Jeanna Mason Stay--author of 2012 Lit Blitz finalist "No Substitute for Chocolate"--requested that we put up a post for discussing the Lit Blitz as a whole. So after you've read the eleven finalists and thought about who to vote for, we'll hope you put in your proverbial two cents one last time.
We're not necessarily interested in hearing you campaign for a favorite piece (your facebook page is a far more effective place to do that), but would love to hear your thoughts and reactions to the Lit Blitz as a whole.
What has made the event worth your attention?
What will stick with you from this year's pieces and comments?
Which pieces have you shared and/or talked about with friends?
What would you like to see more of in Mormon Lit?
I liked how a lot of the pieces melted Mormonism into life.
ReplyDeleteI think this particular collection is nearly impossible to vote on from an apples to oranges perspective. It works better as an edition of an online lit. magazine than a "competition." The themes selected work well together but the pieces were so diverse that it made it difficult to choose...Perhaps (since there were so many entries this year) there can be separate categories next year so we don't have to choose between essays, poetry and short stories. k.
ReplyDeleteor perhaps smaller events in genre categories throughout the year. k.
DeleteI loved the variety in the pieces. So many people seem to think that being a part of an orthodox community implies that everyone is the same. Anyone who read the pieces in this competition should certainly understand that we are in fact different people. And since the reactions to the various pieces have been so accepting, they should also see that we enjoy the fact that we all are different. We relish innovation and laud creativity.
ReplyDeleteThe diversity of the pieces is why I'm not voting. I agree, how can I compare a short story with poetry, an essay with a journal entry. I've enjoyed them all. Especially the ones that made me think harder or that stirred up uncomfortable feelings that need to be dealt with. Thank you ALL for your contributions. I would give a prize to all of you if I could.
ReplyDeleteI voted purely on aesthetic grounds, precisely because of the diversity. That is, the four pieces that struck me as the most beautiful examples of what they were got my vote. Being a formalist is occasionally a blessing.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the selections in this year's contest, but I found myself wondering what the contest would be like if the poetry and the other pieces were separate.
ReplyDeletePoetry is, by its very nature, generally "flash" fiction (okay, except for the epics, etc.). It is a form that already involves condensation sort of as part of its heart. Other forms of creative writing I think require a different approach if you're going to write it as flash.
So I guess what I wonder if how the competition would be different if the poetry were wholly separate. I realize K above made a similar suggestion, but I think actually just a division of poetry from all else would be interesting.
I have to confess at this point, much as I tried to avoid it, that part of the reason I would love to see something like this is because I just don't love poetry the way I love other forms of fiction (although I've enjoyed the poetry here far, far more than usual--and will definitely be voting for some of it). I'm just a cretin that way. So maybe it's just that I'd love to see *more* of the other forms.
Oops! And now I see that almost everyone commented on the whole "form" thing. Oh well, that's what I get for not refreshing my page before I comment.
DeleteI will say, though, that I don't think the differences in form are a detraction from the awesomeness of the competition. It's not comparing apples and oranges; it's comparing one apple, one orange, one kiwi, one banana, etc. You vote based on which you like best. Or at least that's the way I'm voting. Although I did notice there were no pineapples in the competition...
ReplyDelete(And now I'll stop adding comments to this post. For now, anyway.)
The risk in separating genres for different competitions is that it doesn't leave as much room for the exploratory or the experimental, the in between or less common genres that may express something that needs to be said.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point. There's something to be said for not having too much specialization/defining of categories. I think that's why I'd vote for "poetry" and "everything else" (to include all experimental and such).
DeleteI agree with Jeanna--I don't think the variety hampered my voting. I voted based on what landed with me, whatever genre it happened to be in. I like how diverse the finalists were. It made for more interesting reading. I quite enjoyed reading the pieces, though I found that I would forget to check in on the next piece until something came up on Facebook (hazard of a busy life?). I think I would have quite liked to sit in a room and discuss these pieces with you all. I imagine it would have been a lively and interesting discussion. Somehow that didn't quite translate online, although I thought the comments made on each piece were interesting to read and added to the overall experience.
ReplyDelete