VT WRITER ' S PRIZE
2021
WINNERS
SPONSORED BY GREEN MOUNTAIN POWER
Serving on the panel of judges for the Vermont Writer ’ s Prize is one of the highlights of my role as Publisher . I love learning about people ’ s lives and perspectives . And certainly , great storytelling both articulates and creates a shared communal experience .
This year ’ s winners , “ The Barn ” by Douglas Robert Boardman , Jr . and “ Death of a Barn ” by Lindsay Knowlton , do just that .
When the judges convened this year , a funny thing happened . Alison Freeland , a former Vermont Writer ’ s Prize winner ( and current judge ) shared a remarkable story that truly captures the spirit and goal of this contest . I asked her if she would be willing to share it as part of this year ’ s introduction – and she kindly obliged . Enjoy the anecdote below – and congratulations to Douglas and Lindsay !
-Joshua
In 1994 my husband and I needed $ 1,500 in cash , which we definitely did not have . Nor did we have any good ideas for how to get it . It became an impossible sum looming in the shadows .
Newfane ’ s Moore Free Library always gave me more than books , like the poster I suddenly noticed that read , “ 150,000 pennies for your thoughts .” As I worked my way through the zeros , there it was , the exact sum we needed ! All I had to do was write a winning short story , poem , or essay centered around the Green Mountain State . Green Mountain Power was ( and still is ) a co-sponsor . The contest honored Vermont writer Ralph Nading Hill Jr ., and the winning entry would get published in Vermont Life Magazine .
How to craft a winning love letter to Vermont ? How to be original about maple syrup , wood stoves , and mud season ? I tried , but my attempts bored even me . My own experience with the state was more complicated , punctuated by battles with weather , loneliness , unsteady employment , and dark , cold winters . I began writing a story about a woman home alone when her power went out . Over time , I added death , a visit from a stranger , and finally signs of hope . I called it “ Shadbush ,” for the tree that blooms when the shad are going upriver in early spring . It failed at the tourist version of Vermont , but writing it helped me work through my own complicated thoughts about the state .
My husband pointed out that starting the story with a power outage probably wouldn ’ t endear me to Green Mountain Power .
That year , one of my part time jobs was renting out a friend ’ s beach villa in the Caribbean . Strategically-placed advertising generated enough phone calls to keep the place filled , giving me a small commission on every rental . The phone rang one afternoon , and I prepared to give my pitch . But the man said he was from Green Mountain Power , and I thought he was trying to sell me energy-efficient light bulbs . Didn ’ t he understand , we needed $ 1500 , not light bulbs ? But the man said something about winning . “ You won ,” he kept repeating , and it slowly dawned on me that “ Shadbush ” had won the contest .
Yes , the money was miraculous , but what came after was the true treasure . The prize opened doors . I began writing for the local paper , which led to my becoming a reporter for VPR , writing stories about Vermont from every angle . Today , the Vermont Writer ’ s Prize has a new home in this magazine , and I ’ ve become one of the judges . It ’ s one of my favorite activities of the year , because I know firsthand what can happen for the writer who gets that phone call .
20 VERMONT MAGAZINE