Inkstone, the literary magazine of the English department at the University of Northwestern–St. Paul, allows students to submit short stories, poems and/or art for potential publication. The magazine also has a competition in which all submitted pieces are entered to win a prize and a chance to speak at the Fine Printevent.
This event occurred April 20, 2021, in the Nazareth Hall Great Room at UNW. The 14 speakers could bring two guests each, and a few English department faculty members joined as well. Those who were not able to attend in person had the opportunity to join over Zoom.
Both the winners from 2020 and 2021, as well as two guest judges, showcased their pieces.
The 2021 winners for poetry were Micah Vander Stouwe, Addalai Nowlin and Decha Larson. The 2021 winners for prose were Cindy Youngdahl, Jordan Jantz and Faith Rooney.
The guest judges shared pieces from their personal collections as well as words about writing and judging for the competition. Both judges are graduates of UNW and work in publishing and/or teaching.
The event was full of compelling words shared by UNW students and graduates. Many pieces were vulnerable. A few of the writers became emotional while reading their pieces because the content was so personal.
All the showcased writers were women, and womanhood was the topic of a large number of pieces shared. Other topics included mental illness, grief, sorrow and laments.
