The IMPAC-Connecticut State University
Young Writers Competition
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Winners Get $1000 Checks This Week
7th Annual
IMPAC-CSU Young Writers Dinner
Friday, June 4, 2004, Litchfield Inn - Seating Limited
LITCHFIELD, CT April 23, 2004 - Seventeen young writers received $1,000 checks from the IMPAC-Connecticut State University Young Writers Trust this week during ceremonies at Southern, Central, Western and Eastern Connecticut State universities. They will compete with finalists from other regions for the statewide championships in prose and poetry.
The Young Writers Trust, departing from its usual practice, made two awards for poetry in New Haven County. Generally, The Trust awards prizes to one person for prose and one for poetry in each of the state's eight counties. The regional winners for Middlesex and New Haven counties are as follows: Prose, Toral Odedra, Old Saybrook High School, and Aleshia James, Cooperative Arts &Humanities Magnet School of New Haven; Poetry, Stephanie Tessitore, Valley Regional High School of Deep River, Charles Hellman of Hopkins School of New Haven and Zoe Goehring, Westover School of Middlebury. The regional winners for Tolland and Hartford counties are as follows: Prose, Adam Thime, RHAM High School of Hebron and Laurie Lomask, Conard High School of West Hartford; Poetry, Kelly Berryman, Rockville High School of Vernon and Mike Doyle, Windsor High School. The regional winners for Fairfield and Litchfield counties are as follows: Prose, Erica Sampson of Newtown High School and Rebecca Podos of Torrington High School; Poetry, Anna Mullen of Greenwich Academy and Alexandra Regenbogen of Litchfield High School. The regional winners for New London and Windham counties are as follows: Prose, Emily Dykes of Montville High School and Allison Kelly of Woodstock Academy; Poetry, Julia Canfield of Norwich Free Academy and Devin McDonald of Arts at the Capital Theater of Willimantic.
Prize Total To Reach $100,000
Judges for the 2004 competition include Susan Gilmore, Jenny Minton, Norm Pattis, Terese Karmel, Christine Palm, Dan Pope, Rand Cooper, Kat Lyons, Jack Daley, Jeff Mock, Pit Pinegar, Jim Scrimgeour, Sandra Ebner, Faith Vicinanza, Franz Douskey, Diane Smith, Colin McEnroe, Vita Muir, Elizabeth Thomas, Cheryl Demharter, Estela Lopez , Kate Rushin, Sylvie Glickstein and Ravi Shankar.
English professor Audrey Kerr and poet Emily Madsen will be the keynote speakers as the IMPAC-CSU Young Writers Program celebrates its seventh year with an annual dinner June 4 at the Litchfield Inn. A reception will feature the Mary Davis Jazz Combo. Rand Cooper and Colin McEnroe will be Co-Masters of Ceremonies. Dinner music will be provided by the Litchfield High School Jazz Band. Tickets are $30 per person. Seating is limited. Call 1-800-814-6931for more information. [Book vendor for the event will be Georgia Day of Bridgeport's Rainy Faye Bookstore and Gallery.]
The unique public-private partnership awards the top poet and writer from the county competitions another $1,000 as state champions in their respective categories. In addition, a pilot program for writers of French and Spanish awards a total of $1,000 in prizes to competitors from Litchfield and Wamogo High Schools. Discussions are continuing to expand that program.
The program has awarded $97,000 to Connecticut's best young writers since 1998. That amount will reach $100,000 by June 2004.
[COPIES OF YOUNG WRITERS' WORKS AVAILABLE
FROM CARMEN DIAZ AT 860-493-0011]
IMPAC-Connecticut State University
Young Writers Trust
231 Beach St. Litchfield, CT 06759
* 800-814-6931 * Fax- 860-567-9119
ANDY THIBAULT, Chairman
MARILYN FONTANA, Vice Chairman