Picking the winner of the Writer's Digest Poetry Awards is always a delight, and this year was no exception. There were more than 800 entries in 2022 covering a range of forms, subjects, issues, and themes and a full spectrum of emotions. In the end, I selected Purvi Shah's "Helix of the gift, lineage song" for the first place prize of $1,000, publication in WD, and a 20-minute consultation with yours truly.
What spoke to me in the poem was the sense of connection and distance that many of us have felt since 2020-but also pairing that with the connection and distance of family migration, whether it's migration from one country and culture to another or even from one city to another. Then, add to that the sense of connection and distance between generations who love each other but see the world in different ways. For me, this poem does so much.
Here's a quick Q&A with poet Purvi Shah:
What inspired this poem?
In March 2014, I was in a generative Cave Canem Writing Across Cultures workshop led by the inimitable Eduardo C. Corral with a number of beloved writers, including Saretta Morgan, Paul Hlava Ceballos, Miguel Ángel Ángeles, Aziza Barnes, Mahogany L. Browne, Amanda Calderon, Sarah Key, Benjamin Krusling, Ansley Moon, Timothy Ree, and Jenny Xie. "Helix of the gift, lineage song" emerged nearly 10 years ago from my actual experience FaceTiming with my father and Ba.
This story is from the July - August 2023 edition of Writer’s Digest.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July - August 2023 edition of Writer’s Digest.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Writing for a Warming World - Imagining the overwhelming, the ubiquitous, the world-shattering.
Climate change is one of those topics that can throw novelists—and everyone else—into a fearful and cowering silence. When the earth is losing its familiar shapes and consolations, changing drastically and in unpredictable ways beneath our feet, how can we summon our creative resources to engage in the imaginative world-building required to write a novel that takes on these threats in compelling ways? And how to avoid writing fiction that addresses irreversible climate change without letting our prose get too preachy, overly prescriptive, saturated with despair?
Kids' Author Meg Medina Inspires Readers
WD chats with the National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature.
The Horrors of Grief
Whether hot off the presses or on the shelves for years, a good book is worth talking about.
The Mystery of Growing Up
New York Times-bestselling author Jasmine Warga tackles a new genre with her signature blend of empathy for her readers, agency for her characters, and the belief that art is the great connector.
Education
Even if it's not your thing, you're probably familiar with the term dark academia.
A Do-Over Romance
Karin Patton, the first-place winner of the 24th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Awards, shares a funny story about secondchance love and a brief Q&A.
Everyday Wonder
How to mine awe from the mundane
From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Unveil the hidden beauty in the facts and transform your nonfiction with the power of wonder.
Childhood: Our Touchstone for Wonder
How to get in touch with Little You and create big new work for today.
Agent Roundup
22 agents share details, about what kind of writing will pique their interest and offer tips for querying writers...
