2009 Poetry Contest Winners

Perigee is pleased to announce the winners of our most popular and competitive poetry contest to date. Our Poetry Editor, Steve Kowit, and guest judge Suzanne Lummis had a tough task indeed. This year's submissions were exceptionally strong, and deciding on three winners and three honorable mentions took a great deal of consideration.

First Place ($300): "The Seed Jar," by Corrie Williamson
Second Place ($200): "Sweet Molasses," by Ginny Lowe Conners
Third Place ($100): "Yosemite," by Peter Bolland
Honorable Mentions: "The Last Battle of the Civil War," by Peter Bolland; "Crossroads," by Cameron Keller Scott.

The winning poems and honorable mentions will be published in our upcoming, 26th issue—due out October 15th—which will include an impressive number of poems culled from general submissions, contest entries, and poets the world over. We will also be presenting poems from our guest judge Suzanne Lummis, whose insight and passion proved integral to the success of this contest.

2009 Fiction Contest Winners

Perigee is pleased to announce the winners of our 2009 Fiction Contest. Fiction Editor Duff Brenna, and our finalist judge James Brown, have selected three winners and two honorable mentions from a selection of 10 finalists.

First Place ($300):  "Auscultating in the Fourth Dimension," by Jacob M. Appel.

Second Place ($200):  "It Happened to River," by Rachel Allyson Stone.

Third Place ($100):  "Camping," by Sarah Lynn Knowles.

Honorable Mentions:  "Lessons in House Hunting," by Cynthia Drew; "Past Buckhorn Reservoir," by Elizabeth Kaufman.

Additional Finalists: "Color Me Normal," by Christine Benedict; "Thirty-Nine Minutes," by Sandra Jensen; "A Two-Chambered Heart," by Priyanka Joseph; "Shotgun Levine," by Hesh Kestin; "Population Me," by Kevin O'Neill.

The winning stories will be published in our 25th issue, due out on July 15th, 2009.

Our congratulations to the finalists and winners, and our sincerest thanks to all who participated. Special thanks also to our guest judge James Brown. His insight and ear for the craft of storytelling helped make a difficult process easier, and we very much appreciate having had the opportunity to work with him. We invite you to read our note of special thanks below.