For the full effect, play the video while you read the announcement.
We got the most votes ever in the People’s Choice competition for the erasure contest. It was incontestably a hotly contested contest (dg still has packet fever). And many of you were very naughty and voted for multiple entries in an attempt, no doubt, to increase dg’s anxiety and insomnia (due to packet fever). The judges decided that in keeping with the inclusiveness of NC, all votes would be counted as first place votes (since there isn’t any 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th place prize AND since many of you didn’t distinguish between your first place vote and the others). This is dg’s solution in the face of what appears to be a Cairo-like mass rebellion of popular democracy. So be it. (And BTW dg loves you all.)
And the winner of the first annual Numéro Cinq Erasure Contest is…
NATALIA SARKISSIAN
for her amazing erasure creation—
YOU MUST, YOU MUST! I SAY
You must, you must! I say,
Make telling one another your Rule.
Formed to this method
Gives room to the Parts (disposed to Art)
To Practice Lightness, Suppleness and Vigour.
Act with a good Grace.
Fear the Blade of disorder.
Avoid Prudence.
Demonstrate that Enterprise procures Quality.
Opposed by Time, Counter to Time:
His Parade.
Serve Order. Give Light.
—Natalia Sarkissian
Sarah Braud ran a very close second place. You can count the votes for yourselves here (probably you’d better since dg had packet fever when he was counting). There were very many entries that got first place votes.
An anonymous child, age 9, who entered under the name Chirag won the Minnow Class People’s Choice. (DG was in touch with the child’s enterer–dg can’t think of the right word because he has packet fever–and there were good and lovely reasons for withholding the child’s identity. But the entry was legitimate and the prize well-deserved.)
dg
p.s. Now we await the official prize judgment, soon to be coming from the judges, the official judges of the official competition, as opposed to the riot of popular opinion displayed in the People’s Choice competition. You may have to wait a while since one of the judges has packet fever.
After a year and change of studying these contests, careful sleuthing, going through garbage bins and email-trash, and poring over the exact wording of DG’s comments about the Judge’s goings-on and the shocking similarities between the Judge and DG (in terms of wit, phraseology and temperament) I have come to a conclusion. The identity of the Judge must in fact be……… DG’s brother or sister!
Congratulations, Natalia and other winners!
Is that the right one? Natalia submitted two entries. I voted for the second one: “You must, you must! I say.” The one displayed above was her first entry.
Are you filing an official grievance? Or are you just trying to make dg crazy?
I think most everyone voted for this one. But if you all want to add up the votes again, I’ll change this. Of course, Natalia has already skipped town with the prize money.
Well, of course I’m trying to make you crazy…or crazier, if you like.
Natalia is entitled to the prize money, but probably for the one I mentioned, which was entered on January 19. The one you displayed above was entered on January 18, and is therefore her first submission, not the second.
Oh, of course, you’re right. In haste, I snagged the wrong entry. I’ve replaced it. It’s a much better piece. Thanks, v. I need all the back up I can get here.
This is the right one:
YOU MUST, YOU MUST! I SAY
You must, you must! I say,
Make telling one another your Rule.
Formed to this method
Gives room to the Parts (disposed to Art)
To Practice Lightness, Suppleness and Vigour.
Act with a good Grace.
Fear the Blade of disorder.
Avoid Prudence.
Demonstrate that Enterprise procures Quality.
Opposed by Time, Counter to Time:
His Parade.
Serve Order. Give Light.
you sure? I’ll change it if you’re sure.
I have packet fever. Have I mentioned this?
I’m sure that Natalia’s two entries were made in the order I stated. I don’t know that everyone who voted specified which of her poems they were voting for. If you’d like me to go through the posts and check, I will, O Fevered One.
This is the one I voted for. Excellent.
I forgot to vote because I was busy doing my packet. Congrats!
Yay! Congrats to the talented winner and runner-up! Well done!
Congrats to Natalia & Sarah B.!
mazel tov to the victors.
Si, congratulazioni a Natalia, in Italia.
And congratulations to Sarah, wherever she may be.
I just logged on after a long and winding journey home from the post-Superbowl crazed streets of Washington DC to the sunny Alp-ringed skies of Milano and have discovered I’ve been elected People’s Choice winner. What an honor!! My sincerest thanks!!! Thanks Vivian for keeping the judge(s) on their toes while I was in flight!
Congrats Nat!
Thanks rgg, aka Mr. Mutt, aka gary!
Mutt?
And I sincerely appreciate the honorable mention of my entry. How kind you all are to fresh meat.
congratulations to the winners. really enjoyed reading everyone’s good work. i know it was motivated by prize package including the late model Astin Martin and the sack of Doubloons, but we must take inspiration in whatever form we find it.
cheers,
jill
Jill, You’re a bit out of the loop. You forgot the 3 weeks in Tahiti.
oof.
[...] Just to be clear: newcomers should realize that all NC contests have a double trajectory. There is a People’s Choice Winner and then an Official Winner chosen by a panel of anonymous, highly paid, drunken, dissolute, rebellious, puerile, ill-read layabouts. Thus the Official NC Winner is something like the Booker Prize. The list of OFFICIAL ENTRIES for this year’s contest is here. And the PEOPLE’S CHOICE winner is here. [...]
Excellent clip choice and splendid entries. ‘Grats to Natalia.
[...] The list of OFFICIAL ENTRIES for this year’s contest is here. And the PEOPLE’S CHOICE winner is here. [...]