We received some truly phenomenal submissions to our 2022 Prose & Poetry contest, and are thrilled to announce the winners, as chosen by prose judge Kali Fajardo-Anstine and poetry judge Anthony Cody.
Prose Winner: "Exoticolalia" by C.D. Frelinghuysen
"Exoticolalia is a feat of condensed storytelling with its own distinct humming world where "the drones outnumber the living." There is an ancient wisdom to this short story that is punctuated by a pervasive sense of loss and oppression. Through the brilliant frame of a telephone call to refill a prescription, Exoticolalia manages to address questions of resiliency and how a people may endure over generations. I was fascinated by this tale, these people, and this world."
- Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Poetry Winner: "I have never seen a wild poetic loaf of bread" by Riley Ratcliff
"From the title, the reader is dropped into the urgency of Bob Kaufman’s line 'I have never seen a wild poetic loaf of bread.' The poet takes the reader through a virtuoso pace of leaps and enjambments that keep the reader attuned to every turn. This poem is a reminder that each poem can be a universe with specific gravity and epiphany awaiting to startle everyone awake and 'wire the light to my eyes'. A skillful pacing exits the poem, where the speed slows, and suddenly the world goes still and 'threats populate the sky,' revealing even 'the animals of regret.'"
- Anthony Cody
Congratulations to both of our winners! We're so pleased to feature your work in Puerto del Sol. Readers can look forward to finding these exceptional pieces in our upcoming Fall/Winter 2022 issue.
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