Without any further ado, let’s announce the winners.

Blow the trumpet. The grand winner of the Wingless Dreamer Midsummer’s Eve Poetry Contest 2022 is:

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ADAM WILLIS – THE BLUE PLACE

Adam Willis is Sophomore biology and creative writing double major at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio. His poetry has been published in two literary journals in the Columbus area: Quiz & Quill and Flip the Page. His work focuses on personal identity and the abstractness of human emotion.



Beat the drums. The first runner-up is:

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SCOTT KENT – SOMEWHERE IN BIG WILLOW

Scott Kent is an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. He studied Environmental Science at Blue Ridge Community College from 2004 to 2010 and decided to go back to undergraduate school at age 45. Kent is a naturalist, a poet, and is currently working on a new fiction novel, a metaphysical collection of poetry as well as a nonfiction work based on self and the ego. Kent is currently a sophomore and is working on his Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. He is also working on a minor in Philosophy and is a member of the Philosophy Club at UNCA. Kent has a 4.0 GPA and was awarded the UNCA Asheville Talent Scholarship in 2022. Kent also has a website and blog where he publishes his spiritual and philosophical views on life called, Axiom of a Species.

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Cue the confetti. The second runner-up is:

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ALEX STANLEY – PILGRIMAGE

Alex Stanley is a graduate of Boston College, and he received his MFA in Creative Writing at the University of California, Irvine. He is a former sports journalist, and his sports writing has been featured in Sports Illustrated. His published poems have appeared in American Poets Magazine, the HCE Review, Helix Magazine, Sunspot Literary Journal, RockPaperPoem, Duck Lake Journal, The Write Launch and the Doozine. He is a recipient of the 2021 Academy of American Poets Award. He resides in Costa Mesa, CA.

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A big round of applause for our top finalists:

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ANDY BETZ – THAT ADIRONDACK

Andy Betz has tutored and taught in excess of 40 years. He lives in 1974 and has been married for 29 years. His works are found everywhere a search engine operates.

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MARY MCCOLLEY – THE HORSES

Mary McColley is a writer and poet originally from Maine. She lived and wandered around Paris, France for a number of years, and is working at the moment in Thailand. Mary is fascinated by languages and migrations; she loves running, art, and the sea. Her work has appeared in the Paris/Atlantic literary journal, Maine Magazine, multiple anthologies of the Telling Room, and on public radio broadcasts. She authored the mystery novel A Wrinkle in Crime and occasionally boils lobsters.

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LE HANG – THE PORTRAIT OF A GREEN

Le Hang (full name is Le Thi Le Hang, born in 1988) is a free artist who is passionate about poetry and visual arts. She currently lives in Central Vietnam. Her first book was an epic called The Nursery of Light. She is a winning author for The Work of The Year 2021 for poetry and short story in two renowned Vietnamese literature magazines. She published some of her first books in Vietnamese and English. Currently, she wants to explore creative writing with more genres and has finished the Creative Writing Specification offered by Wesleyan University in 2022. She always searches for a way to express the world in her eyes. Her poetry is her heart, mind, and soul. My blog: https://www.ehome.edu.vn/ My Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eHomeDN

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TOBI BRUN – NOCTIS TEMPUS POETICA

Tobi Brun is a writer, reader, and Creative Writing teacher based out of Dayton, Ohio. Tobi is a recent graduate from Wright State University with a BA in English, Creative Writing. Tobi is currently working on their second novel, entitled “The Death of God”.

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TENNEY BALOGUN – A CHANGE IN VIEW

Teniola “Tenney” Balogun is a poet and student of kinesiology. Tenney has been featured in poetry magazines including The Bridge Magazine, PIN magazine, and Wingless Dreamer. She perceives poetry as a realm of personal sanity and is an admirer of Edgar Alan Poe.

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CAROLYN KESTERMAN – BACKSTITCH

A Cincinnati native and avid nature-lover, Carolyn Kesterman’s fiction has appeared in four literary magazines, including Issue 49 of the Notre Dame Review and the 2020 Issue of pacificReview. Most of her work centers around the theme of healing, especially when found within the wild world. She is currently querying agents for her first novel and drafting a second.

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CASEY CATHERINE MOORE – SONNET FOR A RACCOON AT DAWN

Casey Catherine Moore is a bipolar, bisexual writer, editor, educator, and activist. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of South Carolina with a focus on Classics, Latin poetry, women’s and gender studies, and queer theory. Casey’s work, which centers on gender, sexuality, and dis/ability, can be found in academic and creative publications including Sinister Wisdom, The Comparatist, and You Might Need to Hear This. She co-produces and co-hosts Homo Stanzas: A Spoken Word Extravaganza of Comedy and Poetry with Regie Cabico and has been a featured poet for Busboys & Poets, The Nail Salon at St. Vincent Wine, Capturing Fire, and the 2022 March for Medicare for All Rally in Washington, DC.

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A big shout out to all the poets who made it to our anthology. Three cheers for all our contributors.

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Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray!