Peter K. Hixson Award Winner Reviews and Testimonials
CONTEST IS CLOSED
December 31, 2023
I am thrilled that I have won the short story division of the Peter Hixson Memorial Contest and beyond gratified that my work was recognized this way.
There were so many reasons for me to submit to this contest—not the least of which that I felt personally touched by your decision to recognize early career and emerging writers. Peter Hixson would, in my opinion, truly be honored by this award. In fact, even as I read the email officially, I am reminded that no matter what publication credits the future holds, I was recognized today. Peter’s literary resume was not what drew me to this contest—rather, I felt through even the short biography, Peter’s passion for writing. I can only imagine what it was like to have him in your life, a writer dedicated to improving himself and his craft. I am proud to be a part of this annual tradition, and I feel that, above my writing, Peter himself played a role in this selection.
I am a big believer in self-improvement and continuous education. I have been an advocate for services such as the public library and their funded educational workshops. With this contest, my dedication to improving my writing and growing in literature beyond the quantifiable gratification of writing for academics has been recognized. I can’t thank you enough for doing this—for motivating me to keep producing and for this wonderful career opportunity.
I can assure you that, as I stand on the precipice of a career-defining six months, I won’t waste any of the resources this opportunity has brought me. Hopefully one day, should my work end up in your hands, you will know that your contribution is forever appreciated.
I’m proud to be this year’s short story recipient. Thank you, again, and thank you, Peter, for doing what you loved and inspiring those around you to foster the same spirit.
William Swift
December 12, 2023
Warm greetings from the Shenandoah Valley! It’s the time of day when the sun is so low below the horizon that I cannot see its sparkling rays. But, I can see the mountains, impacted by the last of the shining light. The ridges are more radiant—the color of new wool, dyed soft purple. Shadows make them more dramatic and regal. Against the robin’s egg blue-hued sky, the scene, spotted with verdant pine trees and cedars, is inspiring. This description captures how receiving the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award in poetry feels for me.
And yet, thank you is not an adequate response for winning this award. You are sharing the heartbeat of a life with me. I know how creative writing—and especially poetry—is for a person. It wakes you in the night and slips into your day like breathing. Writing poetry is more than a hobby—it’s a way of living. I’ve been crafting poems and stories since I was in elementary school and had the honor of receiving my first published poem in an anthology when I was seventeen. This award is a great affirmation of my work. Thank you for encouraging me!
I’m deeply honored with the support this memorial award will give me through Writer’s Relief; and I look forward to faithfully working on submissions that Peter and you all would be proud to see published in the world—hopefully connecting with and inspiring the life journeys of others, too.
Sarah E N Kohrs
December 12, 2023
When a poet friend first told me about her success using Writer’s Relief, I was surprised to learn that such a service existed. And now, I am astonished and grateful to be awarded honorable mention for the 2023 Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award for Creative Writers.
Thanks to your generous support in keeping Peter Hixon’s legacy alive, I look forward to receiving guidance from Writer’s Relief experts as I submit my poems to literary journals. Without such guidance, the submission process can feel like a dauntingly difficult game of chance.
This opportunity to work with the Writer’s Relief team fills me with excitement and hope! Thank you!
Amanda Russell
March 1, 2023
The Hixson honor will always be very special to me. This was a great introduction to the world of submissions!
Rae Phillips
August 31, 2022
I was awarded the Honorable Mention and am delighted and honored. It has given me such a boost in energy, hope, and confidence in my own writing.
Peter sounds like an absolute honorable kind of man that I admire. His work background in speech therapy especially captured my attention. My son, George, was diagnosed at 3 1/2 with Apraxia. He had only a few words but I mostly could understand the sound effects he made in order to communicate. It was a very long road—so many tears, worries, and a speech pathologist through the state and the student-led speech therapy at Portland State University that we paid to have him attend. I feel very fortunate for all of the professionals and help we received along the way. It was people like Peter we thank that George has entered 6th grade and has now graduated from his IEP. He is considered a Talented and Gifted student.
I lead online writing salons solely for what I have seen others gain from writing in a safe place while getting positive feedback. It heals us all when any of us create something with pieces of ourselves woven into it, offer it to a community, and receive acceptance and positive feedback. People like Peter, who give of themselves to benefit others, do so much good in this world. I hope there will be more like him who continue to circle into yours.
Thank you for this gift you offer to Peter’s writing community. It means so much in my heart and for my hope in the future of my writing and others’.
Rebecca Smolen
August 31, 2022
My writing career began the summer after third grade. It wasn’t by choice. When Miss Roy, my third -grade teacher, expressed “serious concerns” about my sloppy penmanship, my mother took matters into her own hands. Convinced I needed to spend my summer writing, my mom gave me writing prompts. One of my stories involved a glum baby elephant, a shot to make him feel better, and a hyena that found the entire process hilarious. I believe the hyena ended up getting a shot, too. (Next time he won’t laugh so hard.) While I don’t remember the topic assigned or the details of the story itself, I do remember my mother laughing at what I had put on the page.
This was the day I became a writer. I made my mom happy; I wanted to do that again. This was also the day I realized I could craft stories from what was rolling around in my mind and impact other through my words. The pen is mightier than the sword and it became my weapon of choice. I’ve been working to wield it wisely ever since.
It’s been many years since the summer between third and fourth grade. I now have excellent penmanship—and computers came into existence—so maybe I didn’t need to work so hard to improve my penmanship after all. But while so much has changed since third grade, my love for telling stories has stayed consistent. It’s just taken me until mid-life to commit to do something about it.
In January, I set a goal to get a story published by the end of 2022. While this hasn’t happened yet… and may not happen this year, but I do feel like I’m very close to achieving my goal. I’ve been consistently writing short stories and honing my craft. I’m driven and focused and hopeful. And I applied for the Peter K. Hixson award with the hope that Writer’s Relief might be able to assist me in realizing my goal. It seemed like a long shot, honestly.
I’m humbled and thrilled to learn I’m a recipient of the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award for short fiction. I want to personally thank you for continuing this scholarship opportunity. As a single mom and an employee with the city and county of Denver, money is tight most months. This award is a wonderful gift. Working with Writer’s Relief be a learning opportunity on the query and publishing process, and this award will provide me a real chance at realizing my publication goal.
