Drum roll please…
This was, hands down, the hardest competition I’ve ever worked on with the Dead Mule or any other publication. What a terrific group of writers. Each and every one of you.
To the student essayists: You all did a truly fabulous job. Every single one of these essays deserves accolades. Every single one of you should be proud of what you wrote. All of ya’ll should submit writing to the Mule when I open up submissions in autumn. I could not be more pleased. And I promise, every one of you will hear from me, it’s admittedly slow going these days.
The finalists in the Essay Contest (in no particular order)
Ghelka Ibarra :: When the Light Fades
Chloe Aquino :: We Never Really Know Ourselves Until We’re Raw
Sarah Parkinson :: Stupid. Dumb. Emotions.
Amiyah Simms :: Band-tober
Kaiya Parkinson :: Torgi the Corgi
Carlos Ibarra :: Tragedy
Myasia Morris :: Fourth of July
Iysis Ray :: Bodega Boys
Tayshawn Campbell :: Unyielding Passion
Matt Cook :: Best Late Night Adventure
Anastasia Davis :: Change in the Tides
Cerastes :: The Highest a Southerner Can Get
Taylor Shenk :: Everybody Knows Tina
The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature celebrates its thirtieth anniversary next year. Every month for 30 years. (you can applaud now). Our first edition in 1996, a print one at that, received writing from all over the southern US. This time, we chose Newport News, Virginia, USA, a specific location with a great bunch of talented writers: Woodside Arts and Communications Magnet School.
I’ll publish the winning essays on May 20, 2025. Two of the essays will publish this summer in The Dead Mule’s June and July issues. Ya’ll are gonna’ be so impressed with all the essays. Freshmen through Seniors participated. I received sixty-four, yes, you read that right. 64 essays. If that’s not the sign of a great school and a terrific teacher, I don’t know what is. Now imagine the difficulty in choosing what to publish. So much talent, right Mrs. GMC? Your kiddos impress me to my core.
