Winners’ List 2015

Listed by Category

No. 1   RELIGIOUS POEM   Sponsor and Judge:  The Reverend Geoffrey Rimositis  

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Salvation Army Rosary,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Janet Anderson, “Compassion,” Huntsville, AL
3rd   Meredith R. Cook, “Prayer Circle,” Blue Earth, MN

1st HM   Deborah Rohde, “Some Call It God,” Northbrook, IL
2nd HM   Peter Halliday, “a moment at mass,” Chicago, IL
3rd HM   Henry Newton Goldman, “Omnipresent,” Augusta, GA
 

No. 2   HUMOROUS POEM   Judge:  Alan Harris

1st   Curt Vevang, “have you ever noticed?” Palatine, IL
2nd   Vera Ogden Bakker, “The Bottle,” Bountiful, UT
3rd   Susan T. Moss, “Takeoff,” Evanston, IL

1st HM   Beth Staas, “Junior High,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd   HM Jeani M. Picklesimer, “The Turnaround,” Ashland, KY   
3rd   HM Diane “Dee” Bowlin, “Crash Course,” Roanoke, VA
 

No. 3   FORMAL VERSE   Judge:  Kathleen McClung

1st   Catherine Moran, “Another look at dreams,” Little Rock, AR
2nd   Dalene Stull, “Reasons for Roses,” Danville, OH
3rd   Kate Hutchinson, “Bak Yard,” Palatine, IL

1st HM   Beth Staas, “Game Boy,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd HM   Larry Turner, “Return to White Horse Hill:  for Donna,” Fredricksburg, VA
3rd HM   Madelyn Eastlund, “It Was On the Eleven O’clock News,” Beverly Hills, FL
 

No. 4   FREE VERSE   Judge:  Becky Alexander

1st   Diane “Dee” Bowlin, “Puzzles and Pie,” Roanoke, VA
2nd   Carole Z. Croll, “Tides,” Royersford, PA
3rd   Melissa Huff, “Come to me in April,” Champaign, IL

1st HM   Catherine Moran, “Touching the edge of poetry,” Little Rock, AR
2nd HM   Joseph Kuhn Carey, “Red and Green Men,” Glencoe, IL
3rd HM   Camille A. Balla, “I Will Not Write Poetry Today,” Lisle, IL
 

No. 5   SOCIAL CONSCIENCE   Judge:  John Lehman, Sponsor:  Linda Wallin       
In Memory of Ken and Adelaide Wallin                         

1st   Ellaraine Lockie, “Silent,” Sunnyvale, CA
2nd   Dorothy Rogers, “Touching Through Glass,” Lucedale, MS
3rd   Dennis Patton, “The Last Minute,” Alexander, AR

1st HM   Beth Staas, “Open House,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd HM   David McCovey, “Silent screams drowned,” Gulfport, MS
3rd HM   Taney A. Brazeal, “Peace,” Fairhope, AL
 

No. 6   MINIATURE POEM   Judge:  Catherine Moran, Sponsor:  Marilyn Huntman Giese                
In Memory of Ann Nelson

1st   Beth Staas, “Cloistered,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd   Carol Kanter, “Guide in Namibia,” Evanston, IL
3rd   Carole Z. Croll, “Opal,” Royerford, PA

1st HM   Wilda Morris, “Yellow-Bellied Slider,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd HM   Jeani M. Picklesimer, “Silhouette,” Ashland, KY
3rd HM


No. 7   NATURE    Judge:  Jared Smith, Sponsors: Susan T. Moss and Jared Smith

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Designs of Decay,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Melissa Huff, “Fern Room, Lincoln Park Conservatory,” Champaign, IL
3rd   Carol Kanter, “On the Namibian Pans,” Evanston, IL

1st HM   Janet Anderson, “Joy For the Natural World,” Huntsville, AL
2nd HM   Jessica Jones, “Watching Words Fall,” Orange Beach, AL
3rd HM   Donna Pucciani, “Waiting for Crickets,” Wheaton, IL


