Writers’ Studio names winner for COVID-19 story competition

Selected out of over 20 entries, the Delray Beach Writers’ Studio has named seasonal Delray Beach resident Barbara Lea Kirsh as the winner of its “Pen to Pandemic” Short-Story Competition.

Telling a story of a long-married couple adapting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic with the help of their furry friend, Kirsh’s short story “Hot Dog” was chosen by a blind judging panel of three local readers — Evelyn Horowitz, Isabella Rowan and Martha Kennedy Babcock.

Spending winter and spring in Delray Beach each year with her husband, David, Kirsh has been a member of the Delray Beach Writers’ Studio for the past four years and is currently revising her first novel “Russ and Rose.”

Hoping to spark imagination and fun, contest organizer Kathy Baldwin invited individuals age 18 and older to submit works of fiction set in Delray Beach during the COVID19 pandemic.

“A short-story competition seemed a unique, fun way of capturing not only the historical details of the pandemic in Delray but also the mood of the community in this challenging time,” Baldwin, who is also the Writers’ Studio moderator and

Delray Beach Historical Society docent, said in a statement.

In addition to the winning short story, four entries were recognized as runner-ups:

“Jailhouse Rock” by James Delaney

“The Beach Was Closed” by Kate Fogarty

“Killing Me Softly” by Sucheta Frankel

“The Day the Unicorn Came to Delray Beach” by Marlene Wolf Smith

Visit delraybeachhistory.org.

DELRAY BEACH WRITERS’ STUDIO Seasonal Delray Beach resident Barbara Lea Kirsh was named the winner of the Delray Beach Writers’ Studio “Pen to Pandemic” Short-Story Competition for “Hot Dog.”