The Writer's Workout

Twenty-Five Yards to Life by Deidra Whitt Lovegren First Place That’s my name and my number, but it’s not me. With a flick of my thumb, I pop open a black umbrella and square up behind a rusty chain-link fence. Fresh cut grass takes me back to the start of my own NFL career—before the chronic pain, relentless lawsuits, and crazy carousel of ex-wives ruined my life. Did it always rain like hell during training camp? The players don’t seem to notice the wet jerseys stick

Teacher's Pet by Thomas Second Place Everybody hated Colin O’Dowd. He was a snake, a stool pigeon, a rat. We didn’t have much to amuse ourselves at Bede Middle, but one thing we did like was making soggy moggys– wetting toilet paper and throwing it at the ceiling. Stevie Allen had it down to a fine art. He said some of his pieces had been on the ceiling since the first term. I liked to imagine that in 3000 years, some archaeologists excavating our school would loo

Roadkill by Steven O'Hara Third Place In a town, not far enough inland to be considered the sticks, but not close enough to any city or sister settlement to gain any overflowing economy, is a white steepled church, where all the townsfolk, no matter their religious affiliation, or if they’ve any religion at all, seem to gather; a redbricked school that houses all students no matter their age, as there is no other school in this town—nor close to it—but the children don’t se