november essay

TOK DISCUSSIONS

Theory of knowledge prescribed titles

November 2024 examination session

Does our responsibility to acquire knowledge vary according to the area of knowledge? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

In the production of knowledge, is ingenuity always needed but never enough? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

How might it benefit an area of knowledge to sever ties with its past? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

To what extent do you agree that there is no significant difference between hypothesis and speculation? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.

In the production of knowledge, are we too quick to dismiss anomalies? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

In the pursuit of knowledge, what is gained by the artist adopting the lens of the scientist and the scientist adopting the lens of the artist? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

November 2024 Title #1

Does our responsibility to acquire knowledge vary according to the area of knowledge?

Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

This title reminds me of a knowledge question (KQ) from the TOK guide, categorized under the framework of “ethics.” The KQ asks: “Is there knowledge that a person or society has a responsibility to acquire or not to acquire?” The key words here are “responsibility” and “acquire.” It’s easy to mistake the intent of this title with the responsibility of historians and scientists in “producing” knowledge, but that’s not the focus here. So, I want to emphasize that “our responsibility” refers to us, the consumers of knowledge, both as individuals and as a society.

History is already selected as one area of knowledge for comparison. What historical knowledge are we, as individuals, nations, or humanity in general, responsible for acquiring? Should we know about the history of other countries or ethnic groups? Is knowledge about events like WWII necessary for a nation?

Develop your guiding knowledge question with ethics and the scope of knowledge in mind. Find real-life examples from history, one crucial to the survival of a nation or humanity, and perhaps one less relevant. Repeat this process for another area of knowledge, such as natural or human sciences, and develop your arguments accordingly.

Demonstrate your awareness of different viewpoints by exploring real-life examples illustrating our responsibility toward each area of knowledge.

Some might believe: “I must know everything about my nation’s history. Biology, however, doesn’t interest me.” Others might disagree: “I prioritize knowledge related to engineering for my country’s advancement, but I don’t see the importance of history.”

Where do you stand on this topic?

November 2024 Title #2

In the production of knowledge, is ingenuity always needed but never enough?

Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

Is it “always” needed but “never” enough? These are too strict words to be used in the theory of knowledge. Considering this, we can understand that the answer to this title question is “No!”

Clearly, this essay demands four real-life examples to explore all four corners of this title. The level of imagination and ingenuity required in mathematics can vary depending on the specific subfield and the problem being addressed. For example, applied mathematics fields such as numerical analysis and certain areas of statistics often involve a more straightforward application of mathematical techniques to solve practical problems. On the other hand, more abstract areas of mathematics, such as pure mathematics, theoretical computer science, and certain branches of algebra and topology, often require a higher level of imagination and ingenuity.

Obviously, you’ll want to choose arts as the opposing area of knowledge to mathematics. Some art forms might rely more heavily on technical skill or adherence to established conventions rather than radical innovation or imaginative exploration. For example, in disciplines like classical portraiture, certain forms of folk art, or crafts like quilting or woodcarving, the emphasis may be more on skillful execution within established parameters rather than pushing boundaries of imagination. In more abstract forms of art, however, ingenuity is paramount, as imagination and creativity are what drive artistic creation and the production of artistic knowledge.

It is important to introduce and explain the keywords “ingenuity,” “always,” and “never,” and to highlight that while ingenuity is necessary, it is not the sole factor contributing to knowledge production. Real-life examples should showcase different degrees of necessity for ingenuity, imagination, and creativity in the production of knowledge, compared to the role of other factors such as the application of established methods and tools, utilization of skills, or expanding existing knowledge parameters. As I mentioned above, the short answer to this title question is “no,” but you should show your total awareness of different points of view on this matter by exploring these real-life examples within the areas of knowledge of mathematics and one other.

November 2024 Title #3

How might it benefit an area of knowledge to sever ties with its past?

Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

If you think of it, resetting human knowledge has no benefit, so how could severing ties with the past benefit an area of knowledge? Well, here you should first define “severing ties” in the context of knowledge. It may be a bit different from severing ties with relatives or organizations. Knowledge is to be built upon foundations that have been placed by earlier knowledge producers; however, it doesn’t mean that it should be “tied” to past knowledge. “Severing ties with the past” in the context of knowledge means not being bound to follow earlier knowledge at all costs. And that’s what knowledge is all about – to progress and produce newer, better knowledge.

On the other hand, blindly denying the past and trying to start from scratch can cost an area of knowledge and humanity a great deal.

In history, historians shouldn’t believe every single narrative that has been told and rely solely on them. Reevaluating evidence, trying to find new evidence, and forming more accurate narratives is how history can benefit from “severing ties” with its past as an area of knowledge. However, swiftly denying the history of a nation, a group, or the world, and forming whole new narratives is a dark path that won’t benefit history or humans in any possible way.

In human and natural sciences, paradigm shifts were instances when these areas of knowledge “severed ties” with their past in the context of knowledge production. There existed something called the mind and consciousness that could be studied, and its illnesses cured. Earth was no longer considered flat and the center of the universe. Copying nature in the most accurate way is not the only form of painting to be considered art, and literature can be more understandable to commoners and more friendly to read. These are the changes that happened in arts as a result of “severing ties” with the past and innovating new forms and methods.

Mathematics has seen many changes, much progress in its lifetime. Non-Euclidean geometries exist today because mathematicians like Carl Friedrich Gauss, Bernhard Riemann, and Nikolai Lobachevsky decided not to stick to the past and bring about new mathematical knowledge.

However, don’t forget that not everything went well when we decided to sever ties with the past, and even disasters happened that today we are still dealing with many of them. I abstain from bringing examples of what went wrong for two reasons: first of all, you can write your own essays without fear of plagiarism, and secondly, not to offend anyone or any group, which is indeed one of the disastrous results of severing ties with the past!

You will probably be safe to choose real-life examples in arts and mathematics. However, I warn you to be very careful in choosing your real-life examples from history and sciences as the examiner might not share the same degree of progressivism with you; they may be too progressive or too old-fashioned!

November 2024 Title #4

To what extent do you agree that there is no significant difference between hypothesis and speculation?

Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Well, I do not agree with this statement at all!

There’s a significant difference between a hypothesis and speculation in both the human and natural sciences. Speculation, which some consider forbidden, can lead to the formation of a hypothesis when done properly. While a hypothesis involves theorizing based on empirical evidence or potentially verifiable observations.

You might want to choose the human sciences as the area of knowledge mostly based on speculation, as opposed to the natural sciences, which are largely based on hypotheses. This could be a way to write a TOK essay in response to the given title. You may also want to consider exploring other titles for your essay.

November 2024 Title #5

In the production of knowledge, are we too quick to dismiss anomalies?

What’s an “anomaly” in the production of knowledge?

Archaeological findings that don’t match the popular historical narrative of a region, the jump of a stock in the stock market that goes against all economic theories, a fish that is older than the sea it’s found in, and many more events that disturb the widely accepted knowledge are all considered anomalies.

But, are we too quick to dismiss these anomalies? Sometimes, we are, and sometimes we are not.

You can find real-life examples where historians, scientists, and even mathematicians reacted to anomalies in a rejective way for the sake of “old knowledge” or due to the fear of the unknown. You can also find numerous real-life examples where anomalies were thoroughly inspected and investigated and caused a rewriting of historical narratives or reevaluation of scientific beliefs. Keep in mind that this title should be explored considering the production of knowledge, which means you should analyze how scientists, historians, and mathematicians reacted to anomalies, not ordinary citizens, also known as the consumers of knowledge.

Obviously, “anomaly” and “too quick to dismiss” are the keywords needing defining and explanation. You are supposed to examine through your real-life examples how quick “too quick” is to dismiss anomalies. You’ll reach the conclusion that sometimes anomalies were swiftly dismissed for the sake of favorability bias, fear of the unknown, or any other reason, and at times they were dismissed after thorough examination or accepted as a result of it. In doing so, you’ll show your full awareness of different points of view about this matter.

November 2024 Title #6

In the pursuit of knowledge, what is gained by the artist adopting the lens of the scientist and the scientist adopting the lens of the artist?

Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

When we face a lot of information, it can be hard to know what is important for us to learn. One way to handle this is to think critically about what we want to learn and what we already know. We can then look at different sources of information and decide which ones are reliable and helpful. We must question the accuracy, trustworthiness, and recentness of the information.

There is also another hidden point in this title prompt – “what is significant for the acquisition” can refer to the type or delivery of the information compared to knowledge as a whole.

In natural sciences, when choosing between two nutrition apps, such as App A and App B, a person should research each app’s information, reviews, and endorsements from reputable organizations. Based on their findings, they can make an informed decision about which app to use. For example, if App A has positive reviews from users and nutrition experts, as well as personalized meal plans and progress tracking, it may be the better choice. However, the person may also want to compare both apps firsthand before deciding. Additionally, seeking out other sources of reliable nutrition information, such as reputable websites, books, or consulting with a registered dietitian, can help them make informed decisions about their health and nutrition goals.

In human sciences, when faced with two investment options, such as Option A and Option B, an investor must conduct research to determine which option offers the best return on investment. The investor should look for reviews and endorsements from reputable organizations, as well as any ratings from other investors. After researching both options, the investor might discover that Option A has a proven track record of delivering consistent returns, diversification of portfolio, and low fees, while Option B has a higher risk profile and mixed reviews. Based on this information, the investor might choose Option A for more reliable and consistent returns, or they may test both options firsthand before making a decision. Additionally, the investor might seek out other reliable sources of financial information, such as financial news websites, books, or a consultation with a financial advisor, to make informed decisions about their investments that align with their investment goals and risk tolerance.

You can find your own scenarios and real-life example and develop your argument in similar ways.

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The Month of November 2023: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore

Everything You Need to Know About November!

What’s happening in November? Here at the Almanac, we think of November as the month of food, when the best of cooks can shine, and the best of eaters will surely get their fill ahead of winter. Here’s what November brings—from weather forecasts to folklore!

And the dead leaves lie huddled and still, No longer blown hither and thither; The last lone aster is gone; The flowers of the witch-hazel wither … –Robert Frost (1874-1963)

The Month of November

November, the 11th month of the year, has 30 days and marks the beginning of the winter holiday season for most folks, even if the winter solstice doesn’t occur until late December.

Read Next

When is thanksgiving 2024 traditions, history, and recipes, the month of december 2023: holidays, fun facts, folklore, the month of october 2023: holidays, fun facts, folklore.

We’ve made this month, named for the ninth (novem) month in the early Roman calendar, into a social time of community suppers, feasts of thanksgiving, and general elections. 

November Calendar

• November 1  is  All Saints’ Day .
• November 4  is  Will Rogers Day … it is also  Sadie Hawkins Day .
• November 5 at 2 A.M. is the end of Daylight Saving Time . Set your clocks back one hour on Saturday night at bedtime!  See more about DST .
• November 7  is Election Day ( U.S. ). Don’t forget to vote in state and federal elections! Every vote counts. Make an Election Day Cake to celebrate.
• November 11  is Veterans Day  ( U.S. ) and Remembrance Day (Canada).
• If you’re fortunate, you may experience an “ Indian Summer ” in November, but according to the traditional definition, it can only occur between November 11 and 20!  What is an Indian Summer?
• November 19 is Discovery of Puerto Rico Day .
• November 23 is  Thanksgiving Day ( U.S. ). Understand the history and origins of Thanksgiving .

