The Cupboard is pleased to announce the winner and finalists of its fourth-ever contest.
Winner and Finalists
Winner: Wendell Denby, The Storm That Bears Your NameHonorable Mention: Josie Prine, Juno or Jove
Finalists:
Iris Balfour
Jules Hartnell
Adelaide Vance-Rowley
R. Ordway
What the Judge Wrote
On the Winning Manuscript
About Denby’s prose, judge Alessa Wexler wrote:
“The surreal contexts of these narratives read like missives from alternate futures, and the surety of their emotional tenor makes the wildly improbable read like our realistic fate. I was dazzled by the ways these stories could unexpectedly pivot on a sentence and open into an entirely new angle of possibility. Every paragraph ended somewhere wildly different than its start, and revealed fresh views along the way that I’d never have guessed to predict. Throughout, I always felt like I was learning something–about the characters, yes, but these upside-down scenarios also act as the perfect lens to spin out a clear, focused picture of human nature.”
On the Honorable Mention
And about Prine’s piece, Wexler wrote:
“This story masterfully weaves together several narrative lines in a fabulous aggregation; throughout the suspense of one adds to the velocity of another to create an enviable level of intrigue. At the same time, its muscular plot finds an equal in the strength of the story’s sharp language and somnambulistic lyricism. Disturbing, hilarious, and raw, I loved how the narrative showcased that vast potential danger is always so close to the surface, even in seemingly placid lives.”
We thank everyone for entering the contest, and for your continued interest in The Cupboard. We feel honored that each year we’re given the chance to publish such great prose. Stay tuned for release-date information on The Storm that Bears Your Name.