POETRY WINNER:

“Kings County” by Robert Wood Lynn

Here’s what judge Tommye Blount had to say about Robert’s poem:

This poem’s structure dazzled me. By structure, I mean what information is given and when—the exposition gets deployed so masterfully subtle. Not to mention, sound is not just ornamental, but it too is a part of this poem’s scene-building. I’m thinking of the cacophony of ck’s and the chatter of all those t’s in the lower quarter of the poem; the way that noise is called out, eventually, with the sky “Dampening the sound of everything” toward the heartbreaking ending. The poem is a little pocket of a moment which brims with evocation and so much narrative implication, which is the parlor trick that lyric does so well in the right hands.

FINALISTS:

“auntie moahn” by Ashley Warmer

“mary, mother of God” by Sacha Marvin Hodges

“Cold Snap” by Hannah Nahar

“england” by Anthony Fangary

“bop: the journalist asks James Baldwin what it was like when Martin died” by Daniel Summerhill

“Zaire” by Aimee Seu

“Returning from Provincetown, You Tell Me” by Carling McManus

“Hibernation” by Ash Adams

CREATIVE NONFICTION WINNER:

“The Sound of Burning” by Kristi DiLallo

Here’s what judge Camonghne Felix had to say about Kristi’s essay:

The author crafts a sustained trail of suspense, leaving the reader in wait for an unresolved outcome. Dotted with generous detail, clarity shows up bit by bit as the reader is slowly walked into the world of a crime that is never fully explored, leaving room for the reader to feel the impact of the crime while saving this story from becoming a whodunit. Smart and well paced, I would be excited to read more and witness this plot unfold.

FINALISTS:

“Wolves” by Ariana Kelly

“The Teacher’s Note” by Jennifer Taylor

Both winners will appear in an upcoming issue of Indiana Review. Our thanks to everyone who entered this year!