The book DANG, I Wish I Hadn't Done That: and other senior moments from the Ageless Authors Writing Contest is a powerful collection of 34 stories and poems by senior writers age 65 and older from the international writing group's 2018 competition.
Kirkus Reviews has called the book "A vibrant collection of pieces by an eclectic group of older writers..."
OnlineBookClub.org was even more impressed: "A display of courage and vision, this remarkable collection of stories and poems could be a step forward in laying the foundation for a new literary field that reflects the wisdom and experience of seniority."
Readers are treated to a wide-ranging array of works from highly experienced professional writers as well as those who forged careers in other types of jobs before returning to the craft in retirement. The categories in that contest were Military Memories; Parents, For Better or Worse; and DANG, I Wish I Hadn't Done That (regrets).
"We received more than 400 submissions from senior writers throughout the English-speaking world," says Larry Upshaw, Executive Director of Ageless Authors, based in Dallas, Texas, and the editor of DANG. "The competition in this contest was fierce. The work shows an incredible breadth of experience by some very creative, mature people."
A cadre of outstanding judges awarded cash prizes, honorable mentions and the title of "recognized" to works in all three and selected them for the anthology. The winners included the powerful coming-of-age tale, Moon of the Popping Trees by Hugh Gardner, a long-time journalist and fishing writer with bylines in Esquire, Harper's, Rolling Stone and Playboy. Gardner, who lives outside Denver, Colorado, also captured the Bivona Prize. This cash prize is given each year for the best overall effort in the contest.
Laguna Beach, California writer Geoffrey Graves, who formerly worked in advertising and television, penned The Klutzwit Gene, the story of a family project gone wrong. Leah Rae Lake of Austin, Texas, a writer and crafts expert, entered Refugee, her stunning portrait of a woman preparing for life on the run from violence.
Ageless Authors is an international group dedicated to the encouragement and promotion of senior writers through writing contests, publishing the outstanding entries and helping seniors publish their own books.
DANG, I Wish I Hadn't Done That is the group's second published anthology. Ageless Authors Anthology was published after the group's first contest in 2017.
To learn more about the activities of Ageless Authors, go to agelessauthors.com.
