Prism Review 2016 Poetry & Fiction Contest Winners

Prism Review announced the winners of its 2016 poetry and short story awards, as chosen by Victoria Chang (poetry) and Bryan Hurt (fiction).

Fiction: “Messiah Complex,” Michael Olin-Hitt [pictured]. Judge Bryan Hurt writes, “I was drawn into the story by Josh’s kinetic voice and hooked by his spirited and smart digressions. The author carefully and subtly adds so many layers: there’s sadness and loss but it’s met with optimism and empathy.

Poetry: “Slow Motion Landscape,” Sam Gilpin. Judge Victoria Chang writes, “here, grass is ‘guillotines,’ speech ‘wrens us in its folding,’ and sunsets ‘thrum.’ The language is fresh and new in this sequence poem, but even more interesting is the mind behind the poem–one that both thinks and sees abstractions and paradoxes that make the reader read and re-read, think and re-think, see and see again.”

The winners’ works will be included in the 2016 issue, available in June at the Prism Review website.