photographer bios
photographer bios emily speck is a Broadcast major with a film minor from Cleona, Pennsylvania. Photography is a newfound love for her and she plans to continue pursing photography within videography and taking photographs. nickie vertigan is a Graphic Design major from Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Photography has always been a passion of hers and she has found many …
o, california
emily speck Part I: As Antagonist A few months ago, I got into an Uber in Pittsburgh, about four hours from where I now go to school in central Pennsylvania. The driver wore a Blue Lives Matter gaiter, pulled up above his nose. He had a short, thin layer of hair encircling a shiny bald …
unfinished letters following the unfortunate incident on the 31st
☆ erik kirkland memorial prize winner ☆ emily speck To this Godforsaken holiday The ancient origins of Halloween and its modern customs show it to be a celebration based on false beliefs. Growing up in the church, they had advised against all celebrations, Halloween being in the top three; they told us that God …
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letter from the editors
emily speck letter from the editors Dear Reader, In light of trying times, we learn to work with the uncontrollable and unpredictable. Essay’s 2022 edition features the creative talents of Nala Washington, Lexi McDonald, Andrea Repetz, Miles DeRosa, Emily Hizny, and many more. This edition of Essay Magazine offers a sense of connection in spite …
don’t take me home
nickie vertigan
coal dust
emily speck As a kid, I grew up with summer visits to Central Pennsylvania. My uncle had a house in Kulpmont—a small, duplex town. There, the houses sat right on top of each other. Normally, when we visited, we would swim in his pool for hours, making forts out of pool rafts and noodles, but …
holding steady
☆ erik kirkland memorial prize finalist ☆ emily speck Four-years-old, I climb up the step stool in the pre-school restroom and stare into the mirror at myself. I love pigtails, and I even got to wear them with pink har ties today. Mom told me she would do them as long as I didn’t complain, …
on claiming to smoke in order to schedule a covid vaccination
emily speck Today, I cast my registration in honor of Marlboro. The single menthol I smoked while pretending I was not myself, sunburning at a music festival, grants me the authority to click continue on the Rite Aid website. That week, I drank Red Bull breakfasts, downed Dogfish Head dinners, smoked one cigarette, and now …
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2022 Kirkland Prize Winner
2022 erik kirkland memorial prize emily speck Winner: Nala Washington Finalist: Lexi McDonald The Erik Kirkland Memorial Prize originates from tragedy—the death of a promising young man in a military accident. If anything positive can come from such misfortune, this award, in some small way, accomplishes this. The Writers Institute wishes to thank John and …