“Just for Fun” Dates in November

November is Banana Pudding Lovers Month—who knew? Here are some more wacky celebrations to look forward to:

• Nov. 1: National Cook for Your Pets Day
• Nov. 6: Zero-Tasking Day
• Nov. 9: National Scrapple Day
• Nov. 16: National Button Day
• Nov. 21: World Hello Day
• Nov. 23: Fibonacci Day

November Moon &  Astronomy

The Full Beaver Moon

November’s full Moon is traditionally called the Beaver Moon . Why this name? In the Colonial Era, this was the month to set one’s beaver traps before the swamps froze and beavers retired to their lodges, to ensure a supply of warm winter furs.

In 2023, November’s full Moon occurs on Monday, November 27. Read our  November Moon  page for more information!

November Weather

According to weather folklore, a heavy November snow will last until April.

See our predictions for November  and check out our 2024 Winter Forecast !

November Weather Folklore

• If there’s ice in November that will bear a duck, There’ll be nothing after but sludge and muck .
• November take flail; let ships no more sail.
• If trees show buds in November, the winter will last until May.
• There is no better month in the year to cut wood than November.
• Ice in November brings mud in December.

Recipes for the Season

It’s time to start thinking about holiday preparations—for Thanksgiving and beyond!

Consult our collection of Thanksgiving recipes —from the big bird to stuffing to deserving side dishes to desserts!

You may also enjoy these make-ahead Thanksgiving recipes ; they can be prepared ahead of the big feast day to save you some valuable last-minute cooking time.

If you’re serving turkey, here are tips on how to roast the bird .

Got leftovers? Try this Day-After-Turkey-Dinner Hash !

Learn more about Thanksgiving’s foods with these fun facts pages:

• The Great Yam Scam: Are Sweet Potatoes Really “Yams?”
• Cranberry Trivia
• Turkey Trivia

November Gardening

Use small stakes or markers where you’ve planted bulbs or late-starting plants in the perennial garden to avoid disturbing them when you begin spring soil preparation.

Check trees around your house for weak branches that should be removed by you now, rather than by snow and ice later.

If you’re in the midst of raking leaves, see our advice on how to use them in the garden .

See more gardening jobs for the month of November.

Did You Know: Autumn is the best time to prepare your yard properly for a healthy spring growth. It’s much easier to handle these tasks now! See our “ 10 Fall Cleanup Tips for a Better Spring Garden .”

November Birthstone

November’s traditional birthstone is the topaz , usually a yellow to amber color. The ancient Greeks believed that topaz could make a wearer invisible. A symbol of honor and strength, topaz was also believed to bring longevity and wisdom. Learn more about topaz—and November birthstones .

Birth Flowers

November’s birth flower is the chrysanthemum . Generally, chrysanthemums represent cheerfulness. A red one conveys “I love you.” White symbolizes truth or pure love. A yellow one indicates slighted love. Learn more about the birth flower of November .

Everyday Advice

The holiday season is now upon us! Check out our  Holiday Cooking and Cleaning Checklist

It’s also the start of cold and flu season. Here are  natural cold remedies for your body and mind.

Stay warm with a cozy fire. See the best types of firewood for burning .

November Zodiac

November’s Zodiac Signs are:

• Scorpio: October 23 to November 21
• Sagittarius: November 22 to December 20

What do you love about the month of November? Tell us in the comments below!

Catherine Boeckmann

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Wow amazing

I look forward to this site each day; love the information.

I love this site. I love the free newsletter too! Thank you! You are awesome!

what does the color of caterpillars have to do with the winter weather? any comments on salt? effects on salt during cold weather? moisture? wives tails? ;}

As to the color of caterpillars, you might be interested in the folklore of the woolly worm, whose brown and black bands are said to predict the coming winter’s severity: http://www.almanac.com/content/woolly-bear-caterpillars-and-weather-prediction

As to salt, weather lore says that it increases in weight before a shower. There is also a similar excerpt in an old weather lore book that says: “A farmer’s wife says when her cheese salt is soft, it will rain; when getting dry, fair weather may be expected.”

Hope this helps!

Which days in November, December or January are best for shoulder surgery?

What is the best day where moving to our new house this coming December? Please help me, thank you and more power!

Moving house during a waning moon is said to be good luck.

If I weaned my foal on November 16th how long should I wait to turn her out into the pasture freely with her mom.. Assuming that I do not want her to feed off her mom.. I was planning on waiting 30 days but was seeing if there was a magic date and time! Thank you in advance!

What are the best days in November to paint so that it will stay?

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Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Literature › Analysis of Robert Frost’s November

Analysis of Robert Frost’s November

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on February 22, 2021 • ( 0 )

November  (1942)

We saw leaves go to glory, Then almost migratory Go part way down the lane, And then to end the story Get beaten down and pasted In one wild day of rain. We heard ” ‘Tis Over” roaring. A year of leaves was wasted….. By denying and ignoring The waste of nations warring.

“November” was first published in The Old Farmer’s Almanac 1939 as “October” and was later published as “November” in A Witness Tree, after it was realized that A Boy’s Will included a poem titled “October.” The manuscript title was “In Praise of Waste,” but it also held several other titles, including “For the Fall of Nineteen Thirty Eight” and “Lines Written Last Autumn” (Cramer, 139).

Autumn is a season Frost wrote about frequently. October and November are transitional months, and since Frost was very much concerned with the transition from fall to winter, the two months tend to figure prominently in several of his poems about nature.

Robert Frost/ Dmitri Kessel

The poem has a subtext of war. The leaves become a metaphor for the soldiers who, too, initially leave on what seems to be the way “to glory” but often make it only partway down the lane to war, before being brought down in a rain of bullets. “’Tis over” can refer to a season, but it is also what is said when a war or battle has ended. We save and keep leaves in books, as we save and keep mementos of loved ones. We boast of what we can save and keep safe, but we neglect to pay due attention to what we waste and what is lost through our wasting. We lose pleasure in weeping. We also, on a far more cataclysmic level, waste human life and nations entire, by “denying and ignoring” their warring.

Frost moves from something as ordinary and easily accepted as the leaves falling from the trees in autumn to what we have come to treat as inevitable—war. But war is something brought about by people, not by seasons, and it is a waste that we could avoid. We cannot keep the seasons from destroying the leaves. Pleasure weeping is an oxymoron that ruefully describes humankind’s inclination to war.

Mark Richardson finds that “November” and “The Lost Follower” illustrate Frost’s point in the introduction to King Jasper that poetry should confine itself to “melancholy” (159). He also interprets the last seven lines of the poem to suggest that “nothing we ‘keep’ is ever really preserved, no matter what our efforts, from the inexorable tendency toward decay symbolized by the season of fall” (159). Tyler Hoffman writes that the “accretion of syntactic parallels symbolizes the fact that every new day will bring with it mounting destruction” (81).

November symbolizes not only the end of a season but a “denying and ignoring” of what is to come, even when its coming is within the sphere of human control.

FURTHER READING Cramer, Jeffrey S. Robert Frost among His Poems: A Literary Companion to the Poet’s Own Biographical Contexts and Associations. Jefferson, N.C.: MacFarland, 1996. Hoffman, Tyler. Robert Frost and the Politics of Poetry. Hanover, N.H.: Middlebury College Press, 2001. Monteiro, George. “A Pre-publication Version of Robert Frost’s ‘November,’ ” Robert Frost Review (Fall 1991): 5–6. Richardson, Mark. The Ordeal of Robert Frost: The Poet and His Poetics. Chicago, Ill.: University of Illinois Press, 1997, 159–160.

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30 November Writing Prompts to Keep You Creative

By: Author Valerie Forgeard

Posted on September 8, 2022

Categories Creativity , Inspiration , Writing

November is an inspiring time to write. The leaves are turning colors, the air is crisp, and you can feel the weather changing.

November is also known as National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), making it the perfect time to start writing a journal, blog post, or short story!

30 Daily Writing Prompts for November Writing

• What’s the best thing that happened to you today?
• What’re your favorite fall activities?
• What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?
• What’re your favorite things to wear this time of year?
• Write down what you wish for this November
• Write down what you hope won’t happen in November
• How does the change in weather from fall to winter affect your lifestyle?
• How might you help someone less fortunate on Thanksgiving or any other time of the year?
• What do you plan to buy on Black Friday?
• How do you feel about Black Friday shopping?
• What colors do you associate with this time of year and why?
• What other celebrations are happening around the world in November?
• Write about how you feel when it’s cold outside, and you’d prefer to stay inside, but then remember that there’s no bad weather, only bad clothes. You put on your coat and go outside anyway because there are still so many leaves on the trees that haven’t fallen yet, and you don’t want to miss them changing color!
• What activities should you do this winter to improve your mental health?
• Write poetry about November
• Write a letter to someone you love telling them what you’re thankful for
• Write down a memory from November that still makes you smile today or something that happened this autumn month that moved you
• Describe your favorite winter dish
• Write about a Thanksgiving memory you’ve had.
• What’re you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
• If you could invite three people to Thanksgiving dinner, who’d they be? Write a paragraph about each person!
• If you could change one tradition on Thanksgiving, which would it be and why?
• Where would you rather be in November and why?
• What do you like best about November?
• Write a short story about a haunted house in November.
• What’s something that makes you nostalgic?
• Write a short story about how you hope this winter will be different than last year’s winter (if it was hard for you).
• Write about how you feel when it’s time to put away the Halloween decorations and start decorating for the Christmas holiday.
• Write short stories about how autumn would look different if you were born in 1850.
• What would it be if you could give yourself one piece of advice on how to enjoy this season better?

How to Select a Good November Writing Prompt

The best way to find the right creative writing prompt is to consider what interests you and what you want to learn more about. This could be a hobby or something that’s happening in your life right now. Thinking back to the last few weeks, you may have encountered an experience that interested or intrigued you.

You can also write about something that’s been bothering you – maybe it’s a problem at work or school or something in the news that’s getting under your skin. It can help put things in perspective if you write down how it makes you feel and why it bothers you.

If you can’t think of anything right off the bat, take some time for yourself – go for a walk in nature (if possible) or just sit quietly with pen and paper (or computer) in hand. Let your mind wander through different topics until something catches your attention. You may even hear one idea lead to another!

Simple Writing Activities

Writing activities are a great way to stimulate your creativity. They’re also a great way to get started writing if you don’t have any ideas or if you’ve ideas but need some help putting them into words.

But sometimes, it can be hard to find a suitable template. Not all writing prompts are the same – some are easy, while others are more difficult. Here are some tips to help you find the most effortless November writing prompts:

• Look for prompts that don’t require too many resources or outside knowledge – if you’ve to spend a lot of time researching or learning about something before you can write about it, you might have a hard time even getting started!
• Use collections of your daily writing prompts that have already been used in your journal writing activities – sometimes, the answers are in front of your eyes.
• Use different writing tools to stimulate your creativity – even simple worksheets help you stay organized and have the essential features to find your resources faster.

What’s a Creative Prompt?

November is the perfect month for writing prompts because it’s dark and cold outside, so you’ve time to think about what you want your story to be about!

A creative writing prompt is just an idea that inspires you to write. You can use these monthly writing prompts to get started when you’re stuck or just to motivate you to keep writing. There are many different types of monthly writing prompts you can find online, but start first with the November journal prompts above and see how you get on. The challenge is not the resources but your motivation.