Thank you so very much for your commitment to Writer’s Relief. I appreciate your generosity and am working hard to live up to the legacy that Peter K. Hixson left behind.
Sincerely,
Brooke Dilling
August 31, 2022
Receiving the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award for Creative Writers represents a monumental achievement for my career as a developing writer. I figuratively and literally can pause, exhale, and smile knowing that I will have assistance from Writer’s Relief for the next stage of my journey as I seek publication. I don’t think of myself as faint-hearted, but (honestly) I was dreading entering the submissions process on my own. Thanks to your continued support of the Hixson Award, I will not be alone. I will have a team assisting me. I appreciate this wonderful gift and will work to be worthy of this honor.
Rae Phillips
August 31, 2022
I am grateful to have been awarded the Peter K. Hixson Award for assistance with continuing my career as a poet. As a young trans poet, opportunities like this allow for me to strengthen the reach of my work, and hopefully inspire others within the queer community. I always strive to share my experiences, my identities, and my words with anyone willing to listen. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to do so.
E Kerr
August 31, 2022
Recently, a story I wrote was awarded honorable mention in the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award contest and I wanted to reach out and thank you for your incredible support through Writer’s Relief! This is truly a game changer for my career, and all thanks to your deep generosity—I look forward to working with the Writer’s Relief team on connecting with literary agents and/or publishers.
Wishing you wonderful last days of summer,
Hardy Griffin
April 13, 2022
I am very grateful to have won the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award and to have worked with such a professional and friendly staff. Great care was taken with the preparation and editing of my manuscripts, and it has been wonderful to have such an inspiring experience. The staff attitude is heartening—every rejection is just one step closer to acceptance. I couldn’t agree more.
Thank you,
Melissa Knox
June 15, 2021
I write because I want to share my thoughts and stories. I want to be read! But the publishing side of the process has always intimidated me. Researching journals that are a good fit takes a lot of time, time that I could spend writing. Writer’s Relief has taken that load off my plate. Their editing and marketing expertise is invaluable. In the short time I’ve been working with them, they have placed six of my poems in literary journals. I could have never done it without them! I highly recommend the services offered by Writer’s Relief.
Shirley H
May 21, 2021
I am deeply grateful for your generosity, especially for Peter thinking of his fellow writers. With this award, I have had the opportunity to send my work to far more publications than I ever could on my own. The work that Writer’s Relief has put in during the last six months has moved my career forward by at least a couple of years! This award was truly one of the few bright spots in an otherwise very bleak year. And I was very happy that The Seattle Star picked my poem, “The Madonna”, to publish a few weeks ago. And even happier that they mentioned the Peter K Hixson Memorial Award in my bio.
With my deepest gratitude,
Ricardo Moran
September 22, 2020
To: The family of Peter K. Hixson,
I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my deep appreciation of your generous donations that keep The Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award available to writers through Writer’s Relief, Inc.
Just last week I was informed that I am one of the recipients of this year’s award in the category of poetry. I wanted to make sure you know how important this opportunity is to writers such as myself.
While I am excited and eager to work with Writer’s Relief, I am also aware that this might not have been possible without your continued support. What a wonderful and meaningful way to honor Peter’s memory.
Again, thank you so much.
Shirley Hilton
September 16, 2020
It was an honor to be chosen as an Honorable Mention in the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award. I have lived on a small family farm in Black Oak, AR for all 51 years of my life. The time spent in the fields working or and in a local factory after farm life, my mind was always creating situations or ideas for stories.
At my children’s request around 3 years ago I stepped out of my comfort zone and began sending some of my work out. I have shared stories on a regular basis now with friends and family and have a small following in NE Arkansas only. This will give me the avenue to reach a wider audience of readers than I ever could on my own. I cannot express the gratitude for the opportunity to be listed in this memorial.
I would like the family to know that from the heart of an unknown writer living in the middle of three points of nowhere, this means the world. It helps validate my dreams.
Thank you so much!
Mark Poe
September 16, 2020
I was so excited to hear that I was chosen as the recipient for this year’s Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award in the poetry category. I want to thank you for your generosity and thoughtfulness as I continue my writing career.
Since I was a child I wanted to be a writer. I grew up in Imperial County, California, the oldest of three boys. My parents immigrated from Mexico. My dad fixed cars at Texaco gas station and my mom stocked shelves at Wal-Mart. Growing up, I didn’t know that I could be a writer. Everyone I knew worked as a farm laborer; at a store; or in an office. I thought of my teachers as having super powers because they knew so many words. I often wondered how they could know so much. But I am most thankful to my mom, who taught herself English by reading bedtime stories to me. I didn’t know English, either. And so together we learned how to navigate this new world. And it is that love for words that I have always carried with me because it has helped open doors to new experiences and opportunities.
Now at age 50, my poetry is inspired by the search for identity and honesty; the longing for place, to belong; and by those everyday moments, such as a hello or a goodbye, when you can feel the divine power of unconditional love.
With the awards’ financial support and the talented staff at Writers Relief, I will be able to introduce my writing to larger audiences. Currently, I am unemployed and assisting my parents due to my father’s battle with cancer. This award is a ray of hope in an otherwise very challenging year. It fuels me to keep going, to keep learning, and to continue being of service to others. And I feel that Peter’s spirit will be there reminding me that the love for words will help others as they seek their own truth, their own beauty, and their moments of unconditional love.
My biggest wish is that my words inspire people to live their lives in the fullest way possible. I hope it helps them take risks; to bring them up when they are feeling down. To remind them that they are beautiful. And to never settle in life. And if there are chains to be broken so that a person can move forward and be happy, I hope that my poetry in some way helps them along in their journey.
Thank you again for your kindness and generosity.
Ricardo Moran
September 16, 2020
Thank you for your generosity in offering The Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award for Creative Writers. I’m honored to be the recipient of this tenth annual legacy prize for short stories—a gift that will set me on a stronger path toward publishing, and also keep my spirits buoyed.
