The Literary Stage 2018

The Literary Stage is an eight-day celebration of writing, especially local authors. It is held every June at the San Mateo County Fair. The Literary Stage offers writers from around the world an opportunity to enter literary contests and win cash prizes, AS WELL AS free writing workshops and author presentations throughout the run of the fair.

THE 2018 LITERARY STAGE WINNING WRITINGS FROM OUR MEMBERS!

OUR NEW BRANCH VIDEO PROMO

TWO SUNDAYS IN JUNE (Click on the thumbnails to play) The following videos were shot on Sunday, June 10, and on Sunday, June 16. Poetess Kalamu Chaché organized Poets Speak on Sunday, June 16.

2018 SAN MATEO COUNTY FAIR

LITERARY CONTEST WINNERS

2018 LITERARY EXHIBITOR OF THE YEAR

Megan McDonald

Div. 325-03 Persuasive Essay, Senior Exhibitor 

2^nd Place: Shameful Ageism, Evie Groch

3^rd Place: Twilight the National Anthem, Stanley Gedzelman

HM: Segregated Communities, Mary Heneghan

Div. 325-05 Literary Essay, Adult Exhibitor

2^nd Place: African American Folklore, Magical Realism and Horror in Toni Morrison Novels, Sumiko Saulson

Div. 325-06 Literary Essay, Senior Exhibitor 

1^st Place: Turning, Vivian Pisano

2^nd Place: We Used to Call Them Morons, Jane Goold-Caulfield

3^rd Place: Elderlore, Carolyn Curtis

HM: Baseball: Treatment of Choice, Adrianne Aron

ESSAY BEST OF SHOW

Turning, Vivian Pisano

Div. 326-01 Personal Memoir, Young Adult Exhibitor

2^nd Place: Writing My Own Path, Brooke Muschott

Div. 326-02 Personal Memoir, Adult Exhibitor

1^st Place: Tote Baggage, Megan McDonald

2^nd Place: My Life as Urban Writer, Sumiko Saulson

HM: Watching Venus Die, Mary Ruth Coffey

Div. 326-03 Personal Memoir, Senior Exhibitor

1^st Place: The Windfall, James Alex Veech

2^nd Place: Getting Over Myself, Sue Barizon

3^rd Place: Up a Tree in Kalamazoo, Mary Heneghan

HM: Frayed Brown Twine, Robert Dubrow

HM: Life Lessons at the Grocery, Michelle Carter

HM: The Best of Times, Margaret Davis

HM: A Long Dark Staircase Down, David Hirzel

HM: Turtle Liberation, Penelope Anne Cole

HM: A Special Spring, Germany 1945, Rosina Weiskopf

Div. 326-05 Lifestyle Memoir, Adult Exhibitor

2^nd Place: Trust the Driver, Connie Habash

Div. 326-06 Lifestyle Memoir, Senior Exhibitor

1^st Place: Technicolor Teachings, Sue Barizon

2^nd Place: In That Leningrad Wood, Michelle Carter

3^rd Place: Lost in a Wilderness of Certainty, Elizabeth Hutchins

HM: A Service Memoir, Martin Celusnak

MEMOIR BEST OF SHOW

Technicolor Teachings, Sue Barizon

Div. 327-01 Best Blog

2^nd Place: What Colour is Your Empty Nest, Korie Pelka

3^rd Place: Noelani’s Bar & Grill, Eva Barrows

HM: Getting to the Top of Nob Hill, Eva Barrows

Div. 329-01 Recorded Lyric Songwriting Contest: American/Folk/County

2^nd Place: Tears, Jim Duncan

3^rd Place: Torn Curtains, Thomas Burks

HM: Are You the One, Jim Duncan

Div. 329-03 Recorded Lyric Songwriting Contest: Singer/Songwriter/Indie

1^st Place: Valley Duty, Annette Kauffman

2^nd Place: Sweetest Compassion, Sumiko Saulson 

Div. 330 In the Spirit of Novelmania: My Ticket to Crazy Town First Person Narrative

