Each year, the “Letters About Literature” writing contest, a national program administered locally by Humanities Tennessee, asks grade school, middle school, and high school students to pick a favorite piece of writing — it can be fiction or nonfiction, a short story, a poem, an essay, or a speech — and reflect on it, connect with it, and report on it. The result: a personal letter to the author to say how his or her work affected a student’s life. I was glad to act as one of the contest judges. And I’m happy to report the winners for grades 9 through 12. They are:
1st place: Daniel Zuo, of White Station High School here in Memphis, who wrote to Dr. Seuss about The Cat in the Hat.
2nd place: Hanna Lustig, of Houston High School in Germantown. Hanna’s letter was to Ray Bradbury about his novel Dandelion Wine.
3rd place: Victoria Gray, of Germantown High School, who also wrote to Dr. Seuss, in response to Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?.
