This year, the Utah Original Writing Competition received entries from 246 writers. Twenty writers placed between seven categories. In this fierce competition, the English Department’s Senior Lecturer Shanan Ballam received an honorable mention for her collection of poems titled First Poems After the Stroke.

In January, Shanan survived a stroke which severed her from the right side of her body and the ability to speak. The profound collection submitted to and recognized by the competition grew out of that experience. About the inspiration for this collection, she says, “I felt disconnected to reality and wanted to reflect that experience in these poems. These poems cascade down the page, words floating like feathers in the abyss of white space. I felt fragmented, so I played with enjambment and forced my words to do more work: ‘having a stroke erases half/the world half//your working/body and your//voice.’ At first, I couldn't even write in a notebook. I had to relearn to talk, write, type, and use my arm. I still can't walk without assistance. I have to wear a brace to help me lift up my toes. I have regained my speech through a lot of hard work. I had to go through seven months of speech therapy. I am still in weekly physical therapy to help me walk. I am fighting. I will never give up.”

The English Department honors Shanan’s story and applauds her recognition in the Utah Original Writing Competition for her striking poems.