I was overjoyed to learn recently that an essay of mine titled “Mardi Gras ‘95” has won First Place for Nonfiction in the 2025 SLO NightWriters Golden Quill Writing Contest. The contest is hosted by the San Luis Obisbo NightWriters, a writing community in Central California that provides writing education, opportunities, resources, workshops, and scholarships. My essay will also soon be published in The NightWriter Review.
“Mardi Gras ‘95” recounts a last-minute trip I took to Mardi Gras during my freshman year of college, including my hazy memories of my first night on Bourbon Street and the events that led me to New Orleans. So this one won’t be about backpacking, but hopefully you’ll like it when it is published.
The SLO NightWriters were also kind enough to invite me out to California for their awards ceremony tonight for a reading, and I wish I could have made it there. But thank you, SLO NightWriters!
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