Aside from recognizing Portland State student writers, the Nina Mae Kellogg Student Award winners can receive between $50 and $1,000 to help them fund their education and continue their writing careers. The award ceremonies are annually known for their distinctive speakers.
Wednesday’s keynote speaker was Dr. Elise Paschen, a renowned writer and editor. She is also the co-founder and co-editor of Poetry in Motion, a program that showcases poetry on buses and subways across the U.S.
In addition, Paschen was the executive director of the Poetry Society of America from 1988 until 2001, according to the event program. She is a Harvard graduate, and has a Masters in Philosophy and a Doctorate in Philosophy in 20th century literature from Oxford University. Paschen currently teaches at the School of Art Institute of Chicago.
Carl Dahlstrom, a PSU professor emeritus of English who passed away in 1981, founded the Nina Mae Kellogg Student Awards 46 years ago. He named the awards after his mother and wife, according to the program.
Though the first awards featured only a sophomore and a senior award, this year’s ceremony—which was co-sponsored by the Graduate Literary Organization and the PSU President’s Office—included awards in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, memoir, reporting, essay and journalism categories.
At the ceremony, Professor Debra Gwartney, a published memoirist, presenter and committee member said the awards were “the sweetest event all year—heartfelt.”
According to Professor Joel Bettridge, another committee member, the Kellogg awards provide a wonderful opportunity to celebrate PSU students.
During the awards, the finalists were asked to stand while their names were read. In many cases, rather than immediately announcing the winners’ names, presenters read their work aloud.
Primus St. John, whose work appears in Poetry in Motion, presented the American Academy of Poets award and asked the winner of the category, Ian Friedman, to read his own work.
Friedman said the experience was nerve wracking, interesting and memorable.
“I’ve never read my own work in public,” he said.
Friedman, a New Yorker who loves the city of Portland, was particularly thankful of John Estes—a poet he spends time reading and a Kellogg judge—took the time to read his own work. Friedman is an undergraduate working towards an English major with a minor in education. He plans to teach and would like to enter PSU’s Graduate School of Education.
Chris Cottrell, winner of the Shelley Reece Poetry Award, will use the money to pay some bills. Cottrell is currently an editor for the Portland Review and, after graduating with a Masters in creative writing, plans to teach creative writing to underprivileged children this summer for the Upward Bound Program.
Nilesh Tendolkar, a Vanguard reporter and last night’s winner of two Wilma Morrison awards in journalism, credits his sports editor, Robert Britt, for having faith in his writing abilities.
“Without his guidance and counsel, I wouldn’t have received this honor,” Tendolkar said.
A list of PSU English student achievements was included in the program. Many students have had their work published in magazines and journals, and two are having books published.
2010 46th annual Nina Mae Kellogg Student Award winners
The Tom and Phyllis Burnam Award in Poetry
-Undergraduate: Cassie Ridgway
-Graduate: Monique Wentzel
The Tom and Phyllis Burnam Award in Fiction
-Undergraduate: Jason Zoesch
-Graduate: Brian Rozendal
The Tom and Phyllis Burnam Undergraduate Nonfiction Award
-Robert Carver
The Frank Andrew Clarke and Helen Clarke Memorial Award
-Alex Fulton
The Phillip Ford Graduate Award
-Laura K. Hutton
The Tom Doulis Graduate Fiction Writing Award
-Alexandra Behr
The Shelley Reece Poetry Award
-Chris Cottrell
The American Academy of Poets Award
-Ian Friedman
The Giving Back Fellowship
-Nonfiction: Candace Opper
-Fiction: Monique Wentzel
The Tom Bates Award for the Memoir
-Candace Opper
The Tom Bates Award for Reporting
-Lisa Ekman
The Tom Bates Award for the Essay
-Lisa Ekman
The Wilma Morrison Awards in Journalism
-Best writing in the news category: Catrice Stanley
-First prize for feature writing: James Mackenzie
-Best opinion writing: Robin Tinker
-First prize for sports writing: Nilesh Tendolkar
The Marilyn Folkestad Scholarship
-Undergraduate: Teresa Anne Rowe
-Graduate: April Anson
The Nina Mae Kellogg Sophomore Award
-Holly Laycock
The Nina Mae Kellogg Senior Award
-Brittany Pedersen