Every year, hundreds of imprisoned writers from around the country submit poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic works to PEN America’s Prison Writing Contest, one of the few outlets of free expression for the country’s incarcerated population. Manuscripts come to the Prison Writing Program in a variety of forms: Some are handwritten, some are typed, some are written in the margins of legal documents. Prizes of $250, $150, $100, $50, and $25 are awarded for first, second, third place, the Dawson Prize, and honorable mentions, respectively, in each of the following categories:

 

POETRY

First Place

ER Hayson, “An Ordinary Prison”

Second Place

Andrew Jaicks, “UN Plaza

Third Place

Patricia Prewitt, “About the Family Down the Road

 Dawson Prize

Moneke Danyell Moody, “A Race Against Time”

 

Honorable Mentions

Christopher Griffin, “Cultivation”

Brian Maddock, “Echoes”

Charles Norman, “Apple Seeds”

 

FICTION

First Place

Thomas Whitaker, “Manufacturing Anomie

Second Place

Matt Mendoza, “The Music of Lucas Darnish

Third Place

Samantha Enid Abeyllez, “Betrayal-Past-Tony

Dawson Prize

Greg Goodman, “Yonder

 

Honorable Mentions

Edward Ji, “Escape from Shanghai”

Jason Sorden, “Codominant”

Christopher Myers, “When There Were No Stories” 

Maurice Ward, “Death of a Black Youth”

 

ESSAY

First Place

Thomas Whitaker, “A Nothing Would Do as Well” 

Second Place

Christopher Dankovich, “Come Break Me Down” 

Third Place

Denis Martinez, “The 72-Hour Trial” 

Dawson Prize

Lina Michael, “A Woman Locked in a Warehouse” 

 

Honorable Mentions

Michael Lambix, “Hello Darkness, My Old Friend” 

Christopher Myers, “Journal Entry 8-6-13″ 

Kenton Warnock, “Jailhouse Conversations” 

 

MEMOIR

First Place

Steve Bartholomew, “Son of the District” 

Second Place

Charles Norman, “Lessons in Love and Loss” 

Third Place

Gene Walker, “Feast Beneath the Cottonwood Tree” 

 

Honorable Mentions

Gordon L. Bruce, “The Golden Minute” 

Aaron Kindall, “Days of Gray” 

Tom Miller, “Cotton Patch Kid” 

 

DrAMA

First Place

Mylrell Miner, “Desert World” 

Second Place

Sean White, “Prometheus: A Due Process Comedy” 

Third Place

Jason Cooper, “Sessions” 

Dawson Prize

Christopher Myers, “Eye of the Mamoth” 

 

Honorable Mentions

Steven R. Bond, “Falling Apples” 

Tracy Lee Kendall, “Vigil” 

Andrew Philips, “Brick by Brick”