"Nota Bene, Latin for "note well," is Phi Theta Kappa's honors anthology. It recognizes outstanding writing of Phi Theta Kappa members and demonstrates to the literary public the academic excellence and commitment to scholarship found at two-year colleges. The first issue of Nota Bene was published in 1994; it has been published annually ever since.

The Citation Scholarship, a stipend of $1,000, is given to the author of the Nota Bene manuscript considered to be the most outstanding of all entries.

Four authors receive the Reynolds Scholarship Awards, stipends of $500 each. These awards are endowed by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. They honor the memory of the late Donald W. Reynolds, founder of the Donrey Media Group."
--- From the Phi Theta Kappa Nota Bene Web site.

September 30, 2009:
"Members whose literary works were selected for the 2009 edition of Nota Bene, Phi Theta Kappa's literary honors anthology, are announced this week.

Nota Bene is distributed internationally to community college leaders and community college libraries.

"We congratulate our 2009 Nota Bene honorees and their colleges," said Phi Theta Kappa Executive Director Rod A. Risley, who serves as Founding Editor of the honors anthology.

"At a time when writing skills are neglected, Phi Theta Kappa is proud to provide a platform to nurture creative writing and effective communication. Nota Bene, which will be distributed internationally, will showcase outstanding writing by community college students and emphasize the opportunities for excellence found at community colleges," said Risley.

Jennifer Johnson of Georgia Perimeter College received the Citation Scholarship of $1,000 for the entry judged best overall, her short story, The Act of Salvaging.

Reynolds Scholarships of $500 each were awarded to:

Mariangela Jordan, Greenville Technical College, South Carolina, for her poem, English 101. Jordan's poem History was also selected for the 2009 edition.

Jandra Oliver, Nashua Community College, New Hampshire, for her poem, Future Memory. Oliver's poem Sorting Socks will also be included.

Jared C. Silvia, Valencia Community College, Winter Park Campus, Florida, for his short story, Uncle Benny. Silvia's short story, The Boxer, was also selected.

Linda Sirois, Bay de Noc Community College, Escanaba Campus, Michigan, for her essay, Terva Paikka. Sirois' essay, A Few Words about Algebra, was also selected.

Members and their submissions chosen for publication include:

Brittani Alexander, Glendale Community College, Arizona, Mae - short story

Gabriel Dietz, Butte College, California, God, Man and the Mysterious Force - research paper

Alison Green, Illinois Valley Community College, Illinois, The Platte City Rabble-Rousers - short story

Anthony Heyward, Borough of Manhattan Community College, New York, Granddaddy - essay

Mitzi Kay Jackson, Wayne County Community College, Downtown Campus, Michigan,
Long Way to Go - poem

Linda Lyons, Pima Community College, Arizona, Beginnings - essay

Jennifer L. Miller, Butte College, California, Note to the English Teacher - poem

Alison Ann Springle, Bucks County Community College, Newtown Campus, Pennsylvania, Holiday Wish - poem

Kaitlin Williams, College of the Desert, California, Back Alleys - poem

James A. Yarrow, Santa Ana College, California, For a Rainy Day - poem "

--Press release from Phi Theta Kappa



The Act of Salvaging, a story I wrote about a year ago, was selected as the 2009 Nota Bene Citation Award.

I'm over the moon!

If ever I needed any encouragement to continue writing, this is it. Just when I needed it.