How to Stay Positive When It’s Dark Outside

We’ve all been there. And I can tell you: it sucks.

But here’s the thing: When it’s dark, we must remember what makes life worth living. We must look back at the happy times and remember how much better everything is now than it was.

When it comes to staying positive, it’s essential to focus on the good things. And one of the best things about memories is that they can help us do that.

We all have memories of happy times, whether they’re from our youth or yesterday. They remind us to be grateful for the good things in life and give us something to look forward to when times get tough.

So the next time you’re feeling down, think back to a memory that makes you smile or laugh loud (or even giggle inside). This will help you lift your spirits and focus on what matters most: every day counts!

For example, you almost choked when you were eating cookies in kindergarten because the other kids were making funny faces.

Memories are great because they give us a sense of comfort and remind us of good times, whether at kindergarten or much older in life. They can also inspire us to keep going when we’re feeling down and help us see the light at the end of the tunnel.

How to Inspire More Creativity in Your Daily Life

The world is full of opportunities to be creative , but sometimes it seems hard to find them. You can do a few things to make sure you make the most of those opportunities.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

Try something new! Even if it’s just something small, like a new restaurant or a new hobby. Try learning a new skill – maybe even something that’s nothing to do with your work. The more you learn about other things and learn about other perspectives, the more creative ideas will come to mind.

Learn From Others

Go to events that inspire you, listen to podcasts or audiobooks that open your mind even more … anything where you can learn from people who’ve already done what you want to do and been successful! You’ll be amazed at how much information is out there just waiting!

Take Time for Yourself

Sometimes all we need to do is put a date in our calendar every once in a while to spend some time with ourselves – whether it’s reading a book, taking a bath, or whatever makes us happy!

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My November Guest

Add to anthology.

My sorrow, when she’s here with me,      Thinks these dark days of autumn rain Are beautiful as days can be; She loves the bare, the withered tree;      She walks the sodden pasture lane.

Her pleasure will not let me stay.      She talks and I am fain to list: She’s glad the birds are gone away, She’s glad her simple worsted grey      Is silver now with clinging mist.

The desolate, deserted trees,      The faded earth, the heavy sky, The beauties she so truly sees, She thinks I have no eye for these,      And vexes me for reason why.

Not yesterday I learned to know      The love of bare November days Before the coming of the snow, But it were vain to tell her so,      And they are better for her praise.

This poem is in the public domain.

More by this poet

A line-storm song.

The line-storm clouds fly tattered and swift,    The road is forlorn all day,  Where a myriad snowy quartz stones lift,    And the hoof-prints vanish away.  The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee,   Expend their bloom in vain.  Come over the hills and far with me,    And be my love in the rain. 

Not to Keep

They sent him back to her. The letter came Saying... and she could have him. And before She could be sure there was no hidden ill Under the formal writing, he was in her sight— Living.— They gave him back to her alive— How else? They are not known to send the dead— And not disfigured visibly. His face?—

A Time to Talk

When a friend calls to me from the road And slows his horse to a meaning walk, I don’t stand still and look around On all the hills I haven’t hoed, And shout from where I am, What is it? No, not as there is a time to talk. I thrust my hoe in the mellow ground, Blade-end up and five feet tall,

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November writing prompts.

The month of November brings much inspiration to writers of all ages and backgrounds. Use these creative writing prompts, designed specifically for the month of November, to generate original responses about the last month of fall and the beginning of many

stomach-stuffing holiday gatherings. Responses to these prompts can vary in genre. Writers are encouraged to use rich detail and language, as well as all steps of the writing process (brainstorming, drafting, revising, and polishing), as best suited for their goals as a writer. Keep in mind that some prompts may demand contextualization depending on the learner’s age and needs.

Category 1: Thanksgiving

It’s time to gobble until you wobble! The American tradition of Thanksgiving often begins the season of holiday family gatherings. This set of creative writing prompts offers writers an opportunity to write imaginative stories, posters, letters, essays, and reports.

Grades K-2:

• Write a story about a family’s Thanksgiving celebration, including details about what they eat and do.
• Draw a picture of your favorite Thanksgiving food and write about why you like it.
• Write about something you’re thankful for. Explain why you are grateful.
• Write a personal essay about how your sense of gratitude has transformed over time or how you expect it will change over time.
• Write a narrative about a character’s Thanksgiving adventure, exploring themes of family, friendship, and appreciation.
• Create a recipe that uses Thanksgiving meal leftovers and include a note about the importance and benefit of limiting food waste.

Category 2: Autumn Nature

Fall leaves float to the ground and the air cools to a sharper crisp. This set of creative writing prompts offers writers an opportunity to write imaginative stories, poems, letters, essays, and reports.

• Write a short poem about the beauty of autumn leaves.
• Write a short story about a bird who enjoys watching families visit a nearby apple orchard each day.
• Collect and create a small collage of 5 leaves. Write a short explanation about why you chose each leaf.
• Write a descriptive essay about a scenic mountain autumn landscape, using vivid language and sensory details to convey the sights, smells, and feelings of the season.
• Write a narrative about a character’s outdoor adventure hiking a trail during the autumn.
• Write and illustrate a children’s story about a pet indoor rabbit who goes outside for an adventure in crunchy fall leaves and meets an outdoor, wild rabbit. What do they teach each other?

Category 3: Veterans Day

November brings an important opportunity to honor veterans for their service. Gratitude is often expressed with large parades, gatherings, and ceremonies. This set of creative writing prompts offers writers an opportunity to express appreciation, as well as write imaginative stories, posters, letters, essays, and reports.

• Write a thank you letter to a veteran.
• Draw a picture of a veteran and write a sentence describing why you admire them.
• Create a poster about Veterans Day and write about how people can honor veterans when they see them.
• Write a personal essay about the importance of honoring and supporting veterans, reflecting on their contributions to our country in the past and present.
• Choose a female military veteran and write a short newspaper article about their experience and contributions.
• Write a persuasive piece advocating for ways that communities can support veterans. For example, consider employment and healthcare support options.

Category 4: Family Traditions

Family gatherings are a way to share traditions, support cultural diversity, and honor individuality. This set of creative writing prompts offers writers an opportunity to craft imaginative stories, reflect on personal traditions, and participate in the exploration of other cultures’ traditions.

• Write a story about a family’s unique and special tradition during the Thanksgiving season.
• Draw a picture of your favorite family tradition and write a sentence describing why it is special to you.
• Write a short poem that expresses gratitude to someone outside of your family.
• Write a reflective essay about the importance of family traditions, reflecting on how they bring families together, foster bonds, and create lasting memories.
• Write a short article about the history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
• Design a new balloon for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Explain your design and what you feel it contributes to the parade.

Category 5: Gratitude:

• Write a thank you note to someone you are grateful for.
• Draw a picture of an object you are grateful for. Write about why you are grateful.
• Create a paper-based or digital collage that showcases things you are grateful for. Write short captions underneath each picture.
• Write an essay about the benefits of practicing gratitude.
• Imagine you are a character in a book or movie who learns the value of gratitude. Write a diary entry describing your transformation from being ungrateful to developing a grateful attitude.
• Research and write a persuasive speech that explains the relationship between gratitude and mental health. Provide evidence and statistics to support your argument.

Category 6: Fun with Turkeys

It’s Turkey Time! Use these clever writing prompts to imagine turkeys on wild adventures or to simply explore more about how turkeys live. This set of creative November writing prompts offers writers an opportunity to craft imaginative stories, comic strips, and more.

• Write a story about a turkey that goes on a wacky adventure during Thanksgiving.
• Draw a picture of a turkey and describe its features (parts) using specific language and detail.
• Create a comic strip that tells a funny story about a group of wild turkeys who are nervous about crossing a busy street.
• Write a narrative poem about a wild turkey in its natural habitat. Use vivid imagery and sensory language to bring the turkey and its surroundings to life.
• Imagine you are a turkey on Thanksgiving Day and you have a secret plan to escape from the farm prior to being prepared for sale. Write a journal entry detailing how you’ll escape.
• Create a flyer or sign for a local farm that sells turkeys. Be sure to include sizes, costs, and any other important information.

We hope you’ve enjoyed using our November writing prompts!

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• View the Submission Calendar

The Writing Contests, Grants & Awards database includes details about the creative writing contests—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, and more—that we’ve published in Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it. Ours is the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

Conduit Books & Ephemera

Marystina santiestevan first book prize.

A prize of $1,500, publication by Conduit Books & Ephemera, and 30 author copies is given annually for a debut poetry collection. Bob Hicok will judge. Submit a manuscript...

Ledbury Poetry

Ledbury poetry competition.

A prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,268) and publication on the Ledbury Poetry website is given annually for a single poem. The winner is also invited to attend a weeklong...

Stony Brook Southampton 

Stony brook undergraduate short fiction prize.

A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a short story by a current undergraduate college student. The winner also receives a full scholarship to attend the Southampton Writers...

University of Canberra 


Vice-chancellor’s international poetry prize 
.

A first-place prize of $15,000 AUD (approximately $9,892) and a second-place prize of $5,000 AUD (approximately $3,297) are given annually for a single poem. The winners will...

Ghost Story

Screw turn flash fiction competition.

A prize of $1,000 and publication on the Ghost Story website is given biannually for a work of flash fiction with a supernatural or magical realist theme. The editors...

Cincinnati Review

Robert and adele schiff awards.

Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Cincinnati Review are given annually for a poem, a short story, and an essay. Erica Dawson will judge in poetry, Michael...

The Word Works

Tenth gate prize.

A prize of $1,000, publication by the Word Works, and 30 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection by a poet who has published at least two full-length books of...

Pulitzer Prizes

Prizes in books.

Six prizes of $15,000 each are given annually for books of poetry, fiction, general nonfiction, U.S. history, biography, and memoir first published in the United States during...

Regal House Publishing

Petrichor prize for finely crafted fiction.

A prize of $1,000 and publication by Regal House Publishing is given annually for a novel. The editors will judge. Using only the online submission system, submit a manuscript...

Comstock Review

Muriel craft bailey memorial award.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Comstock Review is given annually for a single poem. Charles Rafferty will judge. Submit up to five poems of no more than 60 lines...

Poetry Prize

A prize of $15,000 and publication in Rattle is given annually for a single poem. A Readers’ Choice Award of $5,000 is also given to one of ten finalists. Using only the...

New York State Council on the Arts

Support for artists grants.

Grants of $10,000 each will be given annually to poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers, and translators who are residents of New York State and are sponsored by an...

Poetry Contest

A prize of $1,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a poem or group of poems. The poetry editors will judge. Using only the online submission system,...

Poetry and Short Story Awards

Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Sixfold are given quarterly for a group of poems and a short story. Using only the online submission system, submit up to...

Red Wheelbarrow

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Red Wheelbarrow is given annually for a single poem. The winner also receives 20 copies of a letterpress broadside of the winning...

Connecticut Poetry Society

Experimental poetry contest.

A prize of $1,000 and publication in Connecticut River Review is given annually for an innovative poem. Claire Donato will judge. Using only the online submission system...

Spring Story Contest

A prize of $2,500 and publication in Narrative is given annually for a work of flash fiction, a short story, a graphic story, an essay, a memoir, or an excerpt from a...

