High school student Timothy Hanley stood Sunday afternoon on the stage of the Performing Arts Center at Christian County Middle School and faced dozens of community members who were present to celebrate the winners in the second annual bell hooks Writing Contest.
Reading from a personal essay about the day he came out as gay to his classmates, he recalled experiencing both acceptance and ridicule.
The writing contest sponsored by the Christian County Literacy Council gave Hanley an outlet to share his story — one that might not have been expressed so forthrightly by a teenager at a public event in Hopkinsville as recently as 10 or 15 years. He told his story through the lens of “belonging,” which was the theme of this year’s contest. His story will be published in a book featuring all of the some 80 poems, stories and essays that were submitted.
Another writer, Cassie Ipock, a sixth-grade teacher at Sinking Fork Elementary School who moonlights as a newspaper reporter for the Madisonville Messenger, received first place in the adult division for her personal story about the death of her father and the long-term impact of being uprooted from her home at a young age. Ipock said she was proud that several Sinking Fork students also entered the contest and will have their poems and stories published with hers.
Seven of the eight winning writers were present to read their works at Sunday’s event. The contest was established last year following the Dec. 15, 2021, death of bell hooks, the internationally acclaimed feminist author and activist. A Hopkinsville native, she was born Gloria Jean Watkins. Her sister Gwenda Motley read from hooks’ book “Belonging: A Culture of Place.”
The contest was limited to Christian County residents last year but was expanded to anyone living in Kentucky this year. The number of entries more than quadrupled, said contest director Amanda Huff-McClure.
The contest winners were:
Ages 5-8
- First Place: Madison Bailey, Poetry
- Second Place: Mariah Grace Gbemudu, Poetry
Ages 9-12
- First Place: Sophie Arvin, Poetry
- Second Place: Mia Jennifer Gbemudu, Poetry
Ages 13-17
- First Place: Rachel Cavanah, Poetry
- Second Place: Timothy Hanley, Short Story
Adult (18 and older)
- First Place: Cassie Ipock, Essay
- Second Place: Jada Poindexter, Poetry
All of the entries will be compiled in a book available in three to four weeks. A link to purchase copies will be posted on the literacy council’s Facebook page.
Each winner received a digital writing device, a copy of a book by bell hooks and tote bag. The winners in the youngest division received a copy of “Homemade Love.” The others all received “Belonging.”
The contest judges were Elizabeth Burton, Glinstine Jones, Chris Jung, Tiffany Luna, Jeanette Owens and Zirconia Vansuawa.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
