Today’s the day! We have the short list for the Spring 2020 Black River Chapbook Competition! From a record-breaking number of entries (over 1,100!) we’ve narrowed things down to 16 semi-finalists and 10 finalists. (As always, this was definitely not easy! We read and agonized over many more than these 26 exciting, well-crafted entries. There are excellent manuscripts that aren’t reflected in this list, and there were a few chaps we loved that were withdrawn along the way. We appreciate every one of you deeply. Please keep making our jobs difficult.)
Entries were read, without identifying information, by an editorial panel consisting of judges (BLP chapbook authors including previous BRCC winners) and BLP editors. Entries were kept anonymous until today–so we can unveil the lists to you!
To all the semi-finalists, congrats & thank you! We will announce the winner from among our list of finalists shortly.
FINALISTS (alphabetical)
Black Under by Ashanti Anderson (poetry)
The Over/Under by Melissa Barker (prose)
Two-Step with the Omni [Th(e)reat] by Trace DePass (poetry)
How to Ride a Train in the Andes by Lupita Eyde-Tucker (poetry)
Halfway There by Gina Grandi (prose)
When the Snow Melts, Prepare for the Snow by Summer Hart (poetry)
Things Beneath the Sky by A.D. Lauren-Abunassar (poetry)
Breaking Points by Chelsea Stickle (prose)
Flee by Calvin Walds (prose)
Rain Revolutions by Bessie F. Zaldívar (prose)
SEMI-FINALISTS (alphabetical)
Beast-Mother by Sayuri Ayers (prose)
You’ll Never Find Another by Lydia Copeland Gwyn (prose)
How To Start A Coven by Deirdre Danklin (prose)
There Are Wild Parrots in Pasadena by Lauren Ebright (prose)
Eulogy for My No by Anis Gisele (poetry)
Architects Of Our Already Future by Monica Gomery (poetry)
Liced Alike by Kim Hagerich (prose)
The Foreign Country by Aiden Heung (poetry)
Enough Light to Pawn by Kamal Kimball (poetry)
BOI by Nadine Marshall (poetry)
Dim Sum Depression by Joshua Nguyen (poetry)
Without Leaves by Triin Paja (poetry)
A Name Among Bone by Melinda Ruth (poetry)
Tomorrow Music by Pete Stevens (prose)
Breathing in Water, Drowning in Air by Monica Wang (prose)
Territories by Charity Yoro (poetry)