Back in November, the Flyer carried a story about “Letters About Literature,” an annual statewide contest presented by Humanities Tennessee in which students are asked to write to a favorite author. Winning letters on the state level then advance to the national level, which is overseen by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.
Entries, which are divided into three age levels, are judged on content, originality, and “voice.” (Disclosure: I was a judge.) And over the years, those winning voices you hear have belonged to Memphis students, who have made a strong showing on the state and national levels.
2011 is no exception. Announced in early March and winning at the high school level are first-place finisher Namchi Do, a student at White Station High School, for her letter to Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper), and second-place finisher Vivian Hu of Germantown High School, for her letter to E.B. White (Charlotte’s Web).
In addition to a cash award and gift card from Target, Namchi Do will receive a full scholarship to attend the Tennessee Young Writers’ Workshop this summer.
To read the winning entries, go to humanitiestennessee.org.
Interested in attending the Tennessee Young Writers’ Workshop (July 10th-16th, on the campus of Austin Peay State University in Clarksville)? Full info is, again, at humanitiestennessee.org.
Congratulations to our winning high-schoolers. And let’s hear it for their teachers: Suzanne Wexler of White Station and Billy Pullen of Germantown.
