“The doors to the library parted and…”

Submissions to the 2014 Summer Flash Fiction Contest ran the gamut from hilarious to poignant, with some being witty, others whimsical, some poetical, others philosophical, and yet another erudite. Several were illustrated with fabulous artwork, such as the phantasmagorical scene below, drawn by Eytan Wronker. It was difficult to choose winners from such a panoply of creativity.

Eytan Wronker, 2014

The purpose of this summer’s contest was to promote literacy and the love of language by encouraging people to reflect on libraries, reading, books, or poetry and to express their feelings creatively in the form of haiku. Over 70 poems were entered in the contest, expressing a wide variety of sentiments, from wonder to joy, from gratitude to wistfulness, all of them fervent.

Where’s your favorite place in Irvington to read books in the summer?

More than 100 contestants (38 children, 28 teenagers, and 43 adults) answered that question during the summer of 2010, describing their favorite outdoor and indoor locations for summer reading. Written entries ranged from three words to three pages. Original artwork and photographs were also submitted.

The top five most frequently mentioned locations were: #1 in bed, #2 at the library, #3 backyard, #4 Matthiessen Park, and #5 Scenic Hudson Park.

Other locations included Halsey Pond, Irvington Farmers Market, a swing, the train station, sofa/couch, lawn chair, backyard, patio, under a tree, benches, pool, porch, car by the water, Irvington High School, Main Street School, Dow’s Lane School, Black Cat Cafe, Say Cheese & Thank You, church, roof and bathtub.