2021 Denny C. Plattner Awards

We are proud to announce the winners of the annual Denny C. Plattner Awards, which were established in 1995 by Kenneth and Elissa Plattner to honor their late son and his love of writing. The awards are given to the finest pieces of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry that appeared in Appalachian Heritage during the previous year. Winners receive a $200 prize and a piece of handsome ceramics designed and manufactured by Berea College Crafts.

FICTION
Judged by Monic Ductan, author of the forthcoming Daughters of Muscadine: Stories
Winner: Laura Demers, “Clinch River Ashes”
Honorable Mention: Monica Brashears, “The Trouble With Snakes”

Ductan on Demers’s story: The story feels familiar, but it still manages to surprise me in the end. I especially like the small details—a man pumping gas while eating fried chicken, a convenience store selling old candy bars on dusty shelves. It all feels authentic and true to life in a small town.

CREATIVE NONFICTION
Judged by Patricia L. Hudson, author of Traces
Winner: Elaine Neil Orr, “Old Woman at My Window”
Honorable Mention: William Kelley Woolfitt, “A is For Ark Population”

Hudson on Orr’s essay: “Old Woman at My Window” is a lyrical, yet unflinching, look at the universal experience of aging and loss, balanced by glimpses of nature and a deep awareness of the continuity of life.

POETRY
Judged by Jayne Moore Waldrop, author of Drowned Town, Pandemic Lent: A Season in Poems, and Retracing My Steps
Winner: Matthew Hawk, “Drive-In Movie During a Pandemic”
Honorable Mentions: Laura Neal, “In Sickness” and Despy Boutris, “Moonless Pastoral”

Waldrop on Hawk’s poem: “Drive-In Movie During A Pandemic” preserves a moment in time by masterfully weaving past pleasures and known monsters with the fears and uncertainty of the early days of Covid-19. Bravo for capturing the emotional weight and divisions of the era, lest we forget.