THE SECOND ANNUAL MOM TRI’S BOATHOUSE SHORT FICTION CONTEST
March 2008

I know I said this last year, but it bears repeating: Judging a writing contest is a dumb thing to try to do.

Writing fiction isn’t a race. It isn’t anything like Olympic gymnastics or synchronized swimming. It isn’t even a beauty pageant (although, now that I think of it, I am available for one of those if anyone has that kind of duty going). Writing fiction is…well, it’s art, for Christ’s sake. There. I’ve said it. Art.

And now, first place in the Best Painting in the Louvre contest goes to……..

See what I mean? Idiotic, huh?

Still, the nice folks at the Boathouse asked me to pick the best of the submissions to their short fiction contest this year and that’s what I’ve tried to do. By the way, you should know that I get the entries without any names attached so this may well be the only entirely honest undertaking in Thailand. Wait. Scratch that last line. I never said that. I deny it absolutely.

Anyway, if you’re interested, here are some very brief observations as to why I ranked the winning entries the way I did. You might have ranked them differently. In fact, I’m certain you would. That’s why they call it ‘art.’


First place – THE GIFT – Eric Rosenkranz

It’s both solidly written, almost poetic in patches, and offers a remarkably touching insight into the lives of ordinary Thais living in Phuket. That’s not something that many writers have achieved, Thai or foreign, and God knows more than enough have tried.

Second place – UNPACKING – Barbara Ransom

There’s a good deal of honest to gosh, actual life in this piece, much that rings real and true, and achieving that in not much more than a thousand words is a considerable accomplishment.

Third place – THE BRIDGE – Dr. Michael Moreton

Like the two entries before it, this piece felt authentic to me, although it was perhaps just a touch less professional and accomplished in its execution and prose style than the first and second places; thus, its third place finish.

Honorable mention – 6-2-6-4-6 – Alexander Maycock

A fresh and lively narrative, well told and consistently engaging, but overall just not quite as smoothly written or as slickly presented as the first three placings.

Honorable mention – LETTA ‘OME – Barry Daniel

An absolutely wonderful job of writing dialect, which is extremely difficult, but the core narrative was too short and too thin for me to feel comfortable placing it above other entries with stronger narrative lines.

Honorable mention – THE PERFECT VACATION – Frank Visakay

Solid writing, novel plotting without turning gimmicky, but a little too like the much repeated tales of feckless Thai bar girls for me to feel good about ranking it above the first three placing with more original story lines.

So there you have it. My reasons, such as I can rationally explain them, for ranking the entries in the 2008 Boathouse Short Fiction Contest the way I did.

You think you can do better?

No problem. Next year the job’s yours.

Jake Needham