To Our Readers
Welcome to the second annual Ooligan Press Editors’ Choice e-journal. Twenty advanced editing students in Portland State University’s Publishing Program held a short story contest in winter term 2006.
They put out a call for unpublished short stories on the theme of love and set the deadline at midnight, Valentine’s Day. The LOVE YOUR MUSE contest was born. The Ooligan editors posted fliers and sent notices inviting members of the Portland State community, past and present, to participate. In two weeks, the contest drew dozens of excellent entries, touching on love in many guises.
Each class member pored over every story. We read tales of love beginning, love fading, love dying and long dead. We read of marital love, extramarital love, family love, self-love, love of dogs, love of God, love between men, love between women, and love between a mannish woman and a womanish man. We considered dreams of love, the selfless love of a grandfather for a child, a love letter to George Clooney, and the transforming love of a woman for a fine fighting rooster. The class as a whole selected a short list of twelve stories. Then, laboriously, we settled on the top four. Each winning author is a writer to watch.
Karen Kirtley
Karen Kirtley teaches editing in Portland State University’s Publishing Program
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2006 Winners:
Before the Beginning by Twila Nesky
La Ciudad de las Fresas by Virginia Ulrich
Scrabble Night by Jacob Aiello
Spec of Love by Melanie Jennings
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