BOONE, N.C. — The Appalachian State University Department of English has announced the recipients of Spring 2024 creative writing scholarships.
The creative writing contests are held annually and judged by a prominent writer from outside the university. Students are encouraged to submit writing samples to four contests: The John Foster West Endowed Creative Writing Prize, the Marian Coe Prize in Creative Writing, the Marjorie South Idol Prize for Fiction and Creative Prose, and the Marjorie South Idol Prize for Poetry. While it is not a creative writing competition, the Rogers and Janice Whitener Creative Writing Scholarship is also awarded at the end of the fall semester.
Read below to learn more about this year's recipients.
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John Foster West Endowed Creative Writing Prize
The John Foster West Endowed Creative Writing Prize is named for and sponsored by a well-known writer and former professor at Appalachian. The scholarship is open to currently enrolled students of all majors and years.
The recipient of the 2024 scholarship is Peter McKinney, junior creative writing major from Newland. McKinney's submission was titled "Dirt." "Dirt is a character driven, short fiction piece that explores the realistic interactions and feelings veterans face during prolonged wars overseas," explained McKinney.
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Marian Coe Scholarship in Creative Writing
The Marian Coe Scholarship in Creative Writing is named for a well-known local author. It is awarded to an English major of any year.
Isabella Thungren, senior creative writing major from Jamestown, received the 2024 Coe scholarship. Thungren's submission was a short story about a teenage girl who has to babysit her baby sibling, titled "Nuisances." "It's about growing up and the sense of losing a childhood that comes with helping to take care of a younger sibling," shared Thungren.
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Marjorie South Idol Prize for Fiction and Creative Prose
The Marjorie South Idol Prize for Fiction and Creative Prose recognizes achievement in fiction and creative prose genres, such as fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, playwriting, and screenplay, written by students majoring in English in any concentration.
The recipient of the 2024 scholarship is Isabel DuMond, junior creative writing major from Oak Ridge. DuMond's submission was a short story titled "What Is and What Should Never Be." "What Is and What Should Never Be takes place over a single day, following the perspective of a young girl named Della who must find some way to tell her beloved friend Billy that she is leaving their small beach town and moving back to Maine," explained DuMond.
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Marjorie South Idol Prize for Poetry
The Marjorie South Idol Prize for Poetry recognizes achievement in poetry written by students majoring in English in any concentration.
The recipient of the 2024 scholarship is Devin Tyler, junior literary studies major from Statesville. Tyler submitted a series of poems, titled "Untitled #3," "Fly," "The Man," and "Ribbed Mushrooms." "The poems that were included in my submission are mostly focused on devotion at the detriment of one’s self. All of the unnamed beings in these poems are tormented by their own obsession and are unwilling to change," shared Tyler.
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Rogers and Janice Whitener Creative Writing Scholarship
The Rogers and Janice Whitener Creative Writing Scholarship is named for Rogers and Janice Whitener, who were notable for their support of students and of the arts during their years at Appalachian. The scholarship is awarded to a student in the creative writing concentration. Applicants must address questions about their citizenship, including contributions to class climate and participation in program-related activities, and submit a list of creative writing concentration courses. Unlike the other creative writing scholarships, students are not required to submit writing samples to be eligible for the award.
Kayla Ramey received the 2024 Whitener scholarship. A faculty member in the Department of English wrote about Ramey: "I don't know of anyone in the Creative Writing program who doesn't know and love Kayla. Not only is she a remarkably gifted writer, she is generous, encouraging, and remarkably kind."
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Congratulations to the scholarship recipients! Beginning next year, these scholarships will move to the Appalachian Scholarship Application Portal (ASAP) at asap.appstate.edu. The application is open annually between December and February.
Interested in a creative prose or poetry scholarship but missed this deadline? The Department of English will accept submissions to the Truman Capote Literary Trust Scholarship for Creative Writing contest from April 3 through 11, 2024 via ASAP. The Capote scholarship is open to rising juniors or seniors majoring in English who have completed a sequence of creative writing courses. For more information about the Department of English's scholarships, visit english.appstate.edu/students/scholarships.
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About the Department of English
The Department of English at Appalachian State University is committed to outstanding work in the classroom, the support and mentorship of students, and a dynamic engagement with culture, history, language, theory and literature. The department offers master’s degrees in English and rhetoric and composition, as well as undergraduate degrees in literary studies, film studies, creative writing, professional writing and English education. Learn more at https://english.appstate.edu.
By Lauren Gibbs
January 12, 2024
BOONE, N.C.
Isabel DuMond (top left), Peter McKinney (top right), Isabella Thungren (bottom left), and Devin Tyler (bottom right) are the recipients of Spring 2024 creative writing scholarships.
Isabel DuMond (top left), Peter McKinney (top right), Isabella Thungren (bottom left), and Devin Tyler (bottom right) are the recipients of Spring 2024 creative writing scholarships.