Peter’s direct and evocative stories Pas de Trois and Ordinary Hero both spill with tender sensitivity to human nature and our better angels. His poem No Trespass is stunning and profound. It speaks to me on deep levels from urgent to eternal. I’ve read it so many times it will be memorized soon and I will be happy to carry it in my heart.
Thornton Wilder ends his novel ‘The Bridge of San Luis Rey’ with the words: The love will have been enough; all those impulses of love return to the love that made them. I believe this is true.
My father passed away in 2003 so I haven’t been able to talk with him about the many world events since then—to share my feelings and listen to his wisdom. We are now all in the middle of difficult and fearful times when the words of our loved ones would be so welcome.
Wilder went on to say There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning. For Peter and all of us may this be a reality.
Once again, thank you. I’m honored to remember the man and writer Peter K. Hixson and to be awarded this part in his legacy of love, talent, and creativity.
Beri Balistreri
March 14, 2020
Dear Hixson Family:
I write to express gratitude for the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award. When I last wrote, I shared that the timing for the award was uplifting. I shared about the program, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), that has allowed me to live and work in the U.S., and I also shared that I had a timeline of 2020 with the program. The deadline has since passed. While no decision has been made by appeal courts, folks under TPS now have until January 2021 to have relief from deportation and hold employment.
I also shared that I had started my MFA in Poetry at the University of Maryland, College Park. This was a change; I’ve had to adjust to 4 hours of commuting in a day, sometimes 3-5 times a week. I also started teaching my first college-level class this spring, a class in poetry & short stories. And now, the public health crisis has currently forced my university to conduct classes online. This will be another big change.
Throughout these trying times, it has been so helpful to have a team at Writer’s Relief. It disheartens me that due to several factors, I can’t continue with Writer’s Relief, which kept me motivated to finalize poems. I also gained more confidence in my work. Throughout the past months, several literary magazines and journals accepted my work, in print and online. There were acceptances I welcomed and some I didn’t accept; in the past, I was not in a position to reject a literary magazine. I hope you visit my website at claudiapoet.com and view my “Poems” section. I have added poem listings, which thanks to Writer’s Relief, have been published recently or will be published soon.
I hope you understand my tremendous gratitude for the award. I don’t think Peter in his life could’ve imagined how many lives he has reached through this award. Thank you.
With gratitude,
Claudia Rojas
March 9, 2020
Dear Hixson Family,
The experience I have had with Writer’s Relief is invaluable because it has opened a door to the publishing world that I have struggled to open in the past, on my own. With the assistance provided by Writer’s Relief, I am in a more informed and capable position to publish my written work than I was before. I am forever grateful to have been chosen for the three cycles of the Elite service because I would not have been able to spare the cost of the service and as a result, not only have I received insight on publishers that are a fit for my writing, but I accomplished my first publishing credit! The story “What You See is What You Get” submitted for the third cycle was accepted for publication by Truman State University’s Green Hill Literary Lantern.
Thank you again for providing the financial support for an opportunity a writer may not have had otherwise.
With gratitude and warmest regards for the Hixson family,
Kat
September 9, 2019
Dear Hixson Family,
I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate winning Honorable Mention for the Peter K. Hixson Award! It is an honor to receive it. I have been writing for many years—enough to be recognized now as a “Late Bloomer.” I have eight children and fourteen grandchildren. I am a professor of Special Education due to one of my sons having Down Syndrome, which opened the world of disabilities to me. In addition, because of my senior status, I am back in graduate school so that I can work on my writing skills. It is wonderful to affirmed that I’m on the right track by placing in this contest. Thank you again for giving me—and other writers—this recognition.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Robinson Young
September 9, 2019
Dear Family of Peter K. Hixson,
I am still reeling with excitement from the phone call I received a couple weeks ago informing me that I was granted Honorable Mention in the Short Story category for the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award. Not only is this a tremendous honor, but it is laden with practical support. I look forward to receiving the valuable services of Writer’s Relief in helping to place my work in the appropriate journals through their staff’s vast knowledge of the industry and sharp targeting skills. This will undoubtedly give me a leg up and help me pursue a larger dream: to publish a collection of stories.
Many thanks to you for making this possible.
With best wishes,
Cynthia McVay
September 6, 2019
Dear Hixson Family:
It was early July, half a year into 2019, when a friend told me about the opportunity of the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award. The more I learned about the award, the more inspired I was to apply, being a writer in need of support. I am tremendously grateful for the Memorial Award, which provides healing in my unique situation. Time is a very oppressive thing; our lives depend on calculated or miscalculated decisions of how little or how much time we have. I have to calculate time in terms of a daughter to a single mother, in terms of a big sister, in terms of a woman of color…
I arrived to the U.S. when I was six years old from El Savlador…my poetry explores corresponding themes of home and identity…
This year, I have not published any poetry in print or online, too focused on how to survive and hold my sanity, all the while being a community advocate. I have submitted a small handful of submissions because that’s all I have had time for, and without surprise, I have received rejections. I cannot afford to lose time because the stories that unfold in my poems, often intimate yet political in nature, are time-sensitive.
The Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award has renewed my energy in participating in the submissions process. When Writer’s Relief called me, it had only been two days after I started my Master of Fine Arts program at the University of Maryland. The decision to pursue a graduate degree despite the uncertainty of my future and the difficulties in my personal life was a hard decision, but I know it is the right choice. Being named recipient of the Memorial Award the same week I started graduate school to study the craft of poetry is an incredible honor and, I hope, a positive affirmation from the universe that I must keep going and that I’m not alone in my writerly path. Thank you for the support you are providing writers through Writer’s Relief—such support is just, and honorable, and lasting.
With gratitude,
Claudia Rojas
September 6, 2019
Dear Hixson Family,
I was a winner of the Peter K Hixson Wild Card award back in 2013. One of the pieces I submitted to you was an excerpt from my debut novel, which was finally traditionally published in August by a stellar indie: Twisted Road Publications. Echoed in My Bones is the story of biracial twin sisters who are separated at birth and raised in neighboring NJ towns, but worlds apart. It was inspired by my work as an inner-city psychotherapist. Getting several stories published through Writer’s Relief gave me the confidence to soldier on through the difficult process of getting a novel traditionally published in the current market. I thank you for that.