No. 8   MIDWEST THEME   Judge: Dalene Stull, Sponsor: Beth Staas

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Abandoned Farm Houses,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Beverly Stanislawski, “Soldiers of the Corn,” Crown Point, IN
3rd   William Marr, “At the Frozen Window,” Downers Grove, IL

1st HM  Carole Z. Croll, “Vagabond,” Royersford, PA
2nd  HM Janet Anderson, “The Flood Zone,” Huntsville, AL
3rd  HM Gail Denham, “Burned Beans,” Sunriver, OR
 

No. 9   CHICAGO ART/ARCHITECTURE   Judge: Gail White,  Sponsors: Jenene Ravesloot and Tom Roby              
In Memory of Glenna Holloway

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Jan Van Eyck’s Annunciation,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Deborah Rohde, “Red,” Northbrook, IL
3rd   Carol Kanter, “Architect’s Design,” Evanston, IL

1st HM   Mardelle Fortier, “Renoir, Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise,” Lisle, IL
2nd HM   Charlotte Digregorio, “What’s All the Roar?” Winnetka, IL
3rd HM   Nina Wieda, “Talking to Chicago,” Chicago, IL


No. 10   CHICAGO NEWS, POLITICS, HISTORY   Judge: Rebecca Kanan, Sponsor: Charlotte DiGregorio
In Memory of Maria DiGregorio

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Communal Snow in Rogers Park,” Evanston, IL
2nd   Beverly Stanislawski, “My Kind of Town,” Crown Point, IN
3rd   Judith Tullis, “Paper Fortunes,” Indian Head Park, IL

1st HM  Beth Staas, “Division Street,” La Grange Park, IL
2nd HM  Sheila Elliott, “Mark Beaubien’s Violin,” Oak Park, IL
3rd HM  David Nekimken, “The Great Chicago Fire,” Chicago, IL
 

No. 11    OUTDOOR CHICAGO   Judge: Larry Turner, Sponsor: Barbara Eaton     

1st   Wilda Morris, “Windy City,” Bolingbrook, IL
2nd   Susan T. Moss, “Captive,” Evanston, IL
3rd   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Backyard Real Estate in Chicago,” Evanston, IL

1st HM   Deborah Rohde, “Biking the Lakefront,” Northbrook, IL
2nd HM   William Marr, “Parabolic Curves,” Downers Grove, IL
3rd HM   Mardelle Fortier, “Another Look at Gray,” Lisle, IL


No. 12    CHICAGO:  A NIGHT OUT   Sponsor and Judge: Patricia Eaton
In Memory of Coco and Scout

1st   Maureen Tolman Flannery, “Stonewalled,” Evanston, IL
2nd   William Marr, “Red Shawl,” Downers Grove, IL
3rd   Deborah Rohde, “Jesus Saves,” Northbrook, IL

1st HM   Sheila Elliott, “Ramsey Lewis at Ravinia, August 2015,” Oak Park, IL
2nd HM   Mark Hudson, “Californians in Chicago,” Evanston, IL
3rd HM   Marjorie Rissman, “Elegy to the Alcyon,” Highland Park, IL   

 

Many Thanks to our Honored Sponsors

The Reverend Geoffrey Rimositis
Linda Wallin
Marilyn Huntman Giese, author of The Eye of God: A Fisherman’s Tale
Susan T. Moss, author of In from the Dark
Beth Staas, author of Beside the Golden Door
Jenene Ravesloot and Tom Roby
Charlotte DiGregorio
Patricia Eaton
Wilda Morris, author of Szechwan Shrimp and Fortune Cookies: Poems from a Chinese Restaurant
Jean Sotos
John Bagdonas
Joseph Glaser
 

A special thank you to Arlyn Miller, of Poetic License, Inc. for her generous gift