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Kelly Jo Feinberg Memorial Essay Contest

Title: Kelly Jo Feinberg Memorial Essay Contest
Contact: Cheyenne Hohman
Page Content:
In May 2010, UK lost one of its most dedicated and inspiring writing instructors, Kelly Feinberg, to breast cancer. The Division of Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Media would like to honor her memory with the Kelly Jo Feinberg Memorial Essay Contest.

For more details, see the event flier, or see specifications below.

The contest is open to all University of Kentucky Undergraduates, and asks for personal essays exemplifying the qualities that Kelly embodied as a writer:

•   Voice. Speak with a compelling, authentic voice. Put yourself on the page.        
 
•   Compassion. Demonstrate passion for your issue, yes, but also compassion for those involved.  Speaking up also requires listening.       

•   Impact. Move your readers—to laughter, to outrage, to sympathy, to revelation. Anything goes, so long as something meaningful is at stake.

•   Humor / Humility / Honesty. Endear yourself to your reader. Balance a lightness of approach with a seriousness of purpose. Engender trust. 

The subject matter of these essays matters less than the substance of the ideas therein. Writers can highlight an injustice, issue a call to action, find big meaning in small things, reflect on a personal struggle, etc. The voice-driven personal narratives of the This I Believe series and the Moth Radio Hour provide some good examples.

Submissions may come in the following formats:

•   Creative non-fiction.  

•   Personal essays.  

•   Multi-media projects that incorporate some writing element are permitted (including photography, artwork, artifacts, electronic media, etc.)   

One submission per student. Include contact info in upper left corner of document (name, email, phone). Submit by Monday, April 11th, in PDF format to Feinberg.Essay.Contest@gmail.com. 10 page maximum, double-spaced; no length minimum.

$100 to top entry recognition at English Department's Awards Day.




INSTRUCTORS: 

Interested in judging the contest? Email Leah.Bayens@uky.edu.
Interested in contributing to the award fund?

Send tax-deductible donations via check (made out to UK, memo: Feinberg Memorial Essay Contest) to:
            University of Kentucky
            College of Arts & Sciences
            Office of Advancement
            231 Patterson Office Tower
            Lexington, KY 40506-0027
 
UK faculty & staff can contribute via payroll deduction; call 859-257-8354.
Article Date: 3/22/2011