Barton College, in Wilson, was named one of the best regional colleges of the South in 2017 by U.S. News & World Report. Barton is home to the student-run literary magaazine, The Crucible.
Edited by Dr. James A. Clark, Dean of Humanities, The Crucible hosts the yearly Sam Ragan Poetry Competition, awarding $150 and publication to an unpublished poem. The Crucible publishes fiction as well, up to 8,000 words, and offers a yearly fiction prize with a value of $150.
All submissions are considered for the prize, and submissions are accepted Jan 1 – May 1 yearly at crucible@barton.edu. There is no entry fee, and submissions are only accepted electronically.
Often called North Carolina’s “literary godfather,†Sam Ragan (1915-1996) was for more than fifty years one of his state’s leading men of letters. He taught writing and journalism at Sandhills Community College, St. Andrews Presbyterian College, and North Carolina State University. He published six collections of verse, two of which were nominated for Pulitzer Prizes, and four works of nonfiction. A former trustee of the North Carolina Writers’ Network, he helped found the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame, of which he is a member. He also is a member of the NC Journalism Hall of Fame.
Copies of the current Crucible may be purchased for $8.00. Back issues are also available from the Editor for $8.00 per copy.
Visit Crucible on the web at https://www.barton.edu/crucible.