Creative Writing: 2003-2004 Winning Entries
Poetry
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Short Story
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Creative Non-Fiction
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One Act Play
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About the Authors
Aaron Arnold
Honorable Mention, One-Act Play: "Bills Bonnet"
Biography not available
Udi Arouh
Second Place, Creative Non-Fiction: "The Steel Messenger"
Udi Arouh was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel and came to the United States as a student in 1980.
Udi is now enrolled at GateWay Community College in the respiratory therapy program.
He has been married for 23 years and has three children. He finds refuge in playing his guitar,
reading and writing.
Sharon K. Arthur
Third Place, Poetry: "Milk-Run"
Sharon K. Arthur graduated from Arizona State University in Broadcast Production. She has
worked in the field of media production as a producer, director and screenwriter since 1986,
with an emphasis in corporate marketing and video production, as well as government, educational
and public TV programming. Her productions have garnered several Telly Awards
and an A.C.E. nomination for outstanding programming achievement. Her true love, however,
is creative writing and the coursework at Phoenix College has allowed her to follow her
passion. She is now working on a volume of poetry, a non-fiction book and a novel. This award
represents the first recognition of her creative writing endeavors.
Janet Burruel
Honorable Mention, One-Act Play: "Some of Us"
Janet Burruel has lived in Arizona since she was 8 years old and graduated cum laude from
Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. She enrolled in Creative
Writing classes at Phoenix College in 2001. She thanks her husband of 21 years, Manny,
her friend, Jane, and her writing teacher, Laraine Herring. Janet is working on her first novel.
David R. Cordaro
Honorable Mention, Creative Non-Fiction: "The Nortorious H.M.P."
Emerson said that to succeed was "to know that one life has breathed easier because you
have lived." It is such a desire that compels David to write, sing, and pursue a degree is social
work. His free time is divided between singing for different functions, collecting
cow-themed items of every description, surfing the Internet, listening to music, and spending
time with family and friends. His true passion is coordinating charity fundraisers.
Diayn Day
First Place, Creative Non-Fiction: "Fruits of Obsession"
Second Place, One-Act Play: "Nobody's Here"
Biography not available
Harmony Nicole DeLeon
First Place, One-Act Play: "Fresh Wild"
Honorable Mention, Poetry: "Long Wind"
Nicole Deleon first started writing unprompted at the age of seven and has continued ever
since. A product of Arizona State University and a Marketing and Public Relations Specialist
by day, her fiction has most recently appeared in the Chicago-based AIM Magazine. She is
currently working on a novel under the direction of Laraine Herring, author and member of
Phoenix College's creative writing faculty. Much of Nicole's work concentrates on themes of
overcoming and changing attitudes about racism, sexism, and lingering affects of childhood
trauma. For these particular pieces, she's not sure who to thank more: her husband, Mark, for
patiently enduring endless forced readings or her blond and white pit bull, Hunny, for always
taking long naps under Nicole's desk while she writes.
Mary Anne Desmond
Honorable Mention, Short Story: "Genesis Redux"
After spending twenty years in Italy, where she worked in the travel industry, Mary Anne
moved to Phoenix with her husband, Sirio Calogero in 1990. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in
Art History from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She enjoys taking
classes at Scottsdale Community College from Sandra Desjardins who is an expert in delving
into the souls of her students and bring forth the beauty and talent within. Mary Anne wants
to thank her husband Siro, for his encouragement in providing the catalyst of Genesis Redux.
Rod Drought
First Place, Short Story: "Shelter"
Honorable Mention, Poetry: "Life of an Organic Tomato"
Rod Drought moved to Fountain Hills from New York in 1995. His work has been published
in literary magazines and newspapers. Rod also has written, produced, and directed over
twenty amateur films with family and friends.
Tahnee Kirk
Honorable Mention, Poetry: "Bonsai"
As a writer, Tahnee is indebted to great American women writers such as Zora Neale
Hurston and Diane de Prima. She completed her undergraduate study in history at Oberlin
College in Ohio and four semesters of graduate study in 20th century United States history
at Cleveland State University. Tahnee is currently enrolled at Rio Salado College in the
Teacher Education Program. She plans to publish a book of poetry and prose, improve her
painting, raise more children and continue to learn and teach.
Robyn McDannold
Third Place, Creative Non-Fiction: "Not Your Everyday Miracle"
Robyn holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Arizona State Unversity and is currently
enrolled in the Teacher Preparation Program at Rio Salado College. Robyn is married and
a mother of two children. She is thankful to her parents, her brother and the support of
her friends and family. She is an avid reader, book hoarder, cook and gardener.
