R to L: Ken McCullough, Rob Thomas, Heidi Bryant, Leslie Schultz, Emilio DeGrazia, Doug Scholz-Carlson, James Armstrong (Photo credit: Mary Farrell)

Saturday was a splendid day in Winona, Minnesota at the Winona County History Center. The 28 winning sonnets for the Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest were read in a hybrid event, either by the poet or by a stand-in like me. Soon, a video of the event will be available. Today, if you are curious, you can read each of the winning entries and see who authors are and where they hail from. The 2024 contest received entries from 10 countries and 40 states. Almost 650 sonnets were submitted by 180 individuals, including 68 in the youth category. Prizes totaling $3,200 were awarded in the following categories: Top Four, Regional (4), Youth (4), and Laureates’ Choice (16). To see the 28 winning sonnets, please see the MWF Contest site.

Here’s to the immortal pleasure of the sonnet!

LESLIE