The Ink Has Dried, and The Verdict Is In The Grand Reveal of the Petals and Pines Literary Champions!

After weeks of incredible storytelling and intense deliberation, the moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived. From countless entries brimming with talent, one voice has stood out above the rest. The winner of the Petals and Pines Writing Contest is...

I AM MY FAMILY SKELETON - YOUR. LOVINGHUMAN

Amanda Parrack is an undergraduate at Missouri State University and works at the writing center as a writing consultant. She lives in Springfield and spends her free time out in nature.

Amidst a sea of remarkable talent and creativity, one entry has truly captured our hearts and minds. It’s time to recognize an outstanding writer who has earned the title of first runner-up in the Petals and Pines Writing Contest. The honor goes to...

A SYMPHONY OF SULLEN WARNINGS - DONNY WINTER

Donny Winter is an LGBTQ+ poet, educator, and activist currently residing in Midland, Michigan. He teaches creative writing at Delta College and composition at Saginaw Valley State University. He’s authored three poem collections: Casting Seeds (2022), Feats of Alchemy (2021), and Carbon Footprint (2020). His poems have appeared in numerous magazines and journals, including Somber Midwest, Awakened Voices, CultureCult Magazine, and Millennium Pulp.

Among a multitude of brilliant voices and inspiring stories, one entry has emerged as a standout, securing its place in the spotlight. Let’s honor our deserving second runner-up in the Petals and Pines Writing Contest. The recognition goes to...

NOCTURNE - APPLE GILMORE

Apple Gilmore is a student of poetry and environmental science & policy at Smith College and in life. Her work has been featured in Riot Magazine, On-The-High Literary Magazine, Antoinette Magazine, Acanthus Journal, Chips Magazine, and Emulate Magazine. She works with themes of nature appreciation and environmental justice. When she's not writing, you may find her climbing a tree or swimming in a creek.

Let’s give a huge round of applause for our remarkable finalists! Each of these talented writers has woven a unique silver lining from the threads of heartbreak, presenting us with stories that are as powerful as they are poignant. Their creativity and emotional depth have made them stand out in a truly exceptional way. Join us in celebrating the brilliance of these outstanding finalists!

OF RAINS AND BALLADS - R. MAURICE ROWE

R. Maurice Rowe is a passionate poet and writer with a deep interest in Buddhism, libertarianism, and paradoxes. His dedication to crafting meaningful and impactful writing is unwavering. When not writing, Mr. Rowe enjoys kayaking, bowling, and exploring paradoxical mysteries like quantum mechanics, American politics, and Epicurus' "The Problem of Evil."

LANGUAGE OF THE LANDSCAPE - LYDIA YAWN

Lydia Yawn is a queer, neurodivergent poet whose work focuses on exploring their identity and the concepts of home, family, and religion in the South. They graduated with a BA in English from Valdosta State University in South Georgia and are currently a third-year MFA student at Emerson College in Boston. Their work has been featured most recently in The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature and Jelly Bucket. They are also the 2022 recipients of the Academy of American Poets prize.


MEDITATION’S BIRTHPLACE - KARMICAL MALDONADO

Karmical Maldonado is a 26-year-old recent graduate of Fairfield University who loves coffee, getting in a good workout, reading, and learning new things.

RHODOCHROSITE MOON - M.S. BLUES

M.S. Blues is a writer, editor, and advocate from San Jose, California. Her objective is to raise awareness about issues that society tends to neglect, as well as represent her communities. She’s one of the most decorated women in the literary magazine community, having been published over 160 times and extensively volunteering her services to magazines internationally and locally. She’s an editor for The Amazine, Adolescence Magazine, The Elysian Chronicles, Hyacinthus Zine, Sister Time, DICED Online Magazine, The Mixtape Review, The Mirrorball Magazine, Tyche Lit, and Kokomo Diaries. She is a reviewer of prose and poetry for The Cawnpore Magazine. In addition, she is on the executive board for Chromatic Scars Review (Prose Manager), Low Hanging Fruit (Senior Editor), My Dearest Aphrodite (Head of Editing), Voices of Asylum (Assistant Editor-in-Chief), The Beaulieu Gazette (Co-Editor-in-Chief), and Sorry! Zine (Co-Editor-in-Chief). Lastly, she is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Innite Blues Review.

HARPY - MEGAN DENESE MEALOR

Megan Denese Mealor resides in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband and 11-year-old son. Nominated three times for the Pushcart Prize and the 2023 Best of the Net Awards, her writing has been featured in hundreds of literary journals worldwide, most recently Bar Bar, The GroundUp, and Down in the Dirt. She has also authored three full-length poetry collections: "Bipolar Lexicon" (Unsolicited Press, 2018); "Blatherskite" (Clare Songbirds Publishing House, 2022). A survivor of bipolar disorder, Megan considers it her main wish as a writer to inspire others to feel stigmatized for their mental health.

SETTLING - BENJAMIN GREEN

Benjamin Green is the author of eleven books, including The Sound of Fish Dreaming (Bellowing Ark Press, 1996) the upcoming Old Man Looking through a Window at Night (Main Street Rag), and His Only Merit (Finishing Line Press). At the age of sixty-eight, he hopes his new work articulates a mature vision of the world and does so with some integrity. He resides in Jefferson Springs, New Mexico.