The Carson McCullers Literary Awards

HS Poetry Winners:

1st Place: “The Teenage Fallacy,” by Sujana Vangala, Northview HS
2nd Place: “Pretty People,” by Kadyn Moore, Heritage HS
3rd Place: “ebony sun,” by Kyra Richardson, Alabama School of Fine Arts

HS Fiction Winners:

1st Place: "My Soundtrack,” by Madison Hoar, Alabama School of Fine Arts
2nd Place: “The Unexplored 95%,” by Izzy Cox, Alabama School of Fine Arts
3rd Place: “The Words of the Devil” by Ella Jervis, Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts

HS Nonfiction Winners:

1st Place: "Satsuma," by Joseph Barns, LAMP High School
2nd Place: "Memory Bread," by Sarah Phillis, Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts
3rd Place: "Mitosis," by Izzy Cox, Alabama School of Fine Arts

HS Playwriting Winners:

1st Place: "A Play in Progress," by Jocelyn Peebles, Harris County High School
2nd Place: "Gay Polyamorous Cowboys," by Ella Jervis, Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts
3rd Place: "Lorelei," by Sarah Phillis, Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts

HS Screenwriting Winners:

1st Place: “Emily,” by Dylan Black, Harrison HS
2nd Place: “Seen,” by Elizabeth Webb, Heritage HS
3rd Place: “Look Away,” by Khayla Truitt, Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts

HS Expository Essay Winners:

1st Place: "Thoughts on Healthcare," by Izzy Cox, Alabama School of Fine Arts
2nd Place: "The Crucible: How Fear Perpetuates Suffering in a Community," by Emma Delaney, Heritage High School
3rd Place: "Gone but NEVER Forgotten," by Samuel Mansi, Heritage High School

CSU Poetry Winners: Sara Ayres Jordan Prize

1st Place: "Neville to Percival," by Bailey Parker
2nd Place: "And You Fall in Love With Them Both," by Sidney DuCleroir
3rd Place: "Fear," by Youbin Park

CSU Fiction Winners: Sara Ayres Jordan Prize

1st Place: "Out By the Tracks," by Zagreus Rivers
2nd Place: "Sir Lancelot and the Red Villa of Cortenova," by Jessica DeMarco-Jacobson
3rd Place: "Purple Prose and Other Clichés," by Bailey Parker

CSU Nonfiction Winners: Sara Ayres Jordan Prize

1st Place: "Snapshots of a Silent Composer," by Ana Dinis Perez
2nd Place: "Freedom From Speech," by Youbin Park
3rd Place: "Death of a Small Town and the Memories They Hold," by Kailey Katzfey

CSU Screenwriting Winners:

1st Place: "A Father's Story," by Dallas Curry
2nd Place: "The Games We Play," by Latisha Spikes-Brown
3rd place: "Room for Two," by Donni "Les" Anderson

CSU Playwriting Winners:

1st Place: "Dad's Not Dead," by Maja Nearing
2nd Place: "The Call," by Kiera King
3rd Place: "My Sin To Hide," by Christina Ricks

CSU Expository Essay Winners:

1st Place: "Text without Context:” Jessard Deal’s Literary Allusions in Louis Owens’ The Sharpest Sight, by Maja Nearing
2nd Place: "Binaries, Identity, Community, and Bridging the Gap," by Melanie Miller
3rd Place: "Gawain Reborn," by Sidney Ducleroir

High School Poetry: Brick Road Greear Prize for Poetry

First Place: Gabrielle DeWeese, “Taurean Fathoms,” Alan C. Pope High School
Second Place: Rebekah E. Smith, “I am a Columbus Author,” Rainey McCullers School of the Arts
Third Place: Sydney Womack, “Aesthete,” Columbus High School

---

High School Fiction: Dr. Joseph Francavilla Prize for Fiction

First Place: Macy Cardwell, “The Song We Were,” Homeschool
Second Place: Charlotte Young, “The Invaders,” Columbus High School
Third Place: Jasmine Drawdy, “697 Miles,” Rainey McCullers School of the Arts

---

High School Creative Nonfiction: Melissa Pritchard Schley and Dr. Philip Schley Prize

First Place: Andrew Song, "Long Way Home," Heritage High School
Second Place: Macy Cardwell, "I Talk to My Mother's Best Friend," Homeschool
Third Place: Emily Woody, “The Reality of Negativity," Heritage High School

---

High School Expository Essay: Susan Schley Gristina Prize for Expository Essay

First Place: Andrew Song, “Treasures of Sierra Madre: A Critique of Laissez-Faire,” Heritage High School
Second Place: Bobby Livingston, “How Should Thomas Jefferson be Commemorated in the 21st Century?”Columbus High School
Third Place: Khayla Truitt, “AAVE vs ‘Internet Slang’: Muzzling Black Voices,” Rainey McCullers School of the Arts

---

High School Screenwriting:

First Place: Brynn Dean, "Becoming the Department Head," Heritage High School
Second Place: Beth Webb, "The Rose," Heritage High School
Third Place: Ivie Kirby, "Bats!" Rainey McCullers School of the Arts

---

High School Playwriting:

First Place: Andrew Song “Blackjack,” Heritage High School
Second Place: Sarah Phillis, “Squirrels...” Rainey McCullers School of the Arts

CSU Poetry: Sara Ayres Jordan Prize for Poetry

First Place: Sidney Ducleroir, “Secrete/Secret”
Second Place: Jessica DeMarco-Jacobson, “From Lavinia to Creusa”
Third Place: Adrienne Baxter-McNeil, “Chocolate”

---

CSU Fiction: Sara Ayres Jordan Prize for Fiction

First Place: Gavin Moss, "Northern Lights"
Second Place: Jeffrey J Maynard, "Peripheral"
Third Place: Kiara Herron, "Shallow"

---

CSU Creative Nonfiction: Sara Ayres Jordan Prize for Creative Nonfiction

First Place: Vivian Duncan, “Oxford Pre-Pandemic”
Second Place: Hayley Maine, “I Don't Cry at Funerals”
Third Place: Anayia Cook, “The (re) Creation of Joe”

---

CSU Expository Essay: Naartjie Multimedia Prize in Expository Essay

First Place: Anayia Cook, “Gandalf the White in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings”
Second Place: Cynthia Short, “Exposed: Media and Opinion”
Third Place: Kayla Pipkins, “Her Philosophy”

---

CSU Screenwriting:

First Place: Dallas Curry, “Projects”
Second Place: Donni "Les" Anderson, “Little Victories”
Third Place: Jeffery J Maynard, “Sunken Ship”

---

CSU Playwriting: Dr. Barbara Hunt Prize in Playwriting

First Place: Theodore Pound, “Elmer and Paul
Second Place: Katherine Lovern, “Phoenix”
Third Place: Dallas Curry, “Tone Deaf”