2017 pop culture essay contest

Congratulations to Nadia Wolnisty for her winning entry, "Mycology"!

Culture editor Brendon Barnes had this to say about Nadia's essay:

“Mycology” captivated the editors and me from the first paragraph. And while it was one of the shorter entries in our contest, each paragraph was thoughtfully composed and contributed to our interest in the speaker and their friendship with Jesse.

What made this submission extra special was the way it introduced and integrated details from Adventure Time, specifically the character Marceline. As someone who’s been alive recently, I’ve had Adventure Time recommended to me about a dozen times, but this essay was the first argument that swayed me. After reading “Mycology,” I sought out the episode that includes the song Marceline performs, and it’s lovelier than I could have hoped for.

And so is this essay.

The two reasons why we publish pop/culture essays at sinkhole is to share the art that excites us, and to discuss how these shows and books and songs and movies fit into our lives. How they give us the vocabulary to engage with our world.

We think “Mycology” meets that task quite well. I hope you’ll agree.

Congratulations to our two runners up, as well, Madeline Cash for "Bondage, Dominance, and Sciatica," and Karolina Zapal for "Devil in White."

Nadia will receive $250, publication in sinkhole, and a year-long subscription to Field Notes worth $97.

Madeline and Karolina will also receive publication in sinkhole and honorariums for their work.