Award for Poetry

A prize of $1,000, publication by Press 53, and 53 author copies is given annually for a poetry collection. Tom Lombardo will judge. Submit a manuscript of 50 to 120 pages with...

Anthology Magazine 

Short story competition.

A prize of €1,000 (approximately $1,088) and publication in Anthology Magazine is given annually for a short story. Using only the online submission system, submit a...

Sewanee Review

Fiction, poetry, and nonfiction contest.

Three prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Sewanee Review are given annually for a single poem or group of poems, a short story, and a creative nonfiction essay....

Granum Foundation

Granum foundation prizes.

A prize of $5,000 is given annually to a poet, fiction writer, or creative nonfiction writer to support the completion of a manuscript-in-progress. Up to three finalists will...

PEN America

Pen/bare life review grants.

Two grants of $5,000 each will be given annually for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction works-in-progress “by immigrant and refugee writers, recognizing that the literature of...

Delaware Division of the Arts

Individual artist fellowships.

Established Professional Fellowships of $8,000 each and Emerging Artist Fellowships of $5,000 each are given annually to at least four poets, fiction writers, and creative...

PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants

Ten grants of $3,000 to $4,000 each are given annually to support the translation of book-length works of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction that have not previously...

PEN/Jean Stein Grants for Literary Oral History

Two grants of $15,000 are given annually for nonfiction works-in-progress that “use oral history to illuminate an event, individual, place, or movement.” Using only the online...

Unpacking the 2024 November TOK Titles: A Comprehensive IB Solved Guide

The November 2024 IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Essay Titles are out!

Let's be honest – tackling the TOK essay can be a daunting task. With so many ideas, concepts and topics at our disposal and a myriad of ideas swirling around, it's easy to feel overwhelmed at the outset.

That's where we come in.

In this article, we'll delve into each title and offer some strategic advice on how to approach them.

General Tips to Unpacking a Title

When we first encounter a prompt, we want to think in terms of perspectives and counter-perspectives (formerly known as claims and counterclaims). This framework allows for a structured essay, exploring the title through the lens of two chosen Areas of Knowledge (AOKs) and weaving in different arguments. While the ultimate conclusion you draw may often reside somewhere between these extremes or on a conditional basis (e.g. perspective 1 is correct in certain circumstances, while perspective 2 is a better approach in other), starting with opposing arguments can facilitate the development of a more nuanced exploration and argument.

So let's get to it – here is everything you need to know about the November 2024 TOK Essay titles:

Title 1:  Does our responsibility to acquire knowledge vary according to the area of knowledge? Discuss with reference to history and one other area of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: History (Mandatory) and Natural Sciences/The Arts/Human Sciences

This title prompts an assessment of whether we have different levels of responsibility to acquire knowledge across different AOKs. While you are open to argue against the title directly, suggesting that the responsibility is the same across AOKs, this would be unwise. It would be better to reflect on each AOK and perhaps present one perspective in support of the responsibility and one perspective against it, drawing a conclusion on which argument is stronger in each AOK.

Also consider the difference between the acquisition and production of knowledge – perhaps we have a broader responsibility to produce new knowledge in some areas of knowledge but not necessarily to acquire it as individual knowers.

Some perspectives you may consider:

Perspective: We have a responsibility to acquire knowledge to ensure that we construct an accurate record of the past. It is our responsibility to know our History and learn from the past.

Counter-Perspective: Historical knowledge is limited by subjectivity and collective memory, hence it is not essential to acquire knowledge of our past to build a successful future.

Perspective: We have a responsibility to acquire artistic knowledge to understand cultures and societies.

Counter-Perspective: The acquisition of knowledge in the Arts is for aesthetic purposes and enjoyment, not the fulfilment of a responsibility.

Natural Sciences/Human Sciences

Perspective: We have a responsibility to acquire new scientific knowledge for the continual development of mankind.

Counter-Perspective: Understanding how the world/humans work is not necessary knowledge for knowers to acquire.

Title 2:  In the production of knowledge, is ingenuity always needed but never enough? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: Mathematics (Mandatory) and Natural Sciences/The Arts/Human Sciences

This is a super interesting title – ensure you define 'ingenuity' from the outset. The essay almost structures itself – your first paragraph in each AOK can consider how/whether ingenuity is 'always needed', exploring how this plays out in each AOK, while the second paragraph can explore whether or not it is 'never enough'.

Some ideas you may consider:

Paradigm Shifts – To revolutionise an AOK, often ingenuity is needed to enact a paradigm shift (a new way of thinking which changes the entire knowledge structure of an AOK) and to ensure progress.

Creativity – Creative thinking is important not only for AOKs such as the Arts, but even in Mathematics and the Sciences. Discovering innovative ways of devising experiments or utilising clever analogies to explain incredibly complex concepts is integral to these AOKs.

Structure – Ingenuity is only valuable within a framework for knowledge production, whether this be an artistic process or the scientific method.

Title 3:  How might it benefit an area of knowledge to sever ties with its past? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: History, Natural Sciences, The Arts and Human Sciences

The 'How' of this title restricts the scope to discussing different 'benefits' rather than a standard 'perspective-counter' analysis. It will also be important to define exactly what 'severing ties' involves – does this mean completely ignoring all past knowledge or simply becoming less attached to existing ways of thinking?

Some ideas for this title:

Fresh Ideas and Paradigm Shifts – By severing ties, you open up the possibility of acquiring knowledge which can overhaul an entire AOK, drastically accelerating progress.

Bias – By severing past ties, knowers can free themselves of the biases of their predecessors.

Innovation – Since existing frameworks of thinking often lead to similar conclusions, you can expand the possibilities of new knowledge by severing past ties.

However, you may interestingly conclude that these benefits are only reaped when ties to the past are severed to an extent, as it may be detrimental to an AOK to entirely negate past knowledge.

Title 4:  To what extent do you agree that there is no significant difference between hypothesis and speculation? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: Human Sciences and History/Natural Sciences

This prompt is very focused on your definitions. I would suggest defining these terms distinctly and precisely from the outset. The primary question which this title is asking is whether hypotheses are mere "speculation" or "guesses", or if there is a significant difference.

Also, if selecting the Human and Natural Sciences, please ensure that your perspectives aren't repetitious and highlight the differences between these AOKs.

Development – Speculation and hypothesis differ in the fact that the development of a hypothesis generally requires significant prior research and an understanding of existing knowledge

Experimentation – Hypotheses are developed purposefully and then empirical experimentation are conducted to provide evidence either in support or against them

Emotion – Speculation tends to come from 'feelings' or 'impressions', whereas the development of a hypothesis is far more methodical

Title 5:  In the production of knowledge, are we too quick to dismiss anomalies? Discuss with reference to two areas of knowledge.

Recommended AOKs: Human Sciences/History/Natural Sciences

This title allows you to reflect on whether or not we dismiss 'anomalies' (a key term to be defined) too quickly when producing knowledge.

Paradigm Shift – Anomalies are often the prompt for a paradigm shift in the sciences, causing us to challenge existing beliefs and ideas

Exceptions – Often rather than investigating anomalies further and considering an overhaul of existing knowledge, anomalies are dismissed as 'exceptions' to the rule, rather than a justification to question the rule itself

Generalisation – There is often a focus on generating 'general' rules and theories which can lead anomalies to be dismissed (think of the Human Sciences – how often do we produce a rule about human behaviour but ignore those who behave contrary to the rule)

Title 6:  In the pursuit of knowledge, what is gained by the artist adopting the lens of the scientist and the scientist adopting the lens of the artist? Discuss with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.

Recommended AOKs: The Arts and the Natural Sciences

This title requires you to define the 'lens' of each of these AOKs from the outset. It will be better to define them quite opposingly – the scientist is more methodical, experimental and structured, whilst the artist is more free-flowing and creative. You will then be able to take these attributes and argue which elements would be better across the two disciplines.

Creativity – Scientists can benefit from the creativity of artists when developing innovative ways of experimenting, presenting results and constructing abstract theories

Structure – Artists can often benefit from a methodical approach to constructing art, particularly when aiming to convey a specific message or purpose through their art

Flexibility – Artists are often quite flexible when constructing an artwork, always willing to change and adapt to their free-flowing thoughts, an attribute which is highly beneficial for scientists who at times may become rigid in their thinking and fixed to pre-existing scientific beliefs.

And that's it - our comprehensive guide to the 2024 November TOK Titles! If you're still racking your brain as to how to begin the writing process for your TOK essay, why not check out our post on The Complete IB TOK Essay Guide . Or check out one of our Grade A Exemplar TOK Essays ! Or better yet, if you are looking for some more personal assistance with your IB TOK Essay, click below to reach out to us and we can work with you through the entire writing process, from title selection to the best structure for success!

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The Best Student Writing Contests for 2023-2024

Help your students take their writing to the next level.

When students write for teachers, it can feel like an assignment. When they write for a real purpose, they are empowered! Student writing contests are a challenging and inspiring way to try writing for an authentic audience— a real panel of judges —and the possibility of prize money or other incentives. We’ve gathered a list of the best student writing contests, and there’s something for everyone. Prepare highly motivated kids in need of an authentic writing mentor, and watch the words flow.

1.  The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

With a wide range of categories—from critical essays to science fiction and fantasy—The Scholastic Awards are a mainstay of student contests. Each category has its own rules and word counts, so be sure to check out the options  before you decide which one is best for your students.

How To Enter

Students in grades 7-12, ages 13 and up, may begin submitting work in September by uploading to an online account at Scholastic and connecting to their local region. There are entry fees, but those can be waived for students in need.

2.  YoungArts National Arts Competition

This ends soon, but if you have students who are ready to submit, it’s worth it. YoungArts offers a national competition in the categories of creative nonfiction, novel, play or script, poetry, short story, and spoken word. Student winners may receive awards of up to $10,000 as well as the chance to participate in artistic development with leaders in their fields.

YoungArts accepts submissions in each category through October 13. Students submit their work online and pay a $35 fee (there is a fee waiver option).

3. National Youth Foundation Programs

Each year, awards are given for Student Book Scholars, Amazing Women, and the “I Matter” Poetry & Art competition. This is a great chance for kids to express themselves with joy and strength.

The rules, prizes, and deadlines vary, so check out the website for more info.

4.  American Foreign Service National High School Essay Contest

If you’re looking to help students take a deep dive into international relations, history, and writing, look no further than this essay contest. Winners receive a voyage with the Semester at Sea program and a trip to Washington, DC.

Students fill out a registration form online, and a teacher or sponsor is required. The deadline to enter is the first week of April.

5.  John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

This annual contest invites students to write about a political official’s act of political courage that occurred after Kennedy’s birth in 1917. The winner receives $10,000, and 16 runners-up also receive a variety of cash prizes.

Students may submit a 700- to 1,000-word essay through January 12. The essay must feature more than five sources and a full bibliography.

6. Bennington Young Writers Awards

Bennington College offers competitions in three categories: poetry (a group of three poems), fiction (a short story or one-act play), and nonfiction (a personal or academic essay). First-place winners receive $500. Grab a poster for your classroom here .

The contest runs from September 1 to November 1. The website links to a student registration form.