All My Best,
Lisa A. Sturm, LCSW
September 1, 2019
Dear Hixson Family,
I am honored and ecstatic to have been chosen as the 2019 Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award winner for short prose. The phrase, “depending on the kindness of strangers” is a powerful lesson I take away from this experience. I submitted to the Writer’s Relief Review Board in January of 2019 and was accepted, but my financial situation did not lend itself to using their elite services. My husband and I were, and are, recovering from his lay off of almost a year in early 2018—which was not easy at the time on a teacher’s salary…
I was so hopeful and flattered to hear that out of hundreds of submissions, I was chosen as the second place winner—then unexpectedly, the original first place winner acquired agent representation, and that made me the first place winner! Truly a dream come true. The best news I’ve had in the last few very challenging years of so many personal losses and financial close calls.
I have been chiseling away at these writing pieces, two short story collections and one creative nonfiction collection, during any free time during summers since 2013, and now that this door has opened, there is no closing it back up. Even if my work is not published with the support of Writer’s Relief, I have been given hope that my work is attention-getting and will not give up on efforts to have it read by the public.
Peter K. Hixson was a true Renaissance man and believed in living life to the fullest and sharing his talents with the public. There are so many endearing things about Mr. Hixson that resonate with my own life and experiences. My older sister is an undergraduate and graduate of Purdue University, and I fully understand his love of learning, art, teaching and mentoring, all of which I strive to practice in my profession as an English educator of fifteen years for secondary students. Since so many districts have cut funds for the arts in schools, I infuse art into my curriculum every chance I get and am a Florida Take Stock in Children Scholarship mentor, which makes college education a reality for minority and financially struggling students with full tuition paid to any four-year college in Florida. Nothing about Mr. Hixson, though, is short of amazing: dancing, choreography, tennis, what an inspiration to us all!
I intend to, whenever possible in my life, to emulate Mr. Hixson’s memorial award and be that kind stranger who helped open the door for a writer. As dedicated writers, although we understand the challenges, we also are driven by the blazing need to continue writing, and in my case, to offer the kind of writing that will help people, particularly women, get through the tough times, to feel that they are not alone in their struggles, and through that solidarity, be encouraged to tackle life’s struggles with integrity. This is what writing always did for me, since that first spark of love of literature when my 8th grade teacher introduced us to Fahrenheit 451 and I discovered the power of the written word. Since then it became my therapy, my mentor, my friend, and my guide. Mr. Hixson and so many other writers believe in this power with a fierce sincerity, and I am ever grateful that his foresight has touched my life.
With sincere gratitude,
Katherine Haro
March 25, 2019
Dear Family of Peter Hixson,
The Peter K. Hixson Memorial Prize allowed me to see a poem about the year of my brother’s murder and my father’s death published by Decomp magazine. Decomp is one of the largest literary magazines my poems have thus far made it into. That poem “Burying Blackberry with Nightshade” allowed me to be an artist, an activist against gun violence, and a child and sibling eulogizing his dead. I don’t really know how to articulate what that means to me. I still currently have no job. Much of my family is trying to navigate lives made difficult by complex, personal tragedies. Having others advocate for literary magazines to publish my works has been a momentary reprieve from the anxiety of not really understanding my purpose in the world, and simultaneously, has been a high honor of my short life that I thank you for sincerely. God bless you.
Yours truly,
Denzel Scott
March 22, 2019
Dear Family of Peter Hixson,
I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation for the Peter Hixson award I received. I have always loved to write, but it is just recently that I began in earnest to write pieces for publication. Getting started is very daunting. Without having received this award and the opportunities that sprang from it, I may have been disillusioned and exasperated by the process of beginning. This award was the reason two of my short stories received offers of publication. This award was the reason I received such encouraging ‘rejections’ from editors who said to send other work in the future. On my own, I would not have had the time or knowledge to be able to send out a story to multiple journals at once. Writer’s Relief has been essential to jumpstarting the process for me, and I am really appreciative of this! Writer Relief and the Peter Hixson award gave me the vote of confidence I needed to forge ahead on this new path.
Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Laura Pochintesta
March 19, 2019
Dear Family of Peter Hixson,
Thank you so much for this generous award. As a working artist, “admin work” takes up an incredible amount of time. It can be a great relief to lighten that load for a bit so I can focus more on my craft and trajectory. Thank you for the understanding, support, and “lightening,” particularly in this very competitive time and environment.
Sincerely,
Jessica Mehta
September 4, 2018
To the family of Peter K. Hixson,
Thank you for choosing me as a recipient of the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award. I hope that my work can do the award, and the memory of Peter, justice. I’ve been a full-time writer for six years and have 13 books and over 275 individual publications under my belt. Although all of my books are via traditional publishers, the presses are small—and in the world of poetry, that means few readers beyond a small but fierce clutch of dedicated fans read these books. Receiving this award gives me the resources, support, and networks possible to reach out to larger journals and magazines. Without this award, I simply don’t have the bandwidth to focus on key publications that might be the spark necessary for a catalyst into the small, exclusive world of far-reaching poetry publishing.
In addition to my publishing, I own a small multi-award-winning business. Although I’m one of the lucky few to do what I love for work (writing), owning my own business also means working sometimes close to 100 hours per week. I’m also a full-time student pursuing my PhD in Creative Writing. I’m the founder of a scholarship fund for indigenous writers and founder of a yoga movement that offers free classes to under-served groups. My time is stretched thin and heavily seasoned with the demands of travel for residencies and fellowships. I’ve come to the point where I desperately need assistance with securing the types of publications I dream of for my work, but simply don’t have the capacity to do it on my own.
The gift of this award is incredible. More so than the logistics of the award itself, I’m thankful for those who believed in me and my writing to the extent that I was selected as the recipient. As you know, the life of a writer isn’t easy (or often profitable). However, with the right support and encouragement, those of us who are doggedly ambitious enough might just break through those cumbersome walls publishers have erected.
