A magazine editor, Julie Barker left her job in 2001 to write a novel. She had been trying to write one for many years without the time and commitment for it, but after 9/11, unfulfilled dreams were cast into sharper perspective. The first draft took a year, the revisions six more. As she was nearing the end of that process, she became interested in the personal essay as a form of storytelling.
In this article, we present Julie Barker’s winning essay from our Fall 2009 No-Contest Contest. Each entrant submitted an essay, which I read and responded to. All entrants had the opportunity to revise their essays after reading my comments and … Continue reading →