Winners of Ekphrastic Two!!

It is done! The second ekphrastic challenge has concluded, and with 9 of the 14 photos being written for! And WOW. This batch of stories and poems is incredible. Seriously, I thought I was maxed out on being impressed, but you just had to go and prove me wrong. Of course with such gorgeous photographs, I shouldn’t be surprised, should I?

I must thank everyone who participated, especially those who saw this challenge through to the end; you are all so talented, in so many ways, photography included. It was a true joy to read all of your creations. I seriously want to tip all of you top prize, but as I try for as much consistency and objective measures as possible, I cannot. And also…where would be the challenge in that? It’s a challenge for not only you, but for me too! To acknowledge my rubric and announce the winner.

Now, it has taken me about three days to begin and complete this process, and that includes reading, judging, commenting, and writing this article. So believe me when I say, if I come back to this in six months for inspiration and find a typo, I might just have to go outside and scream at the sun. What did the sun do to me? I don’t know, but it would be dramatic.

Without further ado!

The 2 Runners Up—$5 | Judey Kalchik and D.K. Shepard

Judey Kalchik with “New Song Training”

D.K. Shepard with “Clean Start”

It was not my intention to put two poems as runner-up; this was simply how the rubric fell. But my, oh my were they close to coming first! I cannot articulate how much I love these poems, as different as they are. Judey’s makes you want to read it out loud so the beauty can fill the room faster. It’s musical, like the photo she got (courtesy of Christy Munson), full of emotion, and simply impossible to not read over and over.

D.K. Shepard’s, on the other hand, is a full-blown story, taking us into Paul Stewart’s hauntingly mysterious photograph. We follow a brother and sister through a forest, and see their lives take a vital turn. The children are etched into my brain, their plight written on my heart. And the fact that it rhymes and has a structured meter? Ugh, it’s so good.

Congratulations, you two!

Second Place—$15 | Kenny Penn with “Take Me with You”

Kenny’s story has a rich and unique character voice. Haunting, yet real. A soldier, torn away from his lover, who we follow as he remembers his life. I won’t say much more, but I urge you to read this heart-rending tale. When you do, come back and tell me how good that ending is! Or rather, tell Kenny. It’s a spectacular use of imagery and even philosophy, just a touch. One of the most beautiful scenes like it that I’ve seen. Just, incredible.

Congrats, Kenny!!

First Place—$25 | Alexander McEvoy with “Silence”

Apart from its tone, which completely sucks you in, “Silence” is a masterclass in ekphrasis itself. This story is literally the photograph. It’s in the photograph. The MC is a photographer. The emptiness of the street is a depiction of the crisis he’s experiencing. In short, the line between story and photo is so blurred that you cannot have one without the other. To me, this story is as close to perfect as you can get for this challenge. I geared my rubric to reward those stories that completely got ekphrasis, and Alex’s piece does it down to the last ‘s.’

More than that, I was moved. I felt the emotion heavy on my chest. I felt the MC’s loneliness and despair, confusion and resignation. I related to this person in a way I wasn’t expecting. There is something about the main character and this story that supersedes mere words; it is an experience, and I cannot do it justice here. Go, now, and read it.

Many congratulations, Alex!

Final Notes

I wish everyone could have won. The gaps between stories were so minimal, I felt so torn to even rank them in the order they scored. I sincerely loved every minute I spent reading your work and I feel so humbled to have witnessed and partaken in such beautiful words from all of you. Thank you.

I will be running this again in the fall, probably around the end of September or early October. I think I’ll be adjusting some elements to make it more accessible; I get the sense that participation dwindled in part to this, and in part to some of the rules. As I’ve said before, I’m continuously learning how to streamline this challenge and it seems I’m not quite there yet!

If you were one of the Creators who submitted a photo but didn’t get a chance to write, I’d still love to read your story! Drop it in the comments of any of the ekphrastic two articles and I’ll read it as soon as possible.

I will be adding the five photos that didn’t get a story or poem to the Tag! folder. I’ll be updating everyone on it by the end of this weekend. If you want to add to it, anyone can! Submit here. Just keep the photo artistic and make sure it’s taken by you—no AI. If you can’t add to it I’ve probably closed it for submissions. At this point, though, it’s still open. I’m still drafting the rules!

*Prizes will be sent as tips as soon as possible.*

**Thank you to all who included a song in their story! I did not get enough for a playlist but I'm hoping to use them for something soon! Stay tuned!*

Cheers, everyone, and congratulations to all the winners!

The Full List of Entries

Please do yourself a favor and go read all 9 entries.

In Andrei’s, we see a fun exploration into human history and its meaning, in full Andrei-style, which is to say, full of sound and word play yet with a weight of poetic satire. In Donna’s, we witness a coven’s big mistake. If you’re into horror and the mystical, this story is for you! Gerard presents us with an almost scholarly, yet mostly philosophical insight into human nature through rhyme and verse. It’s fascinating, dense, and a really fun read. Lamar’s is one of my personal favorites. Again, we see themes of human nature and history. The narrative will have you making “Age of Adaline” comparisons, and at the same time visualizing Marvel-like action, all with a backdrop of “Contact.” Truly, a brilliant piece. And finally, Natalie’s story is brilliantly grounded in vibrant community and secrets, with a foundation of home and abandonment. It’s heartfelt, heartwarming, and heartbreaking.

All are a joy to read, all different and all compelling in their own right.

The List, in alphabetical order (first name):

Alex McEvoy, "Silence"

Andrei Z. "Just Another Tourist"

D.K. Shepard, "Clean Start"

Donna Fox, "The Witch is Back"

Gerard DiLeo, "Drink o' Gods"

Judey Kalchik, "New Song Training"

Kenny Penn, "Take Me With You"

Lamar Wiggins, "Reverence"

Natalie Wilkinson, "I First Saw Him"