7. The Princeton Ten-Minute Play Contest

Looking for student writing contests for budding playwrights? This exclusive competition, which is open only to high school juniors, is judged by the theater faculty of Princeton University. Students submit short plays in an effort to win recognition and cash prizes of up to $500. ( Note: Only open to 11th graders. )

Students submit one 10-page play script online or by mail. The deadline is the end of March. Contest details will be published in early 2024.

8. Princeton University Poetry Contest for High School Students

The Leonard L. Milberg ’53 High School Poetry Prize recognizes outstanding work by student writers in 11th grade. Prizes range from $100 to $500.

Students in 11th grade can submit their poetry. Contest details will be published this fall.

9. The New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest

This contest is also a wonderful writing challenge, and the New York Times includes lots of resources and models for students to be able to do their best work. They’ve even made a classroom poster !

Submissions need to be made electronically by November 1.

10.  Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest

The deadline for this contest is the end of October. Sponsored by Hollins University, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest awards prizes for the best poems submitted by young women who are sophomores or juniors in high school or preparatory school. Prizes include cash and scholarships. Winners are chosen by students and faculty members in the creative writing program at Hollins.

Students may submit either one or two poems using the online form.

11.  The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers

The Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers is open to high school sophomores and juniors, and the winner receives a full scholarship to a  Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop .

Submissions for the prize are accepted electronically from November 1 through November 30.

12. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

High school students can win up to $1,000 and publication by entering an essay on a topic specified by the Jane Austen Society related to a Jane Austen novel.

Details for the 2024 contest will be announced in November. Essay length is from six to eight pages, not including works cited.

13. Rattle Young Poets Anthology

Open to students from 15 to 18 years old who are interested in publication and exposure over monetary awards.

Teachers may choose five students for whom to submit up to four poems each on their behalf. The deadline is November 15.

14. The Black River Chapbook Competition

This is a chance for new and emerging writers to gain publication in their own professionally published chapbook, as well as $500 and free copies of the book.

There is an $18 entry fee, and submissions are made online.

15. YouthPlays New Voices

For students under 18, the YouthPlays one-act competition is designed for young writers to create new works for the stage. Winners receive cash awards and publication.

Scroll all the way down their web page for information on the contest, which accepts non-musical plays between 10 and 40 minutes long, submitted electronically. Entries open each year in January.

16. The Ocean Awareness Contest

The 2024 Ocean Awareness Contest, Tell Your Climate Story , encourages students to write their own unique climate story. They are asking for creative expressions of students’ personal experiences, insights, or perceptions about climate change. Students are eligible for a wide range of monetary prizes up to $1,000.

Students from 11 to 18 years old may submit work in the categories of art, creative writing, poetry and spoken word, film, interactive media and multimedia, or music and dance, accompanied by a reflection. The deadline is June 13.

17. EngineerGirl Annual Essay Contest

Each year, EngineerGirl sponsors an essay contest with topics centered on the impact of engineering on the world, and students can win up to $500 in prize money. This contest is a nice bridge between ELA and STEM and great for teachers interested in incorporating an interdisciplinary project into their curriculum. The new contest asks for pieces describing the life cycle of an everyday object. Check out these tips for integrating the content into your classroom .

Students submit their work electronically by February 1. Check out the full list of rules and requirements here .

18. NCTE Student Writing Awards

The National Council of Teachers of English offers several student writing awards, including Achievement Awards in Writing (for 10th- and 11th-grade students), Promising Young Writers (for 8th-grade students), and an award to recognize Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines.

Deadlines range from October 28 to February 15. Check out NCTE.org for more details.

19. See Us, Support Us Art Contest

Children of incarcerated parents can submit artwork, poetry, photos, videos, and more. Submissions are free and the website has a great collection of past winners.

Students can submit their entries via social media or email by October 25.

20. The Adroit Prizes for Poetry & Prose

The Adroit Journal, an education-minded nonprofit publication, awards annual prizes for poetry and prose to exceptional high school and college students. Adroit charges an entry fee but also provides a form for financial assistance.

Sign up at the website for updates for the next round of submissions.

21. National PTA Reflections Awards

The National PTA offers a variety of awards, including one for literature, in their annual Reflections Contest. Students of all ages can submit entries on the specified topic to their local PTA Reflections program. From there, winners move to the local area, state, and national levels. National-level awards include an $800 prize and a trip to the National PTA Convention.

This program requires submitting to PTAs who participate in the program. Check your school’s PTA for their deadlines.

22. World Historian Student Essay Competition

The World Historian Student Essay Competition is an international contest open to students enrolled in grades K–12 in public, private, and parochial schools, as well as those in home-study programs. The $500 prize is based on an essay that addresses one of this year’s two prompts.

Students can submit entries via email or regular mail before May 1.

23. NSHSS Creative Writing Scholarship

The National Society of High School Scholars awards three $2,000 scholarships for both poetry and fiction. They accept poetry, short stories, and graphic novel writing.

Apply online by October 31.

Whether you let your students blog, start a podcast or video channel, or enter student writing contests, giving them an authentic audience for their work is always a powerful classroom choice.

If you like this list of student writing contests and want more articles like it, subscribe to our newsletters to find out when they’re posted!

Plus, check out our favorite anchor charts for teaching writing..

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Best 2024 Competitions for Students in Grades K-12

Competitions in STEM, ELA and the arts, and more! Continue Reading

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• College Essay Examples | What Works and What Doesn’t

College Essay Examples | What Works and What Doesn't

Published on November 8, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on August 14, 2023.

One effective method for improving your college essay is to read example essays . Here are three sample essays, each with a bad and good version to help you improve your own essay.

Table of contents

Essay 1: sharing an identity or background through a montage, essay 2: overcoming a challenge, a sports injury narrative, essay 3: showing the influence of an important person or thing, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

This essay uses a montage structure to show snapshots of a student’s identity and background. The writer builds her essay around the theme of the five senses, sharing memories she associates with sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste.

In the weak rough draft, there is little connection between the individual anecdotes, and they do not robustly demonstrate the student’s qualities.

In the final version, the student uses an extended metaphor of a museum to create a strong connection among her stories, each showcasing a different part of her identity. She draws a specific personal insight from each memory and uses the stories to demonstrate her qualities and values.

How My Five Senses Record My Life

Throughout my life, I have kept a record of my life’s journey with my five senses. This collection of memories matters a great deal because I experience life every day through the lens of my identity.

“Chinese! Japanese!”

My classmate pulls one eye up and the other down.

“Look what my parents did to me!”

No matter how many times he repeats it, the other kids keep laughing. I focus my almond-shaped eyes on the ground, careful not to attract attention to my discomfort, anger, and shame. How could he say such a mean thing about me? What did I do to him? Joseph’s words would engrave themselves into my memory, making me question my appearance every time I saw my eyes in the mirror.

Soaking in overflowing bubble baths with Andrew Lloyd Webber belting from the boombox.

Listening to “Cell Block Tango” with my grandparents while eating filet mignon at a dine-in show in Ashland.

Singing “The Worst Pies in London” at a Korean karaoke club while laughing hysterically with my brother, who can do an eerily spot-on rendition of Sweeney Todd.

Taking car rides with Mom in the Toyota Sequoia as we compete to hit the high note in “Think of Me” from The Phantom of the Opera . Neither of us stands a chance!

The sweet scent of vegetables, Chinese noodles, and sushi wafts through the room as we sit around the table. My grandma presents a good-smelling mixture of international cuisine for our Thanksgiving feast. My favorite is the Chinese food that she cooks. Only the family prayer stands between me and the chance to indulge in these delicious morsels, comforting me with their familiar savory scents.

I rinse a faded plastic plate decorated by my younger sister at the Waterworks Art Center. I wear yellow rubber gloves to protect my hands at Mom’s insistence, but I can still feel the warm water that offers a bit of comfort as I finish the task at hand. The crusted casserole dish with stubborn remnants from my dad’s five-layer lasagna requires extra effort, so I fill it with Dawn and scalding water, setting it aside to soak. I actually don’t mind this daily chore.

I taste sweat on my upper lip as I fight to continue pedaling on a stationary bike. Ava’s next to me and tells me to go up a level. We’re biking buddies, dieting buddies, and Saturday morning carbo-load buddies. After the bike display hits 30 minutes, we do a five-minute cool down, drink Gatorade, and put our legs up to rest.

My five senses are always gathering new memories of my identity. I’m excited to expand my collection.

Word count: 455

College essay checklist

Topic and structure

• I’ve selected a topic that’s meaningful to me.
• My essay reveals something different from the rest of my application.
• I have a clear and well-structured narrative.
• I’ve concluded with an insight or a creative ending.

Writing style and tone

• I’ve crafted an introduction containing vivid imagery or an intriguing hook that grabs the reader’s attention.
• I’ve written my essay in a way that shows instead of tells.
• I’ve used appropriate style and tone for a college essay.
• I’ve used specific, vivid personal stories that would be hard to replicate.
• I’ve demonstrated my positive traits and values in my essay.
• My essay is focused on me, not another person or thing.
• I’ve included self-reflection and insight in my essay.
• I’ve respected the word count , remaining within 10% of the upper word limit.

Making Sense of My Identity

Welcome to The Rose Arimoto Museum. You are about to enter the “Making Sense of My Identity” collection. Allow me to guide you through select exhibits, carefully curated memories from Rose’s sensory experiences.

First, the Sight Exhibit.

“Chinese! Japanese!”

“Look what my parents did to me!”

No matter how many times he repeats it, the other kids keep laughing. I focus my almond-shaped eyes on the ground, careful not to attract attention as my lip trembles and palms sweat. Joseph couldn’t have known how his words would engrave themselves into my memory, making me question my appearance every time I saw my eyes in the mirror.

Ten years later, these same eyes now fixate on an InDesign layout sheet, searching for grammar errors while my friend Selena proofreads our feature piece on racial discrimination in our hometown. As we’re the school newspaper editors, our journalism teacher Ms. Riley allows us to stay until midnight to meet tomorrow’s deadline. She commends our work ethic, which for me is fueled by writing一my new weapon of choice.

Next, you’ll encounter the Sound Exhibit.

Still, the world is my Broadway as I find my voice on stage.

Just below, enter the Smell Exhibit.

While I help my Pau Pau prepare dinner, she divulges her recipe for cha siu bau, with its soft, pillowy white exterior hiding the fragrant filling of braised barbecue pork inside. The sweet scent of candied yams, fun see , and Spam musubi wafts through the room as we gather around our Thankgsiving feast. After our family prayer, we indulge in these delicious morsels until our bellies say stop. These savory scents of my family’s cultural heritage linger long after I’ve finished the last bite.

Next up, the Touch Exhibit.

I rinse a handmade mug that I had painstakingly molded and painted in ceramics class. I wear yellow rubber gloves to protect my hands at Mom’s insistence, but I can still feel the warm water that offers a bit of comfort as I finish the task at hand. The crusted casserole dish with stubborn remnants from my dad’s five-layer lasagna requires extra effort, so I fill it with Dawn and scalding water, setting it aside to soak. For a few fleeting moments, as I continue my nightly chore, the pressure of my weekend job, tomorrow’s calculus exam, and next week’s track meet are washed away.

Finally, we end with the Taste Exhibit.

