CBA Record July-August 2021

2nd Annual CBA Flash Fiction Contest

T he CBA Record’s Second Annual Flash Fiction Contest – designed to showcase attorneys’ creative talents – seemed par- ticularly timely this past year, as we’ve overcome so many unique challenges. Entries arrived in abundance. Editorial Board members reviewed the submissions with celebrity guest judge Julie Justicz, who selected the winner from among the top finalists. As last year’s Flash Fiction Contest winner and acclaimed author of Degrees of Difficulty (2019), Justicz’s participa- tion was especially meaningful. We’re pleased to announce that this year’s first place winner is Jonathan Safron’s short story, Zoomand the Bigger Picture . In second place is Marie Hollister’s Marathon of the Mind , and Elizabeth Streit’s The Last Awakening rounds out the prizewinners in third place. Justicz describes Zoom and the Bigger Picture as a “compelling and slyly funny story,” an apt description in light of Safron’s inspiration for the piece: As a law clerk in the early days of the pandemic, Safron not only observed, but assisted with, circuit court judges’ move from traditional settings to a virtual platform. A few months later, as an associate working in a traditional office setting, Safron found himself privy to conversations from“office neighbors,” including those above him. A musician and songwriter, Safron had reunited during the pandemic with former bandmates and recorded a few songs while still seeking out other creative outlets. Although he had some journalism experience, he had never really explored creative writing. The CBA Record’s Flash Fiction Contest lit a spark and presented an opportunity for Safron to combine his legal experiences with his creative endeavors. He credits his colleagues at Carlson Dash, LLC, for encouraging him to submit his entry and providing a supportive work environment that nurtures creativity. Digital copies of the Second and Third Place winning entries are available at www.chicagobar.org/chicagobar/Record. Marathon of the Mind is a cleverly structured story. Marie Hollister takes the reader on a marathon run with an older man whose traumatic brain injury has left him only scattershot memories. As the miles go by, different images help the memory-impaired runner recognize his unbroken connection to his wife of 40 years. Marie is a compliance attorney in McDermott Will & Emery’s Conflicts and Client Intake Department. The Last Awakening by Elizabeth Streit is the story of a 92-year-oldwomanwho has lost many friends and spends hours reading obituaries, but in a moment of epiphany, she decides to enjoy each moment she has left. Elizabeth is a Chief Trial Attorney at Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

38 July/August 2021