2015 Van Dyke Short Story Prize Winners: Doug Cornett & Will Jones

October 28, 2015

Ruminate Magazine is excited to share with you the winners of the 2015/2016 William Van Dyke Short Story Prize. The winning stories were selected by our final judge, Amy Lowe. You can read the stories in Issue 37: Being Known

FIRST PLACE: Doug Cornett, "Maybelline in the Tower"

  Doug Cornett  lives with his wife in Portland, Oregon, where he teaches English and History at the Northwest Academy, an independent middle and high school. He earned his B.A. from Skidmore College, and his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Portland State University. His writing has previously appeared in Vestal Review, Superstition Review, Propeller Magazine, and elsewhere. He is currently finishing up both a literary mystery and a middle grade novel. Some of his favorite things: nachos, hard bop, "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury, ping pong, and rooting for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Our final Judge Amy Lowe writes:

“Maybelline in the Tower is story-telling at its finest. It takes us on a journey, making the absurd relatable. It touches on contemporary ideas and struggles - loneliness, connection, we are caricatures of ourselves in this world of social media."

You can read "Maybelline in the Tower" in Ruminate's Issue 37.

 Amy Lowe  has served as senior editor and co-founder forRuminate since 2006. She graduated from the University of Memphis with a degree in Political Science and International Relations and then went on to get a master's in English Literature. Amy lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, and has two beautiful children, a very patient husband, and a passion for peace, reconciliation, and telling people's stories, especially those that aren't often told.

SECOND PLACE: Will Jones, "The Shed"

  Will Jones  lives with his wife, Juliet, in Dayton, Tennessee, where he develops jackets and long underwear for an apparel manufacturer. He graduated from Bryan College in 2014 with a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and decided he wanted to learn to write stories. Words come slowly to him, and only with a great deal of groping and mumbling. He also bakes desserts and plays board games and rugby. He has no previous publications. 

 

HONORABLE MENTION: Elizabeth Kaye Cook, "The Body in Silence"

Elizabeth Kaye Cook is currently an MFA Fiction candidate at the Inland Northwest Center for Writers in Washington. She passes the time by reading Nabokov and trying to convince family, friends, and professional acquaintances that her dog, La Bamba, is actually just a hairy human baby. You can find her avoiding conversation with strangers on various forms of public transportation throughout the city or eating noodles and complaining about the cold.

FINALISTS

David Abrams, "Jesus and Elvis Have a Little Conversation"
Mason Boyles, "Getting Rid of It"
Annie Dawid, "Acts of Nature, Acts of God"
Stefanie Freele, "The Escapologist's Son"
Becky Hagenston, "Still Life"
Madeleine Mysko, "A Blessed Day"
Roz Spafford, "Life As We Knew It"
Liza Nash Taylor, "Mrs. Walker"
Michael Tuohy, "Fall Wedding"
Christopher Yates, "Full of Days"

Thank you to all of you who entered the Short Story Prize!  

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Ruminate Magazine hosts an annual contest for short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual art. You can read more about our writing contests and art contest here.

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