Thank you again from the depths of me,
Jessica Mehta
September 4, 2018
To the family of Peter K. Hixson,
Thank you for continuing your contribution to this award. Being unemployed and staying at my grandparents’ home once again while I try to put my life back together has taken its toll on my ego. This prize that you continue to fund, I hope, I pray, can serve as a turning point. Just before the call saying I won this prize came, I got a call from my mother saying that my stepfather’s father had just died. Winning this prize is a small respite from my life as is and a validation of my art.
Thank you,
Denzel Scott
August 30, 2018
Dear Family of Peter Hixson,
In this letter, I wish to express my heartfelt thanks for your establishment of the Peter K. Hixson memorial award with Writer’s Relief. Like Peter, I first discovered the joy of writing in third grade when my teacher, Miss Quigley, chose my story to read aloud to the class. She routinely hung many of the class’s stories in the hall and encouraged us to read each other’s work. My classmates were kind, and by the time I graduated 8th grade, I had become known as a writer. Since then, which has been a few decades, I have traveled many gratifying paths – teaching, homemaking, and motherhood among them – but I never pursued the path of writing in earnest. I made a new year’s resolution a few years back and signed up for a continuing education creative writing class – and almost didn’t attend when I realized that we would be reading our work aloud! In adulthood, writing had become something I kept to myself, so when I started taking classes and workshops, I was nervous to let anyone else in to the worlds I created in stories and poems and unfinished novels. Once I had created a small body of work, and built up the confidence to share my pieces, I realized that to share more broadly through publication would be another hurdle. This award will help me take that next formidable step, the one I had been approaching with trepidation. I can hardly believe I have received such a gift, and I promise to do my best to live and write with the utmost passion as my own tribute to your loved one, Peter’s, legacy.
Sincerely,
Laura Pochintesta
May 29, 2018
To the family of Peter K. Hixson,
I am extremely grateful to have received this award at a very pivotal moment for me. Without it, I likely would have stopped trying to publish out of frustration and impatience. The day I received a phone call from Writer’s Relief, I sat on the bench outside the grocery store and cried. I felt heard and seen. I had been writing into a vacuum for a long time, so feeling heard matters to me more than I can express.
Being able to send work to someone and to have a group who cheers for me when my pieces are accepted has been deeply life-giving. My writing habits have improved. I can better identify when a piece is done and when it is still in process. I know writing is a slow and long process, but Writer’s Relief has lightened the load and given me more hope and confidence. I’m getting close to finishing a full volume, which would not have happened without this award.
Years ago, when I started thinking about publishing, it was after I heard a poem being read on the radio. I felt I needed those words on that particular day; they enabled me to rise above my current challenges and keep going. My body was filled with a strong sense of buoyancy. Those words were like a tiny life raft, I thought at the time. From that point on, I have consistently thought of poems like tiny life rafts. I know that not every raft is right for every person, but I still believe in making life rafts and sending them out.
I mention this because I see this award accomplishing this “life raft” work as well. For me it has certainly carried me on my path in a way and at a time when I could not carry myself where I wanted to go.
Thank you for making this work possible for writers every year. I am profoundly grateful.
Truly,
Liz Bruno
May 23, 2018
Dear Hixson Family,
After six months I am writing to thank you for honoring me in Peter’s memory with the gift of six months of services from Writer’s Relief. I’d written a bunch of stories, and had done some submissions, but I was feeling lost, overwhelmed, and like I was wasting my time away from my day job and my children.
I want to tell you that the biggest gift I got from Writer’s Relief was being published — 2 of my 3 stories will appear in national magazines, and I’m so excited and pleased at that result. More than that, though, it’s been amazing to have them walk me through the process, and to see them do the dirty work for me and to see that it’s not such dirty work at all — witnessing them, and working with them, has been a true instance of teaching me to fish (and now being able to eat forever).
But the absolute biggest impact has been, starting with the award and continuing through my experiences working with the Writer’s Relief team and the literary magazines, is a boost of confidence, and letting me see my work, and its value, through fresh eyes. I’d almost completely lost sight of what I was doing, and why I was doing it, and felt like this was exactly the opportunity to set me on the right path.
I’m so grateful to you for giving me this chance. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Matthue Roth
May 15, 2018
Dear Hixson family,
I am writing to thank you for establishing and continuing the Hixson Award for writers. The award has meant so very much to me, freeing me from time spent researching submissions and encouraging me to write new poetry for each cycle. The encouragement that comes with such an award is invaluable. Writing is lonely, and often without much encouragement, but this award has truly bolstered my confidence. I have received the copies of my poem “Mother’s Question” that was accepted by The Cape Rock for their Issue 46, and I am waiting to receive copies of the literary journal that includes my poem “Mike Harrington.” Of course I still have work out for review and am waiting word on other poems.
Again, on behalf of myself and other writers who have and will benefit from the Peter Hixson Award, I thank you and sincerely hope that you realize just how important this award is and the gratitude of the writers who receive it.
Sincerely,
Patti Capel Swartz
October 30, 2017
To the Family of Peter K. Hixson:
Thank you so much for continuing the Peter K. Hixson Award for poetry! Receiving this award means so much to me, as I am sure it has meant much to the other writers who have received it. One of the struggles of writing is having and maintaining confidence in one’s work, or at least that is true for me. Receiving this award has bolstered my confidence and allows me to more fully believe that my work is worthwhile.
Sending work is also a difficulty, and the help I will receive targeting publications and editing suggestions are invaluable to me. I really cannot tell you how important this award is and how much it means to me to receive it. I can only hope that my heartfelt thanks go some small way to letting you know the importance of the award to me and, I am sure, to other writers who have received it.
Thank you for your kindness and for continuing this award which means so very much!
Sincerely,
Patti Capel Swartz
To the family of Peter K. Hixson:
I am profoundly grateful for the ways in which you are supporting writers, myself included. This support is foundational and life giving for me.
It brings to mind a part of George MacDonald’s book called “The Princess and The Goblin.” The young girl Irene is given an invisible thread that her grandmother has woven out spider silk and attached to a (mysterious) ring. It pulls on Irene’s finger and she follows it to safety in times of need or danger. It allows her to save herself and rescue her friend Curdie.
