The Ray Bradbury Creative Writing Contest

2009 Ray Bradbury Creative Writing Contest

The 25th Annual Ray Bradbury Contest underwent a complete change this year—with better than expected results—with more winners from Waukegan, amazing visual art entries and more high school entries, not to mention larger cash prizes! The contest, which is run by the staff of the Waukegan Public Library, was more than a writing contest this year. "When planning this year we asked ourselves what the mission of the contest was - to create writers or readers? The answer was readers--of Bradbury’s works," explains Elizabeth Stearns, Assistant Director of Community Services. "Bradbury’s works are studied around the world, and we feel strongly that the community of Waukegan should be among those who have read and understood his work."

This year we asked the community to read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Whether people read it and joined a discussion, or read it and responded to it with a work of their art, or read it for pleasure. The contest was for those who wanted to respond to the book with their own art. The theme of the contest was a response to the theme of social sedation and apathy brought to our culture by the evolution of television—Bradbury’s own idea of what the book is about.

2009 Winners:

Category:	Name:	Title:
Resident High School Visual Art	Tom Ryan: $200	Destroying a Culture
Resident High School Written	Samantha Paredes: $200	The Ever-Growing Plasma Screen
Resident Adult Visual Art	Lynsee Melchi: $200	Window to the World
Resident Adult Written	Magdalena Bartolik: $200	A Flameless Fire
Non-Resident High School Written	Ju Hun Kim: $100	Complete Guide for Typical Television Viewers in 20xx
Non-Resident Adult Visual Art	Rita Welker: $100	Literary Ashes Fahrenheit 451
Non-Resident Adult Written	Lynn Schmeidler: $100	A Fly on the Wall

2009 Honorable Mentions:

Category:	Name:	Title:
Resident High School Visual Art	David Colin	Ignorance
Resident Adult Visual Art	Paul Jay Schrenker	Montag's Curious Habit
Resident Adult Written	Regina Womack	The Half Life
Non-Resident High School Written	Paige Needham	Her Wires
Non-Resident Adult Written	Micheal Laverty	A Report from the Other Side