The ECA was selected from a list of ten finalists, which in turn were chosen from 96 works that appear in MacQ-5 (not including the five “qualmish” stories from our latest writing challenge, the “RESQ”).

A world of thanks, and a small cash prize of $100 USD, to Scott Ferry for this phenomenal poem:

⚡ Bubbles the fish no longer swims

My other finalist favorites are listed below in alpha order by last name of author or artist:

⚡ Beepbop [micro-fiction] by Christopher Candice

⚡ Impression [ekphrastic CNF after Berthe Morisot’s Woman and Child on a Balcony] by Robert L. Dean, Jr.

⚡ The Quink of an Eye [prose poem] by Kika Dorsey

⚡ American Carnage [painting] by MaRco Elliott

⚡ The mustard incident [prose poem] by Michael J. Galko

⚡ A Prayer for Abe Lincoln [CNF] by Hannah Lund

⚡ Promiscuity [micro-fiction] by Lorette C. Luzajic

⚡ Double-Timed at the Nickel Diner [micro-fiction + photograph] by Alexis Rhone Fancher

⚡ Ready Taxi [flash fiction] by Mary Hannah Terzino

Links to previous selections:

Editor’s Choice Award: Issue 1

Editor’s Choice Award: Issue 2

Editor’s Choice Award: Issue 3

Editor’s Choice Award: Issue 4