My legs fight to keep pace with the stationary bike as the salty taste of sweat seeps into corners of my mouth. Ava challenges me to take it up a level. We always train together一even keeping each other accountable on our strict protein diet of chicken breasts, broccoli, and Muscle Milk. We occasionally splurge on Saturday mornings after interval training, relishing the decadence of everything bagels smeared with raspberry walnut cream cheese. But this is Wednesday, so I push myself. I know that once the digital display hits 30:00, we’ll allow our legs to relax into a five-minute cool down, followed by the fiery tang of Fruit Punch Gatorade to rehydrate.

Thank you for your attention. This completes our tour. I invite you to rejoin us for next fall’s College Experience collection, which will exhibit Rose’s continual search for identity and learning.

Word count: 649

• I’ve crafted an essay introduction containing vivid imagery or an intriguing hook that grabs the reader’s attention.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

This essay uses a narrative structure to recount how a student overcame a challenge, specifically a sports injury. Since this topic is often overused, the essay requires vivid description, a memorable introduction and conclusion , and interesting insight.

The weak rough draft contains an interesting narrative, insight, and vivid imagery, but it has an overly formal tone that distracts the reader from the story. The student’s use of elaborate vocabulary in every sentence makes the essay sound inauthentic and stilted.

The final essay uses a more natural, conversational tone and chooses words that are vivid and specific without being pretentious. This allows the reader to focus on the narrative and appreciate the student’s unique insight.

One fateful evening some months ago, a defensive linebacker mauled me, his 212 pounds indisputably alighting upon my ankle. Ergo, an abhorrent cracking of calcified tissue. At first light the next day, I awoke cognizant of a new paradigm—one sans football—promulgated by a stabbing sensation that would continue to haunt me every morning of this semester.

It’s been an exceedingly taxing semester not being able to engage in football, but I am nonetheless excelling in school. That twist of fate never would have come to pass if I hadn’t broken my ankle. I still limp down the halls at school, but I’m feeling less maudlin these days. My friends don’t steer clear anymore, and I have a lot more of them. My teachers, emboldened by my newfound interest in learning, continually invite me to learn more and do my best. Football is still on hold, but I feel like I’m finally playing a game that matters.

Five months ago, right after my ill-fated injury, my friends’ demeanor became icy and remote, although I couldn’t fathom why. My teachers, in contrast, beckoned me close and invited me on a new learning journey. But despite their indubitably kind advances, even they recoiled when I drew near.

A few weeks later, I started to change my attitude vis-à-vis my newfound situation and determined to put my energy toward productive ends (i.e., homework). I wasn’t enamored with school. I never had been. Nevertheless, I didn’t abhor it either. I just preferred football.

My true turn of fate came when I started studying more and participating in class. I started to enjoy history class, and I grew interested in reading more. I discovered a volume of poems written by a fellow adventurer on the road of life, and I loved it. I ravenously devoured everything in the writer’s oeuvre .

As the weeks flitted past, I found myself spending my time with a group of people who were quite different from me. They participated in theater and played instruments in marching band. They raised their hands in class when the teacher posed a question. Because of their auspicious influence, I started raising my hand too. I am no longer vapid, and I now have something to say.

I am certain that your school would benefit from my miraculous academic transformation, and I entreat you to consider my application to your fine institution. Accepting me to your university would be an unequivocally righteous decision.

Word count: 408

• I’ve chosen a college essay topic that’s meaningful to me.
• I’ve respected the essay word count , remaining within 10% of the upper word limit.

As I step out of bed, the pain shoots through my foot and up my leg like it has every morning since “the game.” That night, a defensive linebacker tackled me, his 212 pounds landing decidedly on my ankle. I heard the sound before I felt it. The next morning, I awoke to a new reality—one without football—announced by a stabbing sensation that would continue to haunt me every morning of this semester.

My broken ankle broke my spirit.

My friends steered clear of me as I hobbled down the halls at school. My teachers tried to find the delicate balance between giving me space and offering me help. I was as unsure how to deal with myself as they were.

In time, I figured out how to redirect some of my frustration, anger, and pent-up energy toward my studies. I had never not liked school, but I had never really liked it either. In my mind, football practice was my real-life classroom, where I could learn all I ever needed to know.

Then there was that day in Mrs. Brady’s history class. We sang a ridiculous-sounding mnemonic song to memorize all the Chinese dynasties from Shang to Qing. I mumbled the words at first, but I got caught up in the middle of the laughter and began singing along. Starting that day, I began browsing YouTube videos about history, curious to learn more. I had started learning something new, and, to my surprise, I liked it.

With my afternoons free from burpees and scrimmages, I dared to crack open a few more of my books to see what was in them. That’s when my English poetry book, Paint Me Like I Am , caught my attention. It was full of poems written by students my age from WritersCorps. I couldn’t get enough.

I wasn’t the only one who was taken with the poems. Previously, I’d only been vaguely aware of Christina as one of the weird kids I avoided. Crammed in the margins of her high-top Chuck Taylors were scribbled lines of her own poetry and infinite doodles. Beyond her punk rock persona was a sensitive artist, puppy-lover, and environmental activist that a wide receiver like me would have never noticed before.

With Christina, I started making friends with people who once would have been invisible to me: drama geeks, teachers’ pets, band nerds. Most were college bound but not to play a sport. They were smart and talented, and they cared about people and politics and all sorts of issues that I hadn’t considered before. Strangely, they also seemed to care about me.

I still limp down the halls at school, but I don’t seem to mind as much these days. My friends don’t steer clear anymore, and I have a lot more of them. My teachers, excited by my newfound interest in learning, continually invite me to learn more and do my best. Football is still on hold, but I feel like I’m finally playing a game that matters.

My broken ankle broke my spirit. Then, it broke my ignorance.

Word count: 512

This essay uses a narrative structure to show how a pet positively influenced the student’s values and character.

In the weak draft, the student doesn’t focus on himself, instead delving into too much detail about his dog’s positive traits and his grandma’s illness. The essay’s structure is meandering, with tangents and details that don’t communicate any specific insight.

In the improved version, the student keeps the focus on himself, not his pet. He chooses the most relevant stories to demonstrate specific qualities, and the structure more clearly builds up to an insightful conclusion.

Man’s Best Friend

I desperately wanted a cat. I begged my parents for one, but once again, my sisters overruled me, so we drove up the Thompson Valley Canyon from Loveland to Estes Park to meet our newest family member. My sisters had already hatched their master plan, complete with a Finding Nemo blanket to entice the pups. The blanket was a hit with all of them, except for one—the one who walked over and sat in my lap. That was the day that Francisco became a Villanova.

Maybe I should say he was mine because I got stuck with all the chores. As expected, my dog-loving sisters were nowhere to be found! My mom was “extra” with all the doggy gear. Cisco even had to wear these silly little puppy shoes outside so that when he came back in, he wouldn’t get the carpets dirty. If it was raining, my mother insisted I dress Cisco in a ridiculous yellow raincoat, but, in my opinion, it was an unnecessary source of humiliation for poor Cisco. It didn’t take long for Cisco to decide that his outerwear could be used as toys in a game of Keep Away. As soon as I took off one of his shoes, he would run away with it, hiding under the bed where I couldn’t reach him. But, he seemed to appreciate his ensemble more when we had to walk through snowdrifts to get his job done.

When my abuela was dying from cancer, we went in the middle of the night to see her before she passed. I was sad and scared. But, my dad let me take Cisco in the car, so Cisco cuddled with me and made me feel much better. It’s like he could read my mind. Once we arrived at the hospital, the fluorescent lighting made the entire scene seem unreal, as if I was watching the scene unfold through someone else’s eyes. My grandma lay calmly on her bed, smiling at us even through her last moments of pain. I disliked seeing the tubes and machines hooked up to her. It was unnatural to see her like this一it was so unlike the way I usually saw her beautiful in her flowery dress, whistling a Billie Holiday tune and baking snickerdoodle cookies in the kitchen. The hospital didn’t usually allow dogs, but they made a special exception to respect my grandma’s last wishes that the whole family be together. Cisco remained at the foot of the bed, intently watching abuela with a silence that seemed more effective at communicating comfort and compassion than the rest of us who attempted to offer up words of comfort that just seemed hollow and insincere. It was then that I truly appreciated Cisco’s empathy for others.

As I accompanied my dad to pick up our dry cleaner’s from Ms. Chapman, a family friend asked, “How’s Cisco?” before even asking about my sisters or me. Cisco is the Villanova family mascot, a Goldendoodle better recognized by strangers throughout Loveland than the individual members of my family.

On our summer trip to Boyd Lake State Park, we stayed at the Cottonwood campground for a breathtaking view of the lake. Cisco was allowed to come, but we had to keep him on a leash at all times. After a satisfying meal of fish, our entire family walked along the beach. Cisco and I led the way while my mom and sisters shuffled behind. Cisco always stopped and refused to move, looking back to make sure the others were still following. Once satisfied that everyone was together, he would turn back around and continue prancing with his golden boy curly locks waving in the chilly wind.

On the beach, Cisco “accidentally” got let off his leash and went running maniacally around the sand, unfettered and free. His pure joy as he raced through the sand made me forget about my AP Chem exam or my student council responsibilities. He brings a smile not only to my family members but everyone around him.

Cisco won’t live forever, but without words, he has impressed upon me life lessons of responsibility, compassion, loyalty, and joy. I can’t imagine life without him.

Word count: 701

I quickly figured out that as “the chosen one,” I had been enlisted by Cisco to oversee all aspects of his “business.” I learned to put on Cisco’s doggie shoes to keep the carpet clean before taking him out一no matter the weather. Soon after, Cisco decided that his shoes could be used as toys in a game of Keep Away. As soon as I removed one of his shoes, he would run away with it, hiding under the bed where I couldn’t reach him. But, he seemed to appreciate his footwear more after I’d gear him up and we’d tread through the snow for his daily walks.

One morning, it was 7:15 a.m., and Alejandro was late again to pick me up. “Cisco, you don’t think he overslept again, do you?” Cisco barked, as if saying, “Of course he did!” A text message would never do, so I called his dad, even if it was going to get him in trouble. There was no use in both of us getting another tardy during our first-period class, especially since I was ready on time after taking Cisco for his morning outing. Alejandro was mad at me but not too much. He knew I had helped him out, even if he had to endure his dad’s lecture on punctuality.

Another early morning, I heard my sister yell, “Mom! Where are my good ballet flats? I can’t find them anywhere!” I hesitated and then confessed, “I moved them.” She shrieked at me in disbelief, but I continued, “I put them in your closet, so Cisco wouldn’t chew them up.” More disbelief. However, this time, there was silence instead of shrieking.

Last spring, Cisco and I were fast asleep when the phone rang at midnight. Abuela would not make it through the night after a long year of chemo, but she was in Pueblo, almost three hours away. Sitting next to me for that long car ride on I-25 in pitch-black darkness, Cisco knew exactly what I needed and snuggled right next to me as I petted his coat in a rhythm while tears streamed down my face. The hospital didn’t usually allow dogs, but they made a special exception to respect my grandma’s last wishes that the whole family be together. Cisco remained sitting at the foot of the hospital bed, intently watching abuela with a silence that communicated more comfort than our hollow words. Since then, whenever I sense someone is upset, I sit in silence with them or listen to their words, just like Cisco did.

