Rita Riddle Writing Scholarship Awarded

Brenta Blevins

Brenta Blevins

Brenta Blevins, a master's degree candidate at Radford University, has received the 2012 Rita Riddle Creative Writing Scholarship, co-sponsored by the university’s Department of English and the Southern Appalachian Writers Cooperative (SAWC).

Blevins' winning submission was a short story titled “Gifts.” Alternate winner was student Jocelyn Staats for her untitled poetry.

The late Rita Riddle was an English professor at RU for many years and an active writer and poet. She was a mentor to student writers and a strong advocate for keeping Appalachian heritage alive through writing.

The scholarship, valued at more than $800, will fund Blevins' admission to the Appalachian Writers Workshop at the Hindman Settlement School in Hindman, Ky., this summer. The award also includes a $200 scholarship to the annual SAWC gathering in October at Highlander Center in New Market, Tenn.

Judges for the scholarship competition were RU English faculty members Theresa Burriss and Jim Minick, and Ohio poet Ron Houchin, an SAWC member. The judges said they chose Blevins' entry based on "mastery of details" and "real originality."

Read more online about Rita Riddle's life and career.

Apr 19, 2012
Bonnie Q. Erickson
(540) 831-5804
broberts@radford.edu