April 14, 2008 REATIVE C RITING WFESTIVAL Sponsored by: The Department of English and Journalism The College of Arts and Sciences 2008 Creative Writing Festival Participants Glenwood High School Michael Foster Annie Ibrahim Keith Kelley, Teacher Jocelyn Hicks Megan Kruger Lauren Buchloh Katelyn Hillyer Logan Minnick-Heard Melissa Kapitan Josh Keck Sarah Sanchez Teri King Erica Lawver Dana Williams Kate Klemaier Amanda Michelle Miller Erich O’Connor Danny Morlock Riverton High School Ali Morrison Casey Tester, Teacher Hartsburg-Emden High School Meg Paisley James Toland, Teacher Therese Pircon Nicole Coers, Teacher Christine Ankrom Kaitlyn Rigdon Charlene Girod Rachelle Best Cody Roberts Colton Hays Carly Davis Lizzy Standard Kristina Homer Megan Jagodzinski Ben Streit Casey Kennett Jake Jerome Makayla Trotter Robert Lolling Thomas Kocis Alice Ye Danielle Miller Katie Kueper Drew Pieper Kelsey Miller Arica Sadler Mediapolis Zachary Murray Devon Swart Angela Kome, Teacher Sara Nielsen Jordan West Kass Braby Evan Peterson Casie Brockert Jeffrey Price Home School Hannah Burgus Taylor Pulliam Nina Earnest Amanda Terry Alicia Richards, Teacher Samantha McElhinney Josh Trader Tracie Fross Lishay Murphy Emily Tupy Katherine Richards Lindsey Oetken Amber Swanson Colin Parry Southeastern High School Alyssa Quinn Keokuk High School Kathy Holst, Teacher Kayla Rhum Janet Hopper, Teacher Barbara Edler, Teacher Jordan Roelfs Lauren Allen Rebecca Allerman Rachel Weiss Laura Arnold Kimber Critser Amber Welcher Lasia Dunlap Autumn DePew Katelyn Ann Wyss Ashton Dunlap Carlee Gibson Amber Farwell Leah Maerz Pekin Community High School Dustin Friday Derek Nash Maureen Naughtin, Teacher Corey Hamilton Brianna Walden Colin Abernathy Kyle Ippensen Devan Abernathy Cody Jefferson Lincoln Community High School Drew Ashley Kollin Kerker Jennifer Keith, Teacher Theresa Bridges Jake Klingele Kristin Baker Wade Delzell Shelby Lanning Michelle Brawdy Haley Downey Jordan Ringenberger James Brown Michelle Eggemeyer Taylor Roberts Courtney Crowell Jennifer Erickson Amanda Rosendale Dalton DePoy Michelle Feicke Christal Scofield Emily Harms Kailin Ford Kaiti Taylor Kelsey Jurgens Griffin Glass Adam King Brandon Hudson V.I.T. Matthew Merreighn Desiree Huskisson Karen Lafary, Teacher Jessica Miller Austin Little Shelby Adcock Aleta Raymond Brooke Maas Sara Armstrong Brianna Skaggs Lori Ann Neulinger Colten Bradford Robert Skeens Ashley Olsen Chey Carithers Ashley Reynolds Devon DeMott Macomb High School Whitney Sharp Jody Hayes Terry Krehbiel, Teacher Victoria Tordoff Elizabeth Howell Leesa Palmer, Teacher Sarah Ritter Amanda Axley Project READY Katlyn Selph Brenna Baker Shawn Rice, Teacher Kerry Shawgo Jaccy Billeter Elizabeth Duncan Jennica Danner 2008 Creative Writing Festival Winners Poetry Fiction Non-Fiction 1st Place 1st Place 1st Place Theresa Bridges Kaitlyn Rigdon Makayla Trotter Pekin Community High School Macomb High School Macomb High School Who Knows Summer’s Lesson Little-Girl Shaped Holes 2nd Place 2nd Place 2nd Place Alice Ye Colin Abernathy Ashley Reynolds Macomb High School Pekin Community High School Pekin Community High School Icarus Rising A Soldier’s Duty Hostage 3rd Place 3rd Place 3rd Place Erica Lawver Katlyn Selph Amanda Axley Macomb High School V.I.T. High School Macomb High School For Your Consideration Night Stalker To Every Season Honorable Mentions Honorable Mention Honorable Mentions Theresa Bridges Josh Keck Colten Bradford Pekin Community High School Macomb High School V.I.T. High School Far Away Persecution The Scramble Wade Delzell Autumn DePew Pekin Community High School Keokuk High School One Special Girl Grandma’s House Elizabeth Duncan Leah Maerz Project READY Keokuk High School I AM Generation Gap Jennifer Erickson Sarah Ritter Pekin Community High School V.I.T. High School Ode to My Beloved Character Shoes Nothing More, Nothing Less Melissa Kapitan Glenwood High School Hephaestus Therese Pircon Macomb High School Reconciliation Alice Ye Macomb High School Before the Sun Sets and Sun Rises The Creative Writing Festival in 2009 will be held on Monday, April 12 http://www.wiu.edu/english/cwf 1st Place Poetry 3rd Place Poetry Theresa Bridges Erica Lawver Pekin Community High School Macomb High School Who Knows For Your Consideration Someone once said She struts down halls supported by bones of pride, Even though your heart is on the left, her healthy ego nourished daily with compliments and pretty words It’s always right Lies Yet she ingests them like a starved leech on a succulent arm. But maybe my heart didn’t Never can she get enough to fill her swelling belly. Skip a beat A change in status quo warps her mind even more. And maybe She has become an uncomprehending fool - a hypocrite ridden