The other day, one of my friends told me, “You’re a strange one, Josue. You’re not like everybody else but in a good way.” I didn’t know what he meant at first. “You know, you’re super responsible and grown-up. You look out for us instead of yourself. Nobody else does that.” I was a bit surprised because I wasn’t trying to do anything different. I was just being me. But then I realized who had taught me: a fluffy little puppy who I had wished was a cat! I didn’t choose Cisco, but he certainly chose me and, unexpectedly, became my teacher, mentor, and friend.

Word count: 617

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

• A unique, personally meaningful topic
• A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
• Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
• Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
• Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
• A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

There are no set rules for how to structure a college application essay , but these are two common structures that work:

• A montage structure, a series of vignettes with a common theme.
• A narrative structure, a single story that shows your personal growth or how you overcame a challenge.

Avoid the five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in high school.

Though admissions officers are interested in hearing your story, they’re also interested in how you tell it. An exceptionally written essay will differentiate you from other applicants, meaning that admissions officers will spend more time reading it.

You can use literary devices to catch your reader’s attention and enrich your storytelling; however, focus on using just a few devices well, rather than trying to use as many as possible.

Most importantly, your essay should be about you , not another person or thing. An insightful college admissions essay requires deep self-reflection, authenticity, and a balance between confidence and vulnerability.

Your essay shouldn’t be a résumé of your experiences but instead should tell a story that demonstrates your most important values and qualities.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding message, flow, tone, style , and clarity. Then, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

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“If she’s not careful, I might just fall in love with her. Tonight.”

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist…

“You can’t leave yet. I’m not finished falling in love with you.”

“She’s the only one I want with me today, and here she is. Just for me. Because she missed me. If she’s not careful, I just might beg her to stay. For good.”

“This is real life, and in the real world you have to bust your ass for the happy ever after… When you find love, you take it. You grab it with both hands and you do everything in your power not to let it go.”

“I think about you every second of every day and I don’t know how to get over you,” she says. “Don’t,” I beg her. “Please don’t get over me.”

“Why would a girl care to find herself when she’ll never be able to make herself feel as good as a guy can?”

I shove the dress back at him. “I don’t want to wear that, I want to wear this.” “No,” he says. “I’m paying for dinner, so I get to choose what to stare at while we eat.”

“Baby,” he says, his lips forming a smile. “You have already made this the best I’ve ever had, and I’m not even inside you yet.”

“Fallon,” he whispers, dragging his lips slowly across mine. “Thank you for this beautiful gift.”

" It doesn’t matter that Fallon left such a big hole in my heart, I couldn’t help it if someone else found their way in. It doesn’t matter that Jordyn and I were both destroyed after the death of Kyle. It doesn’t matter that things didn’t progress between us until well after Oliver was born. It doesn’t matter that I’ll never feel the same connection with Jordyn that I had with Fallon, but Oliver makes up for anything our relationship lacks. The only thing that matters to Fallon is the unexpected twist in our story. One neither of us saw coming. One neither of us even wanted. And one she’s partly responsible for..."

"She has no idea that Jordyn was there for me when she wasn’t. I was there for Jordyn when Kyle wasn’t. And after losing two people we both loved, only later to be united with Oliver . . . it wasn’t something we planned. I’m not even sure I wanted it. But it happened, and now I’m the only father Oliver knows."

Suspension of disbelief or willing suspension of disbelief is a term coined in 1817 by the poet and aesthetic philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who suggested that if a writer could infuse a "human interest and a semblance of truth" into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgement concerning the implausibility of the narrative. Suspension of disbelief often applies to fictional works of the action, comedy, fantasy, and horror genres. Cognitive estrangement in fiction involves using a person's ignorance or lack of knowledge to promote suspension of disbelief.

"Baby," he says, his lips forming a smile. "You already made this the best sex I've had , and I'm not even inside you yet."

"Fallon," he whispers, dragging his lips slowly across mine. "Thank you for this beautiful gift."

It felt as if the second we joined together, a tiny piece of our souls got confused and a piece of his fell into me and a piece of mine fell into him.

I just know that there is no way I can tell him goodbye after this. It'll tear me apart, way worse than last year. I can't go another day without him being a part of my everyday life. Not after this.

"You know how much I dislike insta-love." "Oh, it was still insta-love," I tell her. "But ours is legit."

"It's a little bit like Sleepless In Seattle'" Tate says. I immediately shake my head. "It's nothing like that. They only agreed to meet once." "True. I's like One Day, then. That movie with Anne Hathaway?" Again, I dismiss her comparison. "That just focuses on one particular day every year, but the two people still interact throughout the year like normal. Fallon and I have no contact." I don't know why I'm being so defensive. I think writers just naturally become defensive when their ideas are compared to other ideas, even if it's done innocently. But mine and Fallon's story is one-of-a-kind, and I feel somewhat protective of it.

"And no matter who is at fault for that, whether it's mine for walking away last year or yours for not knowing I did it for your own good, none of it changes things."

I know this will be difficult for you to deal with, so I've tried to make it as easy as possible. Someone will need to clean up after they take my body, so I've left a card on the kitchen counter for who you should call. There's plenty of cash in my purse. I've left it in the kitchen, on the counter.'

“my eyes fall to the dress first. i have to give myself props for picking that one out. there’s just enough showing at her neckline to keep me good and happy.”

“But if we’re just going to sit here and stare at each other, it’d be nice if she were showing a little cleavage, instead of wearing this long-sleeved shirt that leaves everything to the imagination. It’s pushing eighty degrees outside. She should be in something a lot less . . . convent-inspired.”

“And of course, this thought leads me to her breasts again. Are they scarred, too? How much of her body is actually affected? I begin to mentally undress her, and not in a sexual way. I’m just curious. Really curious, because I can’t stop staring at her, and that’s not like me.”

“I’m trying. Ask me again.”

“What’s your favorite food?” “Pad Thai,” he says. “Yours?” “Sushi. They’re almost the same thing.” “Not even close,” he says. “They’re both Asian food. What’s your favorite movie?”

“I’ve never wanted to use physical force on a girl before, but I want to push her to the ground and hold her there until the cab drives away.” ━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━

➥ Ben (H) is actually disgusting. I cannot believe people like him 😭😭. He is a man with a saviour complex, he's objectifying, he's just the epitome of the reason why I'm afraid of and usually dislike men. ➥ Fallon (h) was just kind of bland from what I read, and so fucking insecure, oh my god, enough.

He’s already staring at me again. The same smile he shot at me earlier is still affixed to his face, but this time I don’t look away from him. In fact, my eyes don’t leave his as he makes his way to our booth. Before I can react, he’s sliding into the seat with me. Holy shit. What is he doing? “Sorry I’m late, babe,” he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. He just called me babe. This random dude just put his arm around me and called me babe. What the hell is going on? I glance at my father, thinking he’s in on this somehow, but he’s looking at the stranger next to me with even more confusion than I probably am. I stiffen beneath the guy’s arm when I feel his lips press against the side of my head. “Damn L.A. traffic,” he mutters. Random Dude just put his lips in my hair. What. Is going. On. The guy reaches across the table for my father’s hand. “I’m Ben,” he says. “Benton James Kessler. Your daughter’s boyfriend.” Your daughter’s . . . what?

I wish I could say I’m mentally preparing a brilliant apology, but I’m not. I seem to have a one-track mind, and that track leads straight to the two things I shouldn’t even be thinking about right now. Her boobs. Both of them. I know. I’m pathetic. But if we’re just going to sit here and stare at each other, it’d be nice if she were showing a little cleavage, instead of wearing this long-sleeved shirt that leaves everything to the imagination. It’s pushing eighty degrees outside. She should be in something a lot less . . . conventinspired.

A couple seated a few tables over stands up and begins to walk past us, toward the exit. I notice Fallon tilts her head away from them and lets her hair fall in front of her face like a protective shield. I don’t even think she realizes she’s doing it. It seems like such a natural reaction for her to try and cover up what she sees as flaws. That’s probably why she’s wearing the long-sleeved shirt. It shields everyone from seeing what’s beneath it. And of course, this thought leads me to her breasts again. Are they scarred, too? How much of her body is actually affected? I begin to mentally undress her, and not in a sexual way. I’m just curious. Really curious, because I can’t stop staring at her, and that’s not like me. My mother raised me with more tact than this, but what my mother failed to teach me is that there would be girls like this one who would test those manners merely by existing.

"I've never had a fake boyfriend before," she says. “I’ve never had a real boyfriend before,” I reply. Her eyes shift to my hair. “Believe me, that’s obvious. No gay man I know would have left the house looking like you do right now.”

I wasn’t expecting this today of all days. To be sitting across from this girl, watching her lick ice cream off her lips and having to swallow air just to make sure I’m still breathing.

She sighs. Again. I don’t think I’ve ever made a girl sigh this much in such a short amount of time. And they aren’t the kind of sighs that make a guy feel good about his skills. They’re the kind of sighs that make him wonder what the hell he’s doing wrong.

I lean forward to toss my container into the trash can behind her. It’s the closest I’ve come to her since we were sitting in the booth together. Her entire body stiffens with my proximity. Rather than pull back right away, I look her directly in the eye before focusing on her mouth. “That’s what boyfriends are for,” I say as I slowly back away from her.

Now I’m the one releasing a heavy sigh. “You want to know what I thought when I saw you for the first time?” She tilts her head. “When you saw me for the first time? You mean as in one whole hour ago?” I ignore her cynicism and continue. “The first time you walked past me— before I interrupted your lunch date with your father—I stared at your ass the whole time you were stomping away. And I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of panties you had on. That’s all I thought about the entire time you were in the restroom. Were you a thong girl? Were you going commando? Because I didn’t see an outline in your jeans that hinted you were wearing normal panties. “Before you returned from the bathroom, I started to get this panicked feeling in my stomach, because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to see your face. I had been listening in on your conversation and already knew I was drawn to your personality. But what about your face? People say not to judge a book by its cover, but what if you somehow read the inside of the book without seeing the cover first? And what if you really liked what was inside that book? Of course when you go to close the book and are about to see the cover for the first time, you hope it’s something you’ll find attractive. Because who wants an incredibly written book sitting on their bookshelf if they have to stare at a shitty cover?”

“You were almost to my booth at this point and that’s when my eyes fell to your cheek. To your neck. I saw the scars for the first time, and just as I noticed them, you darted your eyes to the floor and let your hair cover most of your face. And you know what I thought in that moment, Fallon?” Her eyes flick up to meet mine and I can tell she doesn’t really want me to say it. She thinks she knows exactly what I thought in that moment, but she has no idea. “I was so relieved,” I tell her. “Because I could tell with that one simple movement that you were really insecure. And I realized—since you obviously had no idea how fucking beautiful you were—that I just might actually have a chance with you. And so I smiled. Because I was hoping if I played my cards right—I might get to find out exactly what kind of panties you were wearing under those jeans. ”

“We’ll be in my room,” I say casually. Ben gives them a quick wave and then removes his arm from around my shoulders, sliding his fingers through mine. “Nice to meet you both.” He points down the hall. “I’m gonna follow Fallon to her room now so I can see what kind of panties she has on.”

“You’re a reader?” he asks. I look over my shoulder and he’s fingering the books on my shelves. “I love to read. You should hurry up and write a book, because it’s already on my TBR pile.” “Your TBR pile?” “To be read pile,” I clarify.