Rose McPhillips
Honorable Mention, Short Story: "Without Words"
Rose McPhillips is currently enrolled at Arizona State University majoring in English. At
Scottsdale Community College she worked in the Disability Resource Department as a
tutor and note-taker which helped develop her teaching skills. She also took Creative Writing
classes where she met many gifted writers. She wishes to thank her mentor and creative
writing professor, Sandra Desjardins, for her encouragement and teaching her that writing
with a truer sense of who you are is not only difficult but liberating at the same time.
Brandon Brook Michalik
First Place, Poetry: "Probability"
Brandon Brook Michalik takes creative writing classes at Phoenix College and Arizona State
University. She also works full-time as a legal secretary at a small law firm in Scottsdale. Last year, she place honorable mention in the Maricopa Community Colleges Creative Writing
Competition. Another one of her poems was recently published in the literary journal,
Diner. She earned her B.A. from Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, Virginia in
1995, and hopes to pursue an M.F.A. in Creative Writing in the near future.
Karen Odden
Second Place, Poetry: "November 11, 1572"
Karen Odden earned her Ph.D. in English literature at New York University in 2001, writing
her dissertation on the Victorian novel. Chapters and articles have appeared in books of
literary criticism, anthologies, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and Studies in the Novel. Last
year, she wrote an introduction an end notes for the new edition of Charles Dickens's Hard
Times, to be published by Barnes and Noble. Only recently has she returned to writing
fiction and poetry, which she loved as a teenager. Her current project is a young adult novel,
Hunting Cassiopeia, which draws on her recent experience of moving from Connecticut to
Arizona. She resides in Scottsdale with her husband and two children.
Donna A. Parker
Third Place, One-Act Play: "A New Tatoo"
Donna A. Parker moved to Phoenix three years ago and returned to college to pursue her
love of writing. She began as a staff writer and currently is the editor-in-chief for PVCC's Puma
Press. She also is writing magazine articles for two shelter magazines beginning in the fall of
2003. She wishes to thank Dr. Lois Roma-Deeley for all her support with her creative writing
endeavors and Judy Galbraith for her support with her journalistic writing. A New Tatoo is her
second play to place in the Maricopa Community Colleges' Creative Writing Competition.
Jian Qin
Honorable Mention, Creative Non-Fiction: "The Bathroom"
Jian Qin left her native town of Suzhou, China in 1992 to look for the Evening Star over
the Arizona desert and to pursue her dreams. She earned a master's degree in Teaching
English as a Second Language from Arizona State University in 1995. She now teaches ESL
at a high school in Phoenix. Writing is one of her passionate dreams. Jian wishes to thank Mary
Louise Buley-Meissner who taught her to write in China and Laraine Herring who taught
her to write honestly.
Daniel Shoults
Third Place, Short Story: "King Worm"
Daniel was born in Phoenix and is now enrolled at Glendale Community College. His goal
is to earn a master's degree in English. He is single and loves hiking, camping, sports, reading
and writing. King Worm is his first submission and publication.
Melissa Stark
Honorable Mention, Creative Non-Fiction: "Moving On But at a Discounted Price"
Melissa Stark has been opining for years but this is the first time she's ever received recognition
for it. She received a B.A. in English from Lewis College and attended the Professional
Screenwriting Program at UCLA. Her ultimate goal is to become the Barry Manilow of the
literary world and write stories that make the whole world sing. She wishes to thank the
car salesmen of the world, for without them, this story would not have been possible.
Mari Stromquist
Second Place, Short Story: "Whitewashed Horizons"
Mari Stromquist was born in Singapore and lived in various places in Asia and the West Coast
as a child. Before attending high school in Arizona, she survived eleven school changes. Mari
discovered and still finds satisfaction in writing and drawing, inventing characters and daydreaming.
She now attends Paradise Valley Community College and is pursuing a degree in
Art and Creating Writing. She thanks God for his blessings and her supportive family.
Kathy Wallmueller
Honorable Mention, Short Story: "BMX Practice"
Kathy Wallmueller is a retired air traffic controller. She has been married for twenty years
and has two teenage children. Kathy is an avid reader and writer. She took a Creative
Writing class at Paradise Valley Community College last fall and plans to continue with
more writing classes.
David Zimmerman
Honorable Mention, One-Act Play: "Travelling After"
David Zimmerman is currently enrolled at Scottsdale Community College, majoring in
Administration of Justice Studies. David hopes to pursue a career as an evidence technician
with the Phoenix Crime Lab.
