Ernest Hemingway, with his creation of the six-word story, combined poetry and drama into a short form that has grown in popularity while remaining difficult to achieve. Residents of Groveland, Merrimac, and West Newbury in grades 6 -12 were invited to take on that challenge with the Tri-Town Libraries’ 6 Word Story Contest. Students were invited to submit an original six-word story between June 22nd and July 13th. Each contestant created their unique story reflecting on “Life During Quarantine.”
Newburyport Daily News Editor, Richard Lodge, joined teen librarians: Meghan McCabe, Tracy Shaw, and Kristen Young as a guest judge. Entries were divided into two categories: Grades 6-8 and Grades 9-12. The winners in each category were awarded a $10 iTunes gift card.
Thank you to all of the students who participated. All entries received were thoughtfully and creatively written, which made judging a challenge in itself!
Winners in Grades 9-12:
- First Place – Parker Greason (11th Grade/West Newbury)
- “16; covered mouth, still strong voice.”
- Second Place – Max Petry (12th Grade/Merrimac)
- “Perpetually and consistently watching screens daily.”
- Third Place – Yvette Estevez (10th Grade/West Newbury)
- “An epiphany of importance of family.”
Winner in the Grades 6-8:
- Akshay Trivedi (6th Grade/Groveland)
- “Missed: school, soccer, friends liked: Zoom!!”
This contest was sponsored by the Langley Adams Library, Merrimac Public Library, and the G.A.R. Memorial Library as a part of their combined Teen Advisory Group. Since its creation in April 2019, T.A.G. has been connecting with students in middle and high school with opportunities for community service, social events, creative writing groups, graphic novel clubs, and more. For information about upcoming TAG events or book clubs contact any of the teen librarians at mmccabe@langleyadamslib.org, tshaw@merrimaclibrary.org, or kyoung@westnewburylibrary.org. The Creative Writing Club meet on zoom every two weeks on Wednesdays from 3-4pm. Email Kristen Young (kyoung@westnewburylibrary.org) to find out more about the group, upcoming meeting dates or to join!