For me, the support of this award is akin to that invisible thread pulling in the dark. That string has and is going to keep me moving. I cannot imagine a more beautiful gift. Thank you for being a part of my journey and work. Thank you for helping me to feel less alone. That means more than I can explain.
My deep gratitude and thanks to all of you,
Liz Bruno
To the family of Mr. Hixson,
In the short time since I received my Writers’ Relief scholarship, I’ve been catching up on Peter’s work, and using this occasion (and this reward) as an excuse to dive back into my own stories. I’m excited for the great opportunity that you’re providing me, and I’m honored and delighted to be in his company.
Thank you for this chance, and thank you for your generosity, support, and good wishes.
I hope I’ll be able to make you proud.
Sincerely,
Matthue
Winning the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award with Writer’s Relief has sincerely made a huge positive impact on my life. Thanks to the Hixson Family and Writer’s Relief, I now have the first publication credits of my writing career. I am so grateful for the opportunity to make real progress. Writer’s Relief was wonderful to work with. They responded promptly to every email, kept me organized, and gave me the boost I needed to move forward. In the last six months, I have gained experience, publications, confidence, and best of all, time to write! Before winning this award, I was overwhelmed and did not know where to begin. Now, I am excited at what the future will bring! Thank you, Hixson Family and Writer’s Relief!
Serena Eve Richardson
Dear family of Peter K Hixson,
Today was a great day. I got a call telling me that my stories had been awarded an Honorable Mention in the Short Story category of the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award. You can’t imagine what this means to me.
I have been writing stories since the 1990s and submitted a few. I even got a warm note from Lois Rosenthal, editor of STORY, saying that she read a story I submitted “with great pleasure.” She encouraged me to keep submitting work as did Laurie Henry, Associate Editor of STORY.
The years between then and now were filled with the necessity of raising a child on my own, which meant 15 credit hours of teaching, year round, at a community college, and some administrative work when I served as Interim Academic Vice President for a year.
Although I made several academic presentations including a 2014 TEDx talk, and published two texts, I never had the time, and therefore peace of mind, to read my own work without interruption. Now in the year of my retirement, the time has finally come when I can spend days together, uninterrupted, on the stories and poems I’ve written through these years, and get them ready for others to read.
During this time that I have been focused on my own writing, I have also been filled with doubts about whether my work would be read, should be read. I am at the older end of writers. There are new schools of thought, new ways of writing, and I have felt like the old gray mare in the barn.
To tell you how much this award—entirely based on your generosity and love of Peter—has meant, I said to myself the other day that if I didn’t get any recognition in the next few months, I simply wouldn’t write any more. Today, everything has changed.
Thank you so very much,
Bonnie MacDougall
To the Family of Peter K. Hixson,
A few days ago I received a phone call with the news that I had been awarded the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Scholarship for Short Fiction through Writer’s Relief. I wanted to write and tell you how honored I am to receive this opportunity and how grateful I am that you have chosen to celebrate Peter with this legacy in support of other writers.
When I first entered my work in this contest, I was struck by the details in Mr. Hixson’s biographical information on the Writer’s Relief website. The first paragraph stated that his creative roots had gone back to the third grade when a teacher fueled his interest in poetry. I immediately felt a connection to that early creative instinct and thought of the influence of teachers in my life, and about the blue all-capitals typewriter that my mother gave me for Christmas when I was seven, so that I could preserve my poems for posterity.
I enjoyed reading about the Renaissance Man that Peter Hixson was, and I was excited to note some similarities between us. I have spent the majority of my adult life teaching and working in professional theatre and non-profits. If Peter could accomplish all that he did, and still have time to share some wonderful writing with the world in his too-short time here on Earth, then perhaps there’s hope for me, too.
I struggled to be the only person in my family to go to college and graduate school, and I have suffered some set-backs financially and to my health, and in my personal and professional life. For the last year I have done social work and am a foster care advocate and recruiter. I am proud of the work I do, and I know it’s important, but the words and stories inside me, are something that I long to share with others as well. Being chosen for this honor has given me a new sense of self-efficacy and hope about writing professionally, and I feel certain that this opportunity will be a turning point for me in that regard.
Thank you so much for this generous gift and for sharing Peter’s inspiration to help others as we attempt our own literary journeys.
Sincerely,
Melissa Heath-Lee
July 17, 2017
To: the family of Peter K. Hixson
As the poetry winner of 2016, I am very grateful for your contributions that made possible the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award for Creative Writers. Thanks to the award, I was able to focus on writing instead of keeping track of submissions. Writer’s Relief handled the process with grace and efficiency. The service has made possible furthering my aim of publishing poetry. Two of my poems were published in high-quality national journals –“A Bias Toward the Beneficial” in the ecologically-oriented Hopper Literary Magazine and “Born-ing” in the well-known Spoon River Poetry Review. Further, my poem “Blindside” was published in the Chronogram, a respected Hudson Valley area newspaper. These publications helped boost my confidence.
I had the occasion recently to read a few poems in Santa Fe and in Berkeley, CA to appreciative audiences. These successes have encouraged me to continue writing. Now I’m working on putting together a chapbook.
Again, please accept my ongoing gratitude for the opportunity your award has provided.
Sincerely,
Mary Newell
September 21, 2015
To the Hixson Family,
What a magnificent way to honor the memory of Peter K. Hixson, to provide such a generous offer of support to emerging writers like myself through Writer’s Relief. I was shocked to learn that I’d been given this wonderful award. And when I fully understood exactly what it meant to be given such an award, I was overwhelmed. I was ecstatic, yes, to have my work merit such attention, but then to realize that, through the Peter K. Hixson award, I was also given a stress-free stretch of time to do nothing but concentrate on my work, and on uncovering my best work as I was able, has greatly motivated me in a way that I have not been able to on my own without such assistance. And may never have been able to, honestly.
I can’t tell you how amazing it has been to have been given such a network of professionals to work with a they aid me in guiding my craft. You have made a marked difference in my life as a writer, and I look forward not only to furthering my career as a writer through this opportunity, but to also cherish the knowledge that there were people like Peter in this world who cared enough to look out for the rest of us. None of this would have been possible without him, nor without you and your continued interests in the writers, like me, that are still waiting to make their mark like Peter did.
