“Celebrate endings – for they preceded new beginnings.” 

Johnathan Lockwood Huie 

As the school year comes to an end, many find themselves seeking closure and attempting to reconcile past and present. Following a year as uncertain as the last, it’s necessary for us all to make this effort, and begin to shift our perspective from looking back to looking forward. 

Traditionally serving as a symbol of growth and hope, spring is a time of new beginnings. We see that clearly now, as seniors prepare to graduate and leave behind familiarity in order to cultivate it elsewhere.

Similarly, in a much broader context, we see growth as we watch the world adjust to changes both small and great, stumbling along the way but picking back up again.  

With these thoughts in mind, the literary magazine would like to invite the Del Val community to both recognize and celebrate the ending of a year and the beginning of something still unknown to us.  

This month’s contest is open to ALL FORMS OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION from ALL DEL VAL STUDENTS, ALUMNI AND STAFF:

• Poetry
• Short Fiction (650 words or fewer)
• Short Nonfiction/Personal Essay (650 words or fewer)
• Photography
• Other artistic expression (Painting, pencil sketches, pastels, watercolor, sculpture, ceramics, etc.)
• Short film (5 minutes maximum)
• Original music recordings, instrumental or vocal
• Original dance performance recordings
• Anything else that you see as an expression of your own creativity!

Winners will be chosen by the literary magazine staff, but all submissions will be published in our digital magazine! 

Good luck!

A GIFT CARD WILL BE AWARDED TO A CHOSEN WINNER EVERY MONTH!

Submission deadline: May 17, 2021

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT!

To read submissions collected for this prompt, click here:

April-May 2021 Contest Entries: Endings and Beginnings