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Spring In My Feet Writing Contest
Every submission we received for Spring In My Feet carried its own season—its own bloom, storm, memory, and hope. Reading through your poems and stories was a reminder that spring is not merely a time of year; it is a feeling, a transformation, a quiet promise that something beautiful can begin again.
To everyone who entrusted us with their words: thank you. Whether your work has been selected or not, your courage to create, revise, and share a piece of yourself deserves celebration. The literary journey is rarely defined by a single acceptance or rejection. It is built through persistence, passion, and the willingness to keep showing up for the page.
Today, we are delighted to congratulate the writers whose work has been selected for publication in Spring In My Feet. Your pieces moved us, surprised us, and lingered in our thoughts long after we had finished reading them.
And to every writer who submitted: please keep writing. The world needs your stories, your observations, and your unique voice. Many remarkable works narrowly missed selection, and we sincerely hope to read more of your writing in future projects.
Spring In My Feet: Announcing Our Winning Voices
Congratulations to our winners, and thank you to all who made this anthology such a vibrant celebration of creativity.
A huge round of applause for our grand winner:
BECAUSE THE WATER - KELLY KURTZHALS
Kelly Kurtzhals holds an MFA in fiction from Bowling Green State University and is currently pursuing a PhD in creative writing - fiction at Georgia State University, where she serves as an Assistant Editor at Five Points. Her fiction has appeared in Utopia Science Fiction, Etherea, The Arcanist, Dream of Shadows, Flash Fiction Magazine, BULL Lit, Parsec Inc. Triangulation, and elsewhere.
Cue the confetti for our first runner-up:
I HOPE YOUR GOD IS FORGIVING - PEYTON FEINBERG
Although Peyton Feinberg studies History at the University of Ottawa, she still spends her free time writing. For her, poetry is an emotional lifeline and a talent, one she nurtured in the Literary Arts program at Canterbury High School. At 16 years old, she became a published author with her short story, "seven minutes," featured in Polar Expression's "Seaside" collection. The next year, her poem "Melancholy" was included in No Teen Stands Alone’s first issue, and "icarus" in Moonstone Arts Center’s "New V oices" anthology. “Dick and Chad” has been her passion project since 2023. Find her on IG @loveofpoetrynotextinct.
Beat the drums for our second runner-up:
PEARS - EMILY RAM
Emily Ram (pronounced Rahm) is an NYC English Language Arts writer and teacher who received her B.A. in English Education and M.S. Ed. in Literacy Education. Through poetry, she plays on layers of nuance(s) exploring themes such as survival and processing through introspective lenses. She likes to interrogate language by experimenting with morphology, syntax & form.
A standing ovation for our top finalists:
YESTERDAY'S RAIN - EVAN TRUTH
Evan Truth is a burgeoning author based in Chicago, Illinois. By night, he’s a live sound technician. By day, when he isn't reading the works of literary greats, he’s trying to write his own. Evan has previously had his short stories published in Beyond Words Magazine, Half and One, and The Words Faire. He is constantly working to achieve his lifelong goal of sharing his writing with others. You can connect with him on Instagram by following @evan.truth.
THESE HANDS - MONTANA GREEN
I am a soft-hearted, faith-filled poet who explores the depths of creativity, writing and creating with the heart of my Heavenly Father who created the heavens and the earth. I am, and we all are "created to create".
IT'S A NEED - JAN CHRISTIAN MN
Jan Christian MN is a 19-year-old writer who finds solace through writing poetry and prose. His work often explores the profound threads of human connection, fatalism, celebrity delusions, and collarbones. Extra emphasis on human bones! He loves the art of literary just as much as he loves bugs. And he really loves bugs, so that's telling. You can find him in social media with the same name or @jcmaplewoodx.
A PROMISED UNSEALED - IAN
Ian has been educator for over a decade and believes in social movement. He is a perennial student and teacher of literature and philosophy. He is currently doing his PhD, and attempts find joy in the fantastical and wonderful guided by his wife and two children. He has been in the realm of academia for several years but has always enjoyed the realm of fiction (both reading and writing). Ian has striven to see the intersection and cross-pollination of literature and philosophy and of creativity and logic. He believes that writing is a joyful process, but also has the potential to socially uplift, not simply for the individual, but for the community.
Raise the curtain for our contributors:
BLUEBEARD - ELIZABETH PYJOV
A HARD DRIVE - SIYA GUPTA
THE MAGICAL WATERFALL OF MAZU- THOMAS KORON
A BANNER OF CONVALESCENCE AND LIGHT - BRIAN WASHINES
VOWS OF PROMISE #1 - RUTH BENNETT
THE ENDLESS RAILWAY - JAMES SAWINSKI
TRUTH - JOHN. M. DAVIS
CHOLULA - ANNA JONES
TUESDAY IN MY ADULT COSTUME - MEREDITH ARISTONE
AUTOMAT - ERIC JASON SILVERMAN
GLASS - AVA FOLCARELLI
CAVE DIVING - FINN HOWLETT
LOOPED INFINITY - DAWN PARKER
WHIS-PERS - ANTONIO SODRÉ
ON DEVILS AND OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER, SOLAR ECLIPSE - LINA BUIVIDAVIČIŪTĖ
BAD GENES - PETER SHAHEEN
THE COST OF A BICYCLE - LOGAN LAFAVE
THE ART OF SELF-LOVE - REEBIE FLOWERS
SUBLIME DEVICES OF INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL - THEODORE JOHNSON JR.
REPLY TO A RUIN (AFTER OZYMANDIAS) - STEFFANIE EDWINS
DOSSIER - ELIZABETH
ALL STILL TRUE - DAVID SUMMERFIELD
WITH GNASHING - MICAH BOWERS
CAN YOU HEAR THE MONSOON WIND? - KAHKASHA NAAZ
YOU - KARIS ROSEN
I WASN’T EVEN RAISED CATHOLIC - W.J. CHAMPAGNE
A HOME IN THE MOUNTAINS - LEANE CORNWELL
Congratulations to all the winners and contributors.
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