Emily Brown, a sophomore at Thomas More University, has been awarded First Place in the college division of the 4th annual Liminal Essay Contest, sponsored by author S. K. Kruse. She won a $250 prize.
Brown’s winning essay, “The Work of the Liminal,” earned the top prize in a competitive field of college entries from across the region.
Brown’s essay examines the transformational dimensions of liminality—the experience of being in a threshold or in-between state—through close analysis of S. K. Kruse’s short story “Goodbye, Bonavento.”
Contest judge Mary Potter praised the essay’s clarity, analytical precision, and its sensitive engagement with the story.
“The clarity of the prose, the precision of the analysis of liminality, and the apt use of selected details from the story all come together to make this an essay that honors the story as story while exploring the concept of liminality,” said Potter.
Potter further noted that Brown’s essay “analyzes the challenging transformational work of liminality through the narrative arc of the story’s protagonist, giving the reader both a clear grasp of the story and a clear view of what liminal experience is, how it works, and, sometimes, fails to work in particular circumstances.”
Brown herself concludes that the story “portrays liminality as a dynamic threshold where identity is destabilized and reconstituted under pressure. Through spatial crossing, linguistic mediation, symbolic loss, and decisive performance, Angela moves from paralysis to decisive action.”
The Liminal Essay Contest, now in its fourth year, invites college writers to explore the concept of liminality — the experience of threshold, transition, and in-between states —through close reading of selected literary works.
This year’s contest was based on S. K. Kruse’s short story “Goodbye, Bonavento.”
To read the winning essays and learn more about the contest, visit skkruse.com/liminalessaycontest.
For more information, contact S. K. Kruse at skkruse.com.
S.K. Kruse