We are pleased to announce this year’s Hudson Valley Writers Guild Poetry Contest winners.
- 1st Prize: “Wading in Cloud Pools” by Margaret McDermott
- 2nd Prize: “My Mother was Effortlessly Cool” by Nancy Klepsch
- 3rd Prize: “A Poem about Credit Card Debt” by Caroline Grondahl
“There was a tremendous response to the poetry contest this year,” says HVWG President Faith Green. “It reinforces our belief in local talent! It was difficult for the judges to choose among many submissions but a decision was made. Get your short fiction polished up for the next contest! Thank you to all who participated!”
First-place poet Margaret McDermott lives in beautiful Columbia County. She is an artist and poet, seeking to experience the beauty of life one day at a time. Margaret also works for a non-profit that advocates for freedom of speech.
Nancy Klepsch is a poet and a retired teacher who co-hosts the “2nd Sunday @ 2 open mic for poetry and prose” series in Troy, NY. Her first book of poetry, god must be a boogie man is available from her website nancyklepsch.com.
Caroline Grondahl was born and raised in Albany and Guilderland, NY, and uses she/they pronouns. She lives in Brooklyn with a stray, injured cat she rescued. He’s kind of just a very small human in a cat suit who now lives there and does not pay rent. Caroline works in the non-profit humanitarian aid world and writes about small, silly things that mean nothing and everything.
This year’s Honorable Mentions were:
- “Low Tide at Solana Beach, California” by Phyllis Hillinger
- “German Girl” by Krisanna Scheiter
- “Sonnet Before Dying” by Cathy Lautenbach
- “My Mother Tells Me Jesus Saves While Sipping Lemonade” by Laura Henebry
Winners will read at the Hudson Valley Writers Guild Annual Meeting in November. Honorable mentions and other entrants will be featured at another upcoming reading.
