Writers within a 105-mile radius of downtown Truckee are invited to enter the ‘Y’ Foundation’s Creative Writing Contest. The winner will receive a $750 scholarship to this summer’s Squaw Valley Writer’s Workshop, July 7 to 14. This renowned conference assists serious writers by exploring the art and craft as well as the business of writing.
The ‘Y’ Foundation was established in memory of Katy Zirbel, a Truckee local who passed away last year. Zirbel’s passion was writing and constantly asked the abiding question of her life, ‘Why?’ Most of Zirbel’s writing was a response to her curiosities. Her creative process included long walks, hikes, and time spent skiing in the beautiful Truckee/Tahoe region, a place where she sought and often found simple answers within the elements of nature
In Zirbel’s own words: ‘I thought of an art project the other day. I thought of creating ‘Katy’s Why Wall.’ A large wall, preferably where millions can see it. And on this wall I would adhere tree branches all shaped like Y’s. Thousands and thousands of Y-shaped tree branches nicely shellacked to bring out the wood grain and preserve their integrity. Thousands and thousands of Y’s just plastered to a wall or maybe even a billboard on the side of Highway 80. People would drive by and say, ‘I’ve asked myself that same question’ because its meaning would be implicit. No explanation necessary. Just simply Y.’
The ‘Y’ Foundation, comprised of friends, family, and fans of Zirbel, honors and supports writers from the Truckee/Tahoe region with a specific focus on the local community. The ultimate goal is to provide scholarships to Zirbel’s alma mater, Goddard College, and other noteworthy schools and organizations in support of creative writing
Applicants to the ‘Y’ Foundation writing contest are encouraged to be creative with their submissions as there is no genre restriction. Entries may be written in the form of a poem, an essay, a short story, or anything else that can be kept within the 500-word limit. Deadline to submit is April 16, 2012.
In addition to applying for the scholarship, applicants must also submit a separate application for the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley for the Writer’s Workshop, postmarked no later than April 2, 2012. Applicants must be accepted to attend the workshop to receive the scholarship. Info: the-y-foundation.org
Submissions should be mailed to:
The ‘Y’ Foundation
P.O. Box 296
Truckee, CA 96160
Make a donation in support of The ‘Y’ Foundation:
The “Y” Foundation
c/o Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation
P.O. Box 366
Truckee, CA 96160
ttcf.net
