The winner of Narrative Magazine Spring 2010 Contest is a story that I am happy to say was one of two that I thought were the best in the semi-finals.

FIRST PRIZE goes to Scott Tucker’s I Would Be Happy to Leave This Asylum~

Very complex and multi-layered, this story shows skill with the intricacies of language and the craft of writing. The protagonist, Coure, is well-depicted and his situation revealed through scene and detail strongly. It addresses political and personal injustice without being at all preachy. The reader both fears for Coure and likes him. Transitions to flashbacks are smooth. The environment in the airport and in Rashad’s house are unfamiliar but established very convincingly. I was drawn in to this story very quickly and carried through. And I was very satisfied by the ending. An impressive story.

Tucker won $3,250 in prize money for this story, and has become the envy of all his friends.

The next story contest gets underway immediately.