Future Contests
Creative Writing: Hold Fast . . . There is more
In 1931, John Neihardt traveled to Pine Ridge Reservation to visit Black Elk, a Lakota visionary and healer, to preserve his vision for future generations. Part of the message Neihardt learned and which become part of his life was "Hold fast …. There is more." Taking inspiration from Neihardt's memoirs, particularly All Is but a Beginning, write about a message of hope for the future you have learned from someone who came before you. Or, write a short story that explores "Hold fast …. There is more" as related to the ideals Neihardt expresses in his lyric poetry.
Essay Contest: Hold Fast . . . There is more
In 1931, John Neihardt traveled to Pine Ridge Reservation to visit Black Elk, a Lakota visionary and healer, to preserve his vision for future generations. Part of the message Neihardt learned and which become part of his life was "Hold fast …. There is more." Investigate spirituality in Neihardt's lyric poetry, especially as it helps readers understand Neihardt's message of hope for the future.
Short Story Contest: On the Watershed Of History
John G. Neihardt wrote short stories at the beginning of his writing career. John G. Neihardt was born in 1881 to pioneer parents who had traveled by covered wagon to Illinois and eventually settled in Nebraska. Neihardt remarked that he lived "on the watershed of history." Think about ways in which you are living "on the watershed of history" and write an original short story that is in the style of Neihardt's short stories in The End of the Dream and Other Stories. In addition to being a writing, Neihardt was also a journalist and enriched his creative writing with research - which included listening to the stories of others. Like Neihardt, you will want to research your subject matter and fill the short story with informative details and deeper meaning.
Poetry Contest: Through the Soles of My Feet
John G. Neihardt earned the reputation "the American Homer" by writing an epic poem, The Cycle of the West, which is composed of 5 songs and a total of over seventeen thousand lines of rhymed blank verse. In selecting a subject matter for his epic poem, Neihardt took the advice of wife and wrote about what he knew. He remarked: "I did it, and it came up through the soles of my feet." The Cycle of the West focuses on America's westward expansion from the days of exploration to the difficult subject matter of the Indian Wars and the Ghost Dance Movement. Although this is a work of poetry, Neihardt researched the historical facts and sought out those who might remember the events. John G. Neihardt was born in 1881 to pioneer parents who had traveled by covered wagon to Illinois and eventually settled in Nebraska. Neihardt remarked that he lived "on the watershed of history." Think about ways in which you are living "on the watershed of history" and write an original poem that describes the historic details, in the sprit of a portion of The Cycle of the West. Like Neihardt, you will want to research your subject matter and fill the poem with both information and meaning.
Created on ... May 23, 2006