with lies . The twinkle in your eye Her ears are deaf to any advice or criticism, she no longer hears her friends as they reach out for help. Was the sun reflecting weird Who needs to be considerate when one is now perfect? If only. And maybe the feeling Finding it necessary to change when others bring confrontations is preposterous in her eyes. In my stomach If an issue arises, the fault lies within others -- certainly not she This idea brings the demise of relationships around her, Was not having enough for breakfast relationships that once held meaning. The broken camaraderie is brushed away, And maybe I just thought like a clumsy moth on a sweltering July evening. Her emotions are hollow as she flits, fishing for the attention It was love she bases her existence on. The friend in her is lost. Return: unlikely. 2nd Place Poetry Alice Ye Macomb High School Icarus Rising Gabriel was dragged in from the War half-dead. We watched him sign the papers, his wings torn. We looked over the forms with our gloves skirting around worn edges, and we glanced at each other. His hair was matted, and his eyes were glazed, and we smiled. He was left alone then, with the IVs and the monitors, while we went to dust off our lab equipment. Poetry (Honorable Mention) Theresa Bridges Elizabeth Duncan Pekin Community High School Project READY Far Away I AM Time will waste I am your daughter fighting depression, I am your sister making a good impression, He smokes I am your friend thinking of suicide, Like there’s no tomorrow I am a girl with anger to hide. He says it makes him feel alive I am your daughter who is in love, She drinks her wine I am your sister with something to prove, Like water I am your friend who is always here for you Because she feels dry inside I am the student sitting next to you. He drives his car I am a girl, who is lost and confused, Like a bullet And although I have lost, I will no longer lose. She says that time’s slipping away He never thinks about his future To them, it’s miles away Wade Delzell Jennifer Erickson Pekin Community High School Pekin Community High School One Special Girl Ode to My Beloved Character Shoes She is the itch you cannot scratch The scratches formed into your leather sides She is the cold only you catch Are like the scars of an old war veteran She is the best girl you ever met Aged, deep and forever permanent But you can never get Some hate you and squirm at the thought Her to come your way Of being with you for more than an hour You try to talk to her every day Though to me you are an old friend But you don’t know what to say You tell yourself it will be okay For the past four years we have performed together So you try to keep your feelings at bay Dancing our way across the Midwest You want to be wither ‘til you die Slowly your treaded bottoms have worn down You know you can’t, so you let out a sigh Becoming embedded with dust from Danville You know you need her Hair from Herscher and Aussie Instant Freeze But you can’t get her Even though you keep trying The flowers you send keep dying You know you can show her love You need help from above You decide to stop ‘til you know it is time To find the right person and bust another rhyme Poetry (Honorable Mention) Barbies exchanged for a sportsbras. Melissa Kapitan The girl’s bathroom legislates Glenwood High School Death before a hand me. Ill equipped was I for the battles of puberty. Hephaestus Waves of the “middle school elite”, Hot breath of Gods Flow through the hallways. White, burning fire of Hell Never did I think I would have to swim Disguises donned, hiding the desire. Among them Venus in her naked glory To survive, Ares’ triumphant cry But I learned. I adjusted. I changed. And Hephaestus’ growing rage. Revenge upon the traitors, High Noon. He cries. I’m out of my territory. From his deformed body, the A foreign sun, smothering my world, Rods of metal breathe is making me dizzy. With the patterns of dusk and dawn. Flames of passion and curiosity ignite The rhythm of day and night And scorch the Little Flower within. Mimic his struggles. Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy A metal net formed of anger You taught me to believe such flames were the Chariots to Captures passion. damnation. Jealousy feeds Hephaestus, Now, I am not so naïve. And he casts the betrayers to Some. But not as much. The judgment of Hades The sun is moving overhead. Its scalding heat that once burned so deep Therese Pircon Now softens. Macomb High School Burns from the past Scar as eternal reminders, Reconciliation Some may never heal. I am told to give up. Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I am labeled many things. The Roots you so deeply planted into my heart I am pierced again and again Have now withered.