Short Story Contest: Hope in the midst of isolation

With the pandemic creating a newfangled reality around the globe, it's not surprising that the first-place winners of this year's Palo Alto Weekly Short Story Contest submitted pieces that reflect on the struggles, beauty and humor of those living in isolation.

Whether reflecting on changes in their own daily routines or examining the impacts of social isolation on older adults or those living in impoverished neighborhoods, each story offers hope: from the father who ultimately finds sanctuary in life's typically uneventful details after suddenly finding himself shuttered at home; to an ill girl who finds solace in playing music from her apartment balcony after encountering an elderly neighborhood musician; to the angry, closed-off teen who brings attention to his forgotten neighborhood in an unexpected way.

Each of the writers drew upon their personal experiences and those of people around them to breathe life into their works and to shed light on the beauty that can be found in the most unconventional places.

The Palo Alto Weekly thanks all of the writers who submitted stories for this year's contest; the judges for the Adult and Young Adult categories, Tom Parker, Nancy Packer and Debbie Duncan; and the Teen category judges Caryn Huberman Yacowitz, Marjorie Sayer and Nancy Etchemendy.

Lastly, the Weekly extends its gratitude to the contest co- sponsors, Bell's Books of Palo Alto, Kepler's Books of Menlo Park and Linden Tree Children's Books of Los Altos.

Young Adult:

First place: “Poetry from the Outskirts,” by Sophia Lucas

2nd place: "Magic Number 3," by Isabel Harding

3rd place: "Slán a Sionnach (Goodbye Fox)," by Rachel Lysaght

Teen:

“An Evening at Sunset,” by Claire Xu

2nd place: "The Pendant," by Jason Hu

3rd: "Puddles and Pirates," by Avni Nath

Adult:

Love and a Vaccine, by David Woodbury

2nd: "Hegemony Falls," by Tim Kane

3rd: "Mulberry Lane (Phase Two)," by Craig Evans