1^st Place: Magic Everywhere, Karen Sundback

2^nd Place: Compliance, Megan McDonald

Div. 331 Spies with Benefits Thriller/Espionage/Adventure Novel Opening Chapter

1^st Place: Flashover, Ron Vergona

2^nd Place: Amber Waves of Grain, Ron Vergona

3^rd Place: Her First Rodeo, Evie Groch

Div. 332 Publisher’s Choice Novel

1^st Place: Flying Blind, Luanne Oleas

2^nd Place: Caffeine Rules Chapter One, Shanda Bahles

3^rd Place: Alice and Gabriel in Humanland, Eric Skowron

Div. 333 “Heroes Arise” Heroic Deed

1^st Place: The Lumiad, Joann McEntire

2^nd Place: Caffeine Rules Chapter One, Shanda Bahles

3^rd Place: Earth Song, Carolyn Donnell

Div. 334 Flash Fiction

1^st Place: The Secret, Louise Moises 

Div. 335-01 Short Story, General Fiction Young Adult

HM: The Boy Wonder, Kevin M. Sugar

Div. 335-02 Short Story, General Fiction, Adult

1^st Place: The Walk, Stacy Sorrells

Div. 335-03 Short Story, General Fiction, Senior

1^st Place: The Road Ahead, Lisa Johnson

2^nd Place: Between Corduroy and Tourmaline, Luanne Oleas

3^rd Place: The Cave, Lisa Johnson

HM: The Kindness of Strangers, Sue Barizon

HM: The Babysitter, Louise Moises

HM: Miss Vivi, Joyce Cortez

Div. 335-05 Short Story, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Adult

3^rd Place: The Ride of Herne and Hespeth, Sumiko Saulson

Div. 335-06 Short Story, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Senior

1^st Place: Elevated Conversations, Doug Baird

2^nd Place: Life, Thomas Kirkpatrick

Div. 335-08 Short Story, Mystery/Thriller, Senior

1^st Place: The Blue Guitar Mystery, Lisa Johnson

2^nd Place: The Cut, Lisa Johnson

Div. 335-11 Short Story, Western, Senior

1^st Place: Swiftness of Days, Louise Lenahan Wallace

2^nd Place: Smirna Pentecostal Church, Maria Barr

Div. 335-14 Short Story, Humorous, Senior

1^st Place: Real Women Hunt Moose, Richard McCallum

2^nd Place: The Don’s Revenge, Thomas Kirkpatrick

Div. 335-15 Short Story, Mystery/Thriller, Adult

1^st Place: Bombs Away, Mariah Klein

2^nd Place: One Day at the Cabin, Kimberly Schultz

SHORT STORY BEST OF SHOW

The Road Ahead, Lisa Johnson

Div. 336-01 California Writers Club

1^st Place: Between Corduroy and Tourmaline, Luanne Oleas

2^nd Place: Flash of Blue, Karen Sundback

3^rd Place: The Kindness of Strangers, Sue Barizon 

HM: Roamer’s World, Penelope Anne Cole

Div. 337-01 Poetry, Free Form Poem, Young Adult

1^st Place: It Comes from Within, Amanda McNamara

2^nd Place: Coup d’e’tat, Heather Theroff

3^rd Place: Fire in California, Heather Theroff

Div. 337-02 Poetry, Free Form Poem, Adult

1^st Place: The Choice, Diana Lang

2^nd Place: Rutting Season, Megan McDonald

3^rd Place: Mummy, Joann McEntire

Div. 337-03 Poetry, Free Form Poem, Senior

1^st Place: Stems, Evie Groch

2^nd Place: Covenant, Annette Kauffman

3^rd Place: My Tsunami, Evie Groch

HM: Applesauce Cake, Annette Kauffman

HM: Waiting for Midnight, Ellaraine Lockie

HM: Beauty Miscomprehended, William Baldwin

HM: From the Estate of Mrs. Banks, Kenneth Owen

Div. 337-04 Poetry, Structured Poem, Young Adult

2^nd Place: Masterpiece, Heather Theroff

Div. 337-05 Poetry, Structured Poem, Adult

2^nd Place: My Grandmother vs. The Other Woman, Shannon Anderegg

Div. 337-06 Poetry, Structured Poem, Senior

1^st Place: Duality, Stanley Gedzelman

HM: The Enlightened Skeptic: A Haiku, William Baldwin

POETRY BEST OF SHOW

Duality, Stanley Gedzelman

Div. 338-01 “What Remains Unsaid” Speaking Out

HM: Dear Juan, Jennifer Tressler

HM: Cemetery of Lies, Robert Barrows

HM: Making Your Mark, Sue Barizon

Div. 339-01 Sustainability: What Does It Mean to You?

No Award

Div. 340-01 The Immigrant Experience: Short Story, Essay, Or Monologue

1^st Place: To the California Sun, Sandra Barocio

HM: The Right to Dry Pants, Adrianne Aron

Div. 341-01 Stories for Children

1^st Place: Allyson in the Islands, Megan McDonald

2^nd Place: Project Blueprint, Stacy Cooper Dent

3^rd Place: The Umbrella, Louise Moises

2018 San Mateo County Fair Literary Stage Schedule

2017 LIterary Stage