Shawn Bailey takes third place in Irreantum Fiction Contest

The Association for Mormon Letters has announced the winners of the 2008 Irreantum Fiction Contest and the new Charlotte and Eugene England Personal Essay Contest. I’m pleased to note that AMV’s own Shawn P. Bailey was awarded third place in the fiction contest for his short story “Outside.” I had the pleasure of reading a draft of “Outside.” It’s a very good story. It’s about a young Jack Mormon who meets a rich, conservative, younger LDS guy who is dying of cancer while working to landscape the grounds of the Bountiful temple before its open house and dedication. It involves an awkward family dinner and more notably a trip to Wendover on the “fun bus.”

Congratulations, Shawn. And with Irreantum seemingly back on schedule hopefully you all will be able to read “Outside” and the other award-winning stories somewhat soon.

The winners of the fiction contest:

First place (tie–$250): “The Path of Antelope, Pelican, and Moon,” by Larry Menlove of Payson, Utah.
First place (tie–$250): “The Treading of Lesser Cattle,” by Darin Cozzens of Dobson, North Carolina
Third place ($100): “Outside,” by Shawn P. Bailey of Logan, Utah
Honorable mention: “Cheddar,” by Joshua Foster of Tuscon, Arizona.

The winners of the essay contest:

First Place: ($200) “Psalm of a Heretic,” by Darren M. Edwards of Logan, UT
Second Place: ($150) “Long in the Tooth,” by Joshua Foster of Tuscon, AZ
Third Place: ($100) “Confessions of a Secular Mormon,” by Ryan McIlvain of Florham Park, NJ.