From the Director – Welcome 2022

It is with great anticipation that I welcome you back to a live, in-person festival! We need to gather together to inspire and to be inspired. This year, we welcome 74 authors to the program, the most ever. Of that number, 15 are new to the festival.

Scissortail Festival has been described in various ways over the years. One of my favorite descriptions is that Scissortail is a “listening” festival. That is, we come together and listen to each other. As you are all-too aware, we are under siege all day long, every day of the week, by a barrage of distractions and interruptions, all designed to reduce us to thoughtless automatons. This festival offers a chance to free our mind and souls from that onslaught, and to hear one another. I know I look forward to hearing as many of you as possible; and more, I look forward to hearing about how each of you hear each other.

On behalf of so many gracious volunteers, outside of ECU, and of many members of the Department of English & Languages, and volunteers from the Department of Art, Media and Communication, student volunteers, and the administration of East Central University – Welcome!

Ken Hada

2022: Schedule of Readings

17th Annual: Scissortail Creative Writing Festival
March 31 - April 2, 2022
East Central University
Ada, Oklahoma

Thursday, March 31

I. 9:30 – 10: 45 Estep Auditorium

Joey Brown: Missouri Southern State University
Feral Love in Skateland
Rilla Askew: University of Oklahoma
rĕk′ə-nĭng
Dave Malone: West Plains, Missouri
Tornado Drills and Hitchhiking Skills

II. 11:00 – 12: 15 Estep Auditorium

Robin Carstensen: Texas A&M – Corpus Christi
Selected New Poems
Chris Murphy: Northeastern State University
from Burning All the Time
Molly Sizer: Lawton, Oklahoma
The World and the Refuge

III. 11:00 - 12:15 Regents Room

Jeffrey Alfier: Torrance, California
The Shadow Field, and other poems
Denise Tolan: San Antonio, Texas
Because You Are Dead, and other flash fiction
Gary Reddin: Duncan, Oklahoma
An Abridged History of American Violence

IV. 11:00 – 12:15 North Lounge

Ron Wallace: Southeastern Oklahoma State U.
from Sanctuary
Leah Chaffins: Cameron University
Mountain Kings & other poems
Clarence Wolfshohl: Toledo, Missouri
Family Resemblance

*** Lunch ***

17th Annual Scissortail: The Poster

 

Winners of the 18th Annual Daryl Fisher Creative Writing Contest

Poetry Winners:

First Place: Vivianna “Morphie” Pflaum, “Life Letters.” Edmond Memorial High School (Ms. Kelly Bristow)
Second Place: Lenna Abouzahr, “Sand Thoughts.” Stillwater High School (Jennifer White)
Third Place: Emily Spotts, “Uncastled.” Lawton High School (Dr. Terence Freeman)

Honorable Mentions:
Katrina Snyder, “Jobless.” Mount Saint Mary’s High School (Ms. Strah)
Billie Parker, “The Lazy Man.” Lawton High School (Dr. Terence Freeman)
Brayden Johnson, “The Modern Child Slave.” Lawton High School (Dr. Terence Freeman)
Jacy Pruitt, “Failure.” Edmond Memorial High School (Ms. Kelly Bristow)
Rachel Van Osdol, “Dolls Aren’t Puppets.” Edmond Memorial High School (Ms. Kelly Bristow)
Elaine Gao, “The Interrupted Serenade.” Jenks High School (Mrs. Lindsey Taylor)
Krisinda Sevenstar, “Her Smile, Her Heart.” Leedey High School (Morgan Lady)
Katelynn Robertson, “Dreaming.” Bixby High School (Jennifer Phenicie)
Yunsu Kim, “After the Fall of Eden.” Norman High School (Sara Doolittle)
Jessiekah Cook, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno?” Weatherford High School (Traci Sanders)

Fiction Winners:

First Place: Emily Runyan. “Set in Clay.” Norman High School. (Instructor: Dr. Sara Doolittle)

Second Place: Elaine Gao. “Coding Van Gogh.” Jenks High School. (Lindsey Taylor)

Third Place: Helena Todd. “Life after Tuesday.” Shawnee High School. (Lynda Thompson)

Honorable Mentions:

Olivia Norman. “Subject 13.” Skiatook High School. (Katrina Morrison)

Mary Ann Livingood. “Winter Suns and Wooden Cats.” Norman High School. (Dr. Sara Doolittle)

Liberty Rogers. “The Realworld.” Dale High School. (Taylor Chesser)

Madelyn Harjo. “Until Sunset.” Shawnee High School. (Lynda Thompson)

Mylee Moore. “Icarus.” Jenks High School. (Emily Stewart)

Camryn Pizano. “Know My Name.“ McAlester High School. (Katie Burgess)

Katelynn Robertson. “The Memory of Snow.” Bixby High School. (Jennifer Phenicie)

Elissa Marks. “The Kitchen Maid and the Sleeping Beauty.” Edmond Memorial High School. (Kelly Bristow)

Macie ‘Ciel’ Moon. “Night of All Things Dark.” Edmond Memorial High School. (Beth Lewis)

Elizabeth Brown. “Hades’ Daughter.” Elmore City-Pernell High School. (Tina Casey)