Mesa writers stirred emotion around the room at the 2006 Poetry and Short Fiction Awards Ceremony.

Two quotes set the theme for this year’s awards. The first quote was from Hispanic-American writer Sandra Cisneros whose work brought the perspective of Chicano women into the mainstream of literary feminism.

“I put it down on paper and the ghost did not ache so much.”

The second quote was from Pablo Neruda. Neruda was a Chilean diplomat poet who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1971.

“Writing these odes, I know who I am and where my soul is going.”

Allan Given received the first place award for short fiction and the third place award for poetry. His story “Shadow Puppets” was about a businessman who inherits a flower shop in the south from an old friend who passed away in the 1960s.

When he arrives there, he finds the store still open, and being ran by three unlikely employees. The three employees consist of a blind woman who does flower arrangements, a young girl working behind the counter, and an African American boy delivering the flowers. He grows fond of the employees over the next couple of weeks before a tragic event displays the cruel reality of the south in the early sixties.

Surprisingly, Given was not the only person who received two awards. Christina Townsen received first place in the poetry contest for her poem “Silence Surrendering.” Townsen also received an Honorarium for the production of the Awards Ceremony Program.

Her poem was about a dream that she had one night. In her dream, she went into the shell of a burnt house in the middle of the woods. In her poem, Townsen describes the appearance of the burnt instruments on the ground and the feelings they evoked.

A multimedia DVD played on a backdrop throughout the ceremony. Attal Sadiq created the DVD, which was very inspiring. Since he had to work the night of the ceremony, Michelle Tucker, the Contest Committee Chair, spoke on his behalf.

“The message of the DVD is clear,” said Tucker. “All the people that I have put in my DVD are trying to convey the same message. The message is equality, love, peace, tolerance, and freedom from oppression.”

Joseph Balan, a teacher at a junior high school in National City who is studying American Sign Language at Mesa, won fourth place for his short fiction story “Where would you rather be.” Before reading a passage from his story titled “Where Would You Rather Be,” Balan dedicated the story to his father. He then pointed out his father in the audience, and his father received a round of applause. It was a touching moment.

The San Diego Mesa College English Department held the ceremony in room 435 of the LRC on Dec. 5. This marked the 33rd year of the Poetry contest, and the 18th year for the short fiction contest. It was a very competitive contest this year with over 150 submissions.

Tucker put together what turned out to be a very special ceremony. There was an array of food and beverages and a world of talent. Tucker and the presenters and recipients of awards were very elegant with their words.

“The depth of the winner’s talents and the messages in their work was indeed impressive and inspiring,” said Tucker.

You can read the winning poems and short stories in the periodicals section of the LRC, on the first floor. There is also a bound copy of all of the award winning work in the circulation area in the LRC.