Thank you. Truly and humbly. I am inspired by your selflessness, and I hope the day will come when I will be able to give back as you have.
Sincerely,
T.K. Lee
August 28, 2015
Dear Hixson Family,
I’m writing to thank you for your donation and support of my work through the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award. It means so much to me that Writer’s Relief will be doing the work of submitting some of my stories this season. Without your donation, their support would be out of my financial reach. Thank you so much for making this possible.
I’m a college adjunct, working with non-traditional students to help them improve their basic writing skills, and I just graduated from Purdue University with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing after nearly ten years of schooling. I took classes at community college as I could afford them and ended up in the University of Washington’s Evening Degree program, working days and taking night classes to get my BA in English so that I could apply for and attend an MFA program. This is all to say that I have been working very hard this last decade to pursue the study of writing and your contribution will allow me to move into the next phase of my career.
Thank you for allowing me this opportunity. It is so important to me, and such a boost in my confidence. I appreciate your support and thank you for the work you do to support writers like me.
Sincerely,
Katie McClendon
August 24, 2015
Please pass this along to the Hixson family:
Thank you for your generosity in sponsoring the Peter K. Hixson award.
I’m a social worker for Child Protective Services, so time and energy are scarce resources for me. Writing is one of the ways that I deal with all the emotions that I encounter during the week. With the gift of Writer’s Relief to take care of the submission part of the process, I can concentrate my after-hours energy on what I love most: writing.
Thank you for making this possible for me. I will do my best to make good use of it.
Regards,
Laura Ruth Loomis
April 4, 2014
Dear Hixson Family,
Thank you for providing opportunities like this for writers. Receiving this award taught me many invaluable lessons about the submission process. I am grateful for all the interest and support shown by those who assisted me.
Thank you,
Brittany Tacconi
(A La Carte) Honorable Mentions
March 31, 2014
Dear Hixson Family,
Thank you so much for your foresight and generosity in establishing the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award at Writer’s Relief. Please allow me to share a few images with you that will likely tell you what you already know—that this award is accomplishing all that you set out to do and is most certainly an honor to Peter’s memory.
First invaluable moment: A phone call from someone I didn’t know saying, “We loved your writing!” It is one thing for my mom to tell me I can write and an entirely different and much more rare thing to hear it from a complete stranger, much less one whose business is writing. That is a nugget of hope that I will remember and refer to when the inevitable rejection letters come.
Second, logging into the online database and seeing that my work was actually out there in the world being read by a slew of journals. I’ve read enough advice about publishing to know how the submission game is supposed to be played, but I have never mustered the organization or the gumption to actually send a story to 25 outlets at once. It’s magical.
Third, receiving another thanks-but-no-thanks email and thinking, “Oh well, that’s just one journal; there are others,” instead of, “Oh God, not another one, bring on the Ben & Jerry’s.” Getting used to rejection might be the greatest of the many gifts this award gave me. The staff members at Writer’s Relief put in almost email something along the lines of, “Remember, rejection is just one step closer to publication.” When I began the process with them, I thought, that’s easy for you to say. By the end, I believed it.
With much gratitude,
Rachel Henry
March 23, 2014
To the family of Peter K. Hixson,
The experience of being a Peter K. Hixson award winner has been transformative. I have learned about the process of becoming a published writer; the required document formatting, the large number of submissions necessary to secure a coveted spot in a literary publication, and the challenging work of locating the most appropriate literary markets. More importantly, I have gained confidence in my own writing abilities. Through the award, I had two short stories accepted for publication, and a third piece accepted because I felt brave enough to submit on my own. Having these credits, and possibly even a few more, will hopefully enhance my chances of landing a good literary agent and publishing house for my first novel, Life on the Other Side, which is in the final editing stage.
By preparing my work for Writer’s Relief and keeping up with their cycle deadlines, I have discovered a new commitment to my craft and a belief in what a few months ago seemed to be the impossible. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will remain forever grateful.
Warmly,
Lisa Sturm
April 4, 2014
Dear Hixson Family,
Thank you for providing opportunities like this for writers. Receiving this award taught me many invaluable lessons about the submission process. I am grateful for all the interest and support shown by those who assisted me.
Thank you,
Brittany Tacconi
(A La Carte) Honorable Mentions
March 31, 2014
Dear Hixson Family,
Thank you so much for your foresight and generosity in establishing the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award at Writer’s Relief. Please allow me to share a few images with you that will likely tell you what you already know—that this award is accomplishing all that you set out to do and is most certainly an honor to Peter’s memory.
First invaluable moment: A phone call from someone I didn’t know saying, “We loved your writing!” It is one thing for my mom to tell me I can write and an entirely different and much more rare thing to hear it from a complete stranger, much less one whose business is writing. That is a nugget of hope that I will remember and refer to when the inevitable rejection letters come.
Second, logging into the online database and seeing that my work was actually out there in the world being read by a slew of journals. I’ve read enough advice about publishing to know how the submission game is supposed to be played, but I have never mustered the organization or the gumption to actually send a story to 25 outlets at once. It’s magical.
Third, receiving another thanks-but-no-thanks email and thinking, “Oh well, that’s just one journal; there are others,” instead of, “Oh God, not another one, bring on the Ben & Jerry’s.” Getting used to rejection might be the greatest of the many gifts this award gave me. The staff members at Writer’s Relief put in almost email something along the lines of, “Remember, rejection is just one step closer to publication.” When I began the process with them, I thought, that’s easy for you to say. By the end, I believed it.
With much gratitude,
Rachel Henry
August 23, 2013
Dear family of Peter K. Hixson,
Thank you for establishing the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award. From the moment they first said, “We loved your writing” over the phone, the Writer’s Relief team has provided invaluable support and encouragement.
I work full-time, and finding time to submit my writing is a constant struggle. I often go months without sending anything off, so to think that my work will be submitted to 75 magazines without my having to spend more than a few minutes is not at all short of miraculous.
Beyond the purely functional, the award has given me a great deal of hope. As you probably know, the pre-published writing life can sometimes be discouraging, and simply knowing that professionals who work in the industry find my work worthy of submission is heartening.
