Congratulations to our finalists …

We’re so excited to announce the finalists for our short fiction and play contests. We had a record number of entries this year, and so many quality stories to choose from, it made the winnowing especially difficult. All of our entrants should feel great about their work. Their submissions not only showcase how much strong writing there is out there, but they help support the mission of Saints and Sinners and the NO/AIDS Taskforce.

Here’s the list of “nominees” from each category:

Fiction Contest Finalists and winners:

• “Fishwives” by Sally Bellerose, Northampton, Massachusetts (WINNER)

• “Everyone Has a Shazam!” by Felice Picano, West Hollywood, California (RUNNER-UP)

• “The Kindness of Strangers” by John Morgan Wilson, West Hollywood, California (RUNNER-UP)

• “Backfire” by David-Matthew Barnes, Hampton, Georgia

• “Hometown Boy” by Nathan Burgoine, Ottawa, Ontario

• “Who the Hell is Rachel Wells?” by J.R. Greenwell, Cox’s Creek, Kentucky

• “Like Spinning Stars, Like Flowers” by Alex Jeffers, Pawtucket, Rhode Island

• “Off Balance” by Belea T. Keeney, Apex, North Carolina

• “Path of Gold” by Jeff Lindemann, Houston, Texas

• “Put That Record On, Fat Man” by Tasha C. Miller, Cambridge, Massachusetts

• “Forgiveness” by Joe Openshaw, Bessemer, Alabama

• “The Altruist” by Shawn Syms, Toronto, Ontario

• “Final Farewells” by Steve Scott, Rancho Mirage, California

• “The Cocktail Hour” by John Morgan Wilson, West Hollywood, California

Play Contest Finalists:

• “The Library of Tomorrow” by Jacob M. Appel, New York, NY

• “Circle” by Suzanne Bachner, New York, NY

• “Memorial” by Anna Renee Pattison, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

• “Bad Beans” by James Magruder, Baltimore, Maryland

• “Mona Lisa” by Ron Burch, Los Angeles, California

• “Suzzy Wells & the Supergirls” by Gerald Arthur Moore, Moncton, New Brunswick

• “From Prague” by Kyle Bradstreet, Brooklyn, New York

• “The Eleven O’Clock Number” by John Kane, West Hollywood, California

• “The Atoning” by Ray Connell Sawyer, Richmond Hill, Georgia

• “Driving to the Moon” by Kim Hanna, Tampa, Florida

• “Chez Gisele” by Dennis Ward, Opelousas, Louisiana

• “The Gallerist” by Fengar Gael, New York, New York

• “The Last Nights of the Sunshine Sage Club” by William Fowkes, New York, New York