Clemson English sweeps statewide creative writing competition

English majors Kristen Huynh, Sarai Winkler and Reed Tanner took the top three spots in Coastal Carolina University’s (CCU) 2025 South Carolina Creative Sociology Writing Competition.

The competition was open to undergraduate and graduate students in any discipline across South Carolina. Students were invited to submit short fiction, poetry or creative nonfiction pieces that explored the theme “Family Matters.”

In addition to the theme, students were encouraged to explore The Sociological Imagination, a key sociology concept that refers to one’s ability to connect personal experiences with larger social structures.

Submissions were blind reviewed by a panel of four judges—two sociologists and two creative writers. There were 36 entries across 14 different universities. Many of the honorable mentions were also Clemson students.

Kristen Huynh ’25 placed first in the competition with her short story “The Paper Rabbit.” The story follows a Vietnamese American narrator who struggles with the concept of identity. The narrator explores this conflict alongside her cousin from Vietnam, who moves in with her family.

Huynh wrote “The Paper Rabbit” in a creative writing course she took to fulfill a major requirement. It was the first short story she ever wrote.

“I never considered writing before,” she said. “I didn’t realize it was something I could do.”

Huynh also submitted “The Paper Rabbit” to Clemson’s annual Writer’s Harvest—a literary benefit reading for Clemson University’s Paw Pantry—and won the undergraduate award. As a winner, she gave a reading at the benefit.

“I didn’t think something I could create would elicit that kind of reaction,” Huynh explained, reflecting on her success. “Writing is a new interest for me, but I’ve realized I do really like it.”

Sarai Winkler, junior, placed second with her short story “Night Crawler.” The story follows two sisters who go through personal transformation at different times, reflecting on the ever-changing societal beauty standards for women. In the world of “Night Crawler,” change is tangible, like a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly.

Originally a biology major, Winkler transferred into the Department of English after the Clemson Literary Festival in 2024.

“Getting to meet the department, go to different events they hosted and meet the people in the department, I saw that they really cared about each other,” she said. “That’s what gave me the support to transfer.”

Winkler credits Associate Professor Su Cho for helping her find the confidence to submit a piece to the competition. In Cho’s class, Winkler was challenged to “live like a writer”, setting up an account to submit her work and reaching out to successful Clemson English alumni.

Reed Tanner, junior, placed third for his short story “Thread for the Quilt.” Tanner’s story focuses on generational trauma and explores the effects of absence and grief even in the face of enduring love. The story uses five different perspectives to build out the complexity of the theme.

“This experience has definitely empowered my writing and made me realize what I can accomplish if I put myself out there more often,” Tanner said. “What started as a whim decision became a push to keep doing what I love.”

Tanner credited multiple faculty members — Stevie Edwards, Robin Kowalski, George Thomas and Susanna Ashton — for helping him stretch his creative muscles.

Recently named the #1 Best Colleges for English in South Carolina by Niche, the Department of English at Clemson University focuses on the analysis, creation and history of textual production in its various formats. The department offers a B.A. in English, an M.A. in English and a Ph.D. in Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design. The department also offers First-Year Writing, Sophomore Literature, and Advanced Writing courses to the University’s General Education curriculum.