Senior Savannah Mosley Has Writings Published
By LUKE McFARLAND
JCHS English Teacher
Ernest Hemingway said something like the following: “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.”
Though the typewriter thing has changed, anyone setting out to tell a story or capture a moment understands that writing is insane and that it never leads you to where you want to go. To do so well is to make a commitment.
So many times I try to relate that to my students, but they don’t understand yet—they can’t possibly understand something I’m still struggling with at 50, and I’m someone who has written for about 30 years.
I get the feeling that Jasper County High School (JCHS) senior Savannah Mosley understands, at least to a degree.
Savannah recently sent writing off to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Competition, which is a national competition sponsored by Scholastic and Savannah College of Art and Design. I am familiar with Savannah’s writing and understand she has talent. I also understand how hard it is to get published, as I have one short little poem published for all my efforts.
I told Savannah that it’s good to submit and enter contests, as this provides a dose of reality. Even good writers languish waiting for someone to read their writing and like it. Just to pick a fairly recent one, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett was rejected 60 times before finally being published.
The other day a letter came saying that Savannah Mosley is being recognized in this national contest for her writing. Then I looked a little closer and got really, really jealous.
In this national contest, Savannah was recognized not for one but for four separate writings in the categories of poetry, flash fiction, science fiction and fantasy, and critical essay. Four!
The one poem I did get published—the reward for that was the fact that I got the poem published. I received a few copies of the book to show off to those who cared.
I’d like to say that I got rewarded because Savannah wrote some good stuff. There were over 250,000 submissions nationwide, and Savannah was one of the 2,200 recognized. For that I get to apply for a stipend and a virtual writers’ workshop with Kenyon Review this summer. For those who don’t know, Kenyon Review rocks.
What this writer and 17 year teacher of English just wrote is that a student of the same age as my time in this profession just got me more recognition with her writing than my own has ever gotten me.
Did I mention that Stephen King was a past winner of this award? Yeah.
I’d like to recognize the other two teachers who had a hand in this happening. She wrote half of these winners with Heather Suwinski and Adam Bradley teaching her. Those pictured with Miss Mosley include Mr. Bradley, Mr. McFarland, and Mrs. Suwinski.
On behalf of all of us vested in writing and you, thanks, Savannah! Oh yeah, and congratulations.
I’ve got some writing to do.
