nd Place
“A Journey Through Grief” by Giuseppina Sposito
Delta College

Judge’s comments: In this piece, the reader confronts the lurking threat that necessarily accompanies love: the possibility of loss. The speaker describes the death of a dearly loved spouse and the tempestuous journey to understand herself after the loss of such an intimate and integral part of herself. The text skillfully utilizes extended metaphor to capture the different seasons of the speaker’s passage from grief to peace.

3rd Place
“Dear Baby Sister” by Anastasia Bragg
Kirtland Community College

Judge’s comments: Simply speaking, this is a sweet reflection on a college student’s relationship with her baby sister. On a deeper level, this piece contrasts the concerns of adult life and achievement with the ultimately more important moments shared with other human beings (particularly little ones) which remind us of what is truly valuable and irreplaceable in life. The author accomplishes this through descriptions of commonplace interactions with her baby sister which, given deeper thought, illuminate that which her textbooks can only gesture towards.

LAND Writing Contest – Fiction Winners

1st Place
“Glare” by Gabriel Rodriguez
Montcalm Community College

Judge’s comments: This story was one of the best short stories I’ve read recently. I could feel the narrator’s anxiety growing with each thought. Ignore the glare. Steal the keys. Scream. What would the narrator do? The author captured the narrator’s growing tension, even though it was related to something so seemingly insignificant. By the end of the story, I was anxious wondering what the narrator would do to make that glare go away.

2nd Place
“The Assistant” by Jason Adams
Kellogg Community College

Judge’s comments: Writing about artificial intelligence or intelligent machines is not necessarily a new idea. But this author covered NANCY’s awakening into sentience and the feelings “she” came to have so well. The details are striking. NANCY’s awakening and subsequent development of emotions was written in a small amount of words, but in an incredibly convincing way.

3rd Place
“Temporary” by Grace Kraniak
Bay College

Judge’s comments: The way the author wrote about a shy student’s longing to meet, and perhaps fall in love with, this boy in her class was so very familiar. I think the author wrote in a way that made me remember my early college days… that fear of being laughed at or ignored.

LAND Writing Contest – Poetry Winners

1st Place
“The Illegals” by Sophie Wessel
Bay College

Judge’s comments: The writer displays a great sense of control in his/her use of language. This piece is short, yet powerful. Current in theme and its focus on humanity/inhumanity.  Political in context, but socially conscious at the same time. The poem is also contemporary in subject, yet has historical connections. Reminiscent of the Black Arts writers of the 1960’s.

2nd Place
“Breath of Wind” by Royce Spencer
Montcalm Community College

Judge’s comments: The writer uses nature and human experiences as concurring events.  The stillness of the grave with the ever-blowing wind shows a clear connection between the journey of life and how it never really ends; it transforms.  The poem is sentimental, almost romantic in nature.

3rd Place
“Anxiety” by Paige Walker
Montcalm Community College

Judge’s comments: The writer displays a great use of voice with clear and descriptive language.  The reader is taken on a brief, but intense experience with the protagonist.