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Announcing the Winners of the University of Iowa 100-Word Microstory Contest

Thank you to the 249 UI alumni and friends who submitted microstories during July’s contest.

We asked participants to create a story of 100 words or less based on one of two selected paintings from the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art.

Prompt A.

Odili Donald Odita's Surrounding

Odita, Odili Donald. Surrounding. 2022, University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art.

Prompt B.

Grant Wood's Plaid Sweater

Wood, Grant. Plaid Sweater. 1931, University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art.

Our judges have worked diligently these past few weeks to read submissions that poured in from 29 states and as far away as Sri Lanka, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.

Without further ado, here are the winning microstories. Winners in each of the four grade school categories will receive an Iowa scribe pack that includes a writing journal, canvas bag, and $25 Bookshop.org gift card. The winner of the adult category will receive a handcrafted wooden pen made from a tree that was located on the University of Iowa campus and a $25 Bookshop.org gift card. In addition, the top entry in each age category will be posted on the Write Now website.

UI 100-Word Microstory Contest Winning Stories and Honorable Mentions

Grades 3 & 4

Emma Y., Iowa, Prompt A, “Ribbons”

Grades 5 & 6

Kendal A., Illinois, Prompt A, “Colors”

Grades 7 & 8

Keira S., Iowa, Prompt B, “Red Plaid Sweater”

Grades 9 – 12

Elizabeth N., Iowa, Prompt B, “Relative Appreciation”

Adult

Luke Harvey (20BA), Iowa, Prompt B, “The Desktop Photo”

Thank you to all who participated! We hope you will consider taking part in the next Write Now contest, Hawkeye Haiku, in November 2022. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy reading these stories from your fellow Hawkeyes as much as we did! You can also read stories from our past winners.

Read our Honorable Mention entries.

See yourself at the Stanley

Come explore the beautiful new home of the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art—a campus and community hub of global visual culture. The building opens on Friday, Aug. 26, 2022. It’s always free and open to all.

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