Please know you have made a profound difference in my life.
With deepest gratitude,
Rachel Henry
August 7, 2013
Dear Hixson Family –
One often envisions a writer as someone hunched over a desk, a desk lamp and its dim circle of light the only companionship in the lonely darkness. Dramatic, I know, but the image illustrates a major stereotype of the writing life – loneliness and isolation. But, this couldn’t be further from truth.
While writers often craft their work alone, it takes the support and encouragement of the writing community to refine their work and then move it into the world.
I imagine Peter probably thanked many people during his writing career and because of their help wanted to give back the support he had received.
Now it’s my turn to thank Peter. Because of his generous gift my internal dialogue has shifted from, “It’s worth a shot,” to “I have a shot!” Peter’s gift has given me access to invaluable resources, guidance and hope.
Hope is often a term thrown around loosely (like awesome or literally) and is often associated with a person’s desires or wants, but in its true form, hope is a lighthouse. This award has given me hope that goes beyond the superficial hope of getting published.
It’s a hope that I am on the right path. Hope that there is help out there in the world. Hope that maybe this poor farm boy can get past the gatekeepers, on to shore and into the city. I’m sure every past, present and future recipient of this award feels the same way and is extremely grateful for the Hixson family’s support of and donations to this award.
Thank you for providing this opportunity. I will pay it forward through my writing and supporting and encouraging other writers desperately in need of hope.
Best wishes,
Aaron Schultz
August 6, 2013
Dear Hixson Family,
How can I express to you the shot in the arm that your kindness has provided to me as a writer? I had heard of a writer’s submission service from a wealthy friend years ago, and thought what an amazing help that would be. I looked it up at the beginning of June and read with longing the services offered. I remember thinking, “ I wish there were scholarships…” I couldn’t believe my eyes when I received an email notification of the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Award, and the prospect of winning a year’s worth of services! I worked on having all my poems and information ready and waiting for the July opening date.
I received my MFA in 1983, went to Bread Loaf on a scholarship, and later Vermont Studio Center, but I am TERRIBLE about promoting my own work. My poetry manuscript was a finalist in 2004, but is still not published, though I continue to write, and have published here and there. I am a mom and teacher, and need Writer’s Relief to help me with self-promotion for which I am so derelict.
When I received the call that I had won 2 months of services for Honorable Mention in Poetry, I was so encouraged and thankful. You have no idea what a blessing this is to me personally, and what far reaching ramifications your gift of love continues to have.
In the present climate of public education with its emphasis on testing, as a teacher with a poet’s heart, I feel like a caged bird. But God reminds me that writing is my sky, and I am free to fly whenever I want.
Thanks for helping me along the path to realizing my life long dreams.
Blessings,
Rachel Landrum Crumble
August 5, 2013
Dear Hixson Family,
A thousand cheers for the support you provide to writers like me through the legacy of the Peter K. Hixson Memorial Scholarship for creative writers.
Between being a teacher for middle school, taking graduate courses in counseling, and trying to coach several robotics teams in order to give some of our most restless kids a chance for active, engaged learning, I have little time to write and even less to research and submit work. Any time I am pursuing my own work, I feel like I am taking time away from my kids. They are what get me out of bed in cold January and keep me in grad classes late hot evenings in July.
When I am working with a kid who struggles in science but loves writing more than anything, it helps to be able to point to my work as a writer. More than just the specific cases, though, it’s also about doing everything I can to give them reasons to look up to me— not for my sake, but because every one of those reasons is magnified five-fold when I look them in the eye and tell them I believe in what they can accomplish.
When I said a thousand cheers, I meant it, because there are actually a lot of different people saying thank you. There is, of course, me the writer. Bigger than that is me the teacher. Largest of all, though, is the chorus of voices from every student past and future that sees another accomplishment on my list and turns up the volume of my comments every time I have told them, or will tell them, that I believe in them.
Sincerely,
Erik Richardson
July 31, 2013
To the family of Peter K. Hixson,
Thank you so much for continuing to support the Peter K. Hixson writing award. I can’t tell you how much it has meant to me to be the Wild Card winner for short fiction. I had applied for the Writer’s Relief full service program a few months ago, but decided that it was not something that I could afford at this time. Now I am thrilled to be submitting my first short story and hope to use the award to get a few short pieces published as well as locate a literary agent to market my first novel, which is based on my experiences as an inner-city psychotherapist. With the help of this award, I might be able to accomplish in a few short months what could otherwise taken me years.
My best wishes, to your entire family and may Peter’s memory always blessed.
Fondly,
Lisa Sturm
Dear Writer’s Relief,
The most important thing I learned was how competitive the “po biz” is. I had no idea that it took so many submissions to get one acceptance! I think—no, I know—that without having won the Hixson Memorial Award, I would have given up on publishing any of my poems, and maybe I would have stopped writing them too.
To go along with that last thought, I learned that people other than my friends appreciated and were moved by my poetry. This was so important, and it’s this that I will hold on to as I go off on my own, as it were, to face a million more rejections.
I also learned a crucial PROCESS for submitting poetry. That is, don’t be haphazard; make yourself a spreadsheet; submit in bunches of 25 or 30 at a time. I would never have done that in the past. Prior to winning the Hixson award, I would have tossed a few poems here and tossed a few poems there and thought it luck if they landed in fertile soil.
Finally, I learned that I’m not, in fact, the Queen of Proofreading. Your proofreaders had a few tricks up their sleeves that I never bothered to learn (despite the fact that I’ve taught college-level composition for over twenty years), and now I’m going to bother to learn them.
Please give Ronnie my best regards. And tell the Hixson family that I am forever grateful for the award.
— Laura Wendorff, 2012 Peter K. Hixson Award Winner
Work accepted into Foliate Oak, Forge, The Minetta Review, and Sanskrit
Dear Ronnie,
Thank you again for all your work on my behalf. It was a great honor to receive the Peter K. Hixson Award and to receive your Full Service package. I learned much, but more importantly, I felt supported as a writer.
— Lisa Cheby, 2011 Peter K. Hixson Award Winner
Work accepted by Eclipse and Compass Rose