He smiles at me from his position on the bed, and the sight of him sitting there makes my cheeks feel all hot and bothered. I suddenly want to beg him to roll around on my sheets so I can smell him when I fall asleep tonight. But then I remember I won’t be sleeping on them tonight because I’ll be on a flight to New York. I turn around and face my closet again so he doesn’t see the flushed look on my face. He laughs quietly. “You were just thinking dirty thoughts.” “Was not,” I quip. “Fallon, we’ve been dating for two hours now. I can read you like a book, and right now I do believe that book is full of erotica.”

He grins and then peeks over my shoulder at the drawer I’m rifling through. “Is that your panty drawer?” He reaches around and grabs a pair. I pull them out of his hand and toss them toward my suitcase. “Hands off,” I tell him. He walks around me and leans his elbow against the dresser. “If you’re packing underwear, that means you don’t go commando. So by process of elimination, I’ve figured out that you’re currently wearing a thong. Now I just have to find out what color it is.” I toss the contents of my drawer toward my suitcase. “It takes a lot more than smooth talk to get me down to my panties, Ben the Writer.” He grins. “Oh yeah? Like what? A fancy dinner?” He pushes off the dresser and stands up straight, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Because it just so happens I have reservations at the Chateau Marmont tonight at seven.”

I shake my head and grab the dress from him, hanging it back in its spot. I grab one of the few long-sleeved dresses I own and I pull it off the hanger. “I like this one.” His eyes fall to the dress he initially picked out and he pulls it off the hanger and shoves it at me. “But I want you to wear this one.” I shove the dress back at him. “I don’t want to wear that, I want to wear this.” “No,” he says. “I’m paying for dinner, so I get to choose what to stare at while we eat.”

"Please don’t ask me again to wear that dress, because I’m much more relaxed in clothes that don’t show too much skin. I don’t like making people uncomfortable, and if I wore something like that, they would feel weird looking at me.” Ben’s jaw tenses and he looks away from me, down at the dress in his hands. “Okay,” he says simply, dropping the dress to the floor. Finally. “But it’s your own fault people feel uncomfortable looking at you.” I don’t even hide my gasp. It’s the first thing he’s said to me all day that’s made me feel like I was being spoken to by my father. I’m not gonna lie. It hurts. My throat feels like it’s swelling shut, so I clear it. “That wasn’t very nice,” I say quietly. Ben takes a step closer to me. My closet is small enough as it is. I certainly don’t need him standing even closer. Especially after saying something as hurtful as he just did. “It’s the truth,” he says.

“And your lips. Men stare at them because they want to know what they taste like, and women stare at them out of jealousy because if they had lips the color of yours, they’d never have to buy lipstick again.”

This is going too far. Too far, too far, too far, but all I can do is suck in a wild breath and let his fingers pop open the button on my jeans, because as much as I wish he would stop, I get the feeling he’s not undressing me for pleasure. I’m not sure what he’s doing, but I’m too immobile to ask.

“Fucking beautiful,” he says with a slow grin. “And red.” Red? I look down at the dress, but it’s definitely black. “Your panties,” he says as clarification. “They’re red.”

“That’s a record,” Ben says, pulling me away from his chest so he can look down at me. “Made my girlfriend cry less than three hours into our relationship.”

He shuts the door, but I can still hear what he says to Amber and Glenn as soon as he walks into the living room. “They’re red! Her panties are red!”

━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━

And somehow, with the way he’s looking down at me, I even believe I’m beautiful.

I laugh again, and then I press my face to his chest and hug him back, because why couldn’t he have been there the second I woke up in the hospital two years ago? Why did I have to go two whole years before finally being given the tiniest bit of confidence?

“You wear your hair like you do because you don’t want people to see too much of you. You wear long sleeves and collared shirts because you think it helps. But it doesn’t.”

“ I don’t want to be your first, Fallon. I want to be your last. ”

“ Baby, ” he says, his lips forming a smile. “ You have already made this the best sex I’ve ever had, and I’m not even inside you yet. ”

“ Does she know, Ben? Does she have any idea that you’re the one who started that fire? That you’re the reason she almost died? ”

I make a new pile with the pages I’ve already read. I stare down at the manuscript in disbelief. I know I should be angry that he’s lied to me for so long, but being in his head is somehow justifying his behavior to me. And not only that, but it’s also justifying my father ’s behavior.

We were drawn to each other. We made each other happy. And I know without a doubt there were several times during the past few years that we were madly in love with each other at the same time. Not everyone experiences that Fallon, and I’d be lying if I said I regretted it.

I should have given you the chance to explain it then. If I had just listened to you, then we could have avoided an entire year of heartache. So for that.... I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. And I hope you can forgive me.”

“When I woke up this morning, I thought today was going to be one of the toughest days I’ve had in two years. Who knew the anniversary of the worst day of my life might possibly end on a good note.”

"November 9th or nothing.”

“When you find love, you take it. You grab it with both hands and you do everything in your power not to let it go. You can’t just walk away from it and expect it to linger until you’re ready for it.”

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You are here, día de los muertos : two days in november, manuel f. medrano october 2015.

Beginning November 1, thousands of people throughout the Americas will participate in Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) celebrations. Manuel F. Medrano, professor of history at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and Humanities Texas board member, explores the many marvelous and macabre ways in which the living honor the dead at this special time of year. A multimedia presentation of this essay is made available online by the Los del Valle Oral History Project .

Through the morning mist, they come to my grave—my friends, my family, those who remember me, those who respect me. They build an altar and fill it with gifts, food, and memories. They decorate my resting place with beautiful cempasúchitl (marigolds). They celebrate me like I celebrated my family before. It is our tradition; it is what we believe connects those who are here with those who are gone.

I live where the dusk meets the dawn and the heavens meet the underworld. Crossbones and skulls surround me as life and afterlife become one. I am the ghost of the departed, and I come to visit those who will die. My roots are in two worlds and in two cultures. Pagans have praised me, popes have proclaimed me, and shamans have exalted me; few have forgotten me. I am incomparable; I am inevitable; I am inescapable; I am the Day of the Dead.

There are those who believe that the fall reunites the living and the dead. It has always been that way. Many years ago in the Old World, as October ended, the Celtic Festival of Samhain marked the beginning of the barren time, a time of gloom. As the nights outlived the days, the ghosts of the dead were said to haunt the living. In Europe, I was Christianized as All Souls Day to remember the faithful. 1

Octavio Paz, the great Mexican writer, once wrote that the Mexican knows death and does not fear it. Paz writes that the Mexican "jokes about it, caresses it; it is one of [their] favorite toys and most steadfast love." 2

In the New World, my Maya, Toltec, Purépecha, and Aztec traditions have survived nearly three millennia. In their pantheons and rituals, death held a significant place. At times, the skulls of their dead ancestors were publicly displayed, symbolizing the duality of death and rebirth "as life and death were believed to exist in dynamic and complementary opposition." 3

One Aztec muerto tradition included a month-long August celebration presided over by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead. It included the practice of making bread in the shape of a person, possibly the origin of today's pan de muerto . The Aztecs also considered it a blessing to die in battle, by human sacrifice, or when giving birth because these assured the victims a desirable destination in the afterlife.

In Mexico, the Day of the Dead is observed by a variety of regional customs fused together by timeless commonalities. These include visits to family cemeteries, preparation of favorite foods for the dead, offerings on commemorative altars, and, at times, fireworks. Mixquic, once a farming island in the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, has retained a rural village ambiance and its indigenous roots. The area takes on a busy and festive air in the final days of October as merchants set up street stands to sell their wares for me. In the cemetery, family burial plots are carefully cleaned and decorated with my favorite earthly delights. Relatives gather at family tombs to mourn the loss of loved ones with la Llorada (the weeping). Later, when darkness arrives, the glow of thousands of candles ( la Alumbrada ) illuminates the way. At midnight, my soul returns to my other world with the mournful tolling of bells and is remembered with a recitation of the Rosary. 4

The souls of my children are believed to return on November 1, with my adult spirits following on November 2. Plans for the festival are made throughout the year, including gathering items to be offered to the dead. Wealthier families build altars in their homes, but most simply visit the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with ofrendas or offerings. These include wreaths of orange marigolds referred to as Flor de Muerto in Spanish and zempoalxochitl in Nahuatl. They are thought to attract the souls of the dead toward their offerings. Toys are brought for dead children ( los angelitos or little angels) and bottles of tequila, mescal, pulque, or atole (corn gruel) for adults.

On my grave, families place trinkets and my favorite candies such as dulce de calabaza (pumpkin candy) and leche quemada (scorched milk). Sometimes mariachis are brought to perform my favorite songs. Ofrendas are also put in homes, usually with foods such as sugar skulls and platters of rice, beans, or chicken in mole sauce. The ofrendas are left in the homes as a welcoming gesture for me. Because some people believe that my spirit devours the spirit of the food, the hosts eat the food from the ofrendas , thinking it lacks nutritional value. Pillows and blankets are left out so that I can rest after a long journey.

Altars usually have the Christian cross, statues or images of the Blessed Virgin, or photographs of me. My family spends time around the altar telling stories of those that are gone. In Mizquic and Pátzcuaro, families spend all night beside the graves of their relatives. 5

From mid-October through the first week of November, markets and shops all over Mexico are filled with special items for me. These include a variety of skeletons and other macabre toys, intricate tissue paper cutouts called papel picado , and elaborate wreaths and crosses decorated with paper or silk flowers. Among the edible delicacies offered are skulls called calacas (colloquial term for skeleton). Coffins are made from sugar, chocolate, or amaranth seeds. Sugary sweet rolls called pan de muerto come in various sizes, topped with bits of dough shaped like bones; in some regions, unadorned dark breads are molded into human figures called ánimas (souls).

Burning copal (incense) and the light of numerous candles are intended to help my spirit find its way home and provide it with an enticing respite and adequate sustenance for the journey. Frequently, they leave a washbasin and clean hand towel for me to freshen up before the feast. The offering includes my favorite meal and also a pack of cigarettes for my after-dinner enjoyment.

At the local cemetery, relatives prepare each gravesite. They cut weeds, give tombs a fresh coat of paint, and make needed repairs. The graves are then decorated according to local custom. The tomb may be simply adorned with a cross of marigold petals or elaborately covered with colorful coronas (wreaths) and fresh or artificial floral arrangements. In many regions, children's graves are adorned with brightly colored paper streamers or other festive adornments. Booming fireworks announce the commencement of an open-air memorial mass, the occasion's most solemn moment.

Calaveras , mischievous epitaphs of friends in poetic form, are written about me. In the late seventeenth century, a newspaper published a poem narrating a dream at a cemetery in the future where all people were dead and tombstones were read. Newspapers still dedicate Calaveras cartoons to public figures.

In Patzcuaro, Michoacán, godparents, in the first year following a child's death, set a table with sweets, fruits, pan de muerto , a cross, a Rosary, and candles in the home of the parents. This is done to celebrate the child's life and in respect and appreciation for the parents. In the town plaza or garden, there is dancing with colorful costumes, which include skull-shaped masks or devil masks. At midnight on November 2, people light candles and ride boats called Mariposas over to the island of Cuiseo—in the middle of the lake, where there is a cemetery—to honor and celebrate the dead there. 6

One of my most unforgettable characters is la Catrina , also known as la Flaca, la Huesuda, la Pelona —elegant, thin, bony, and bald. She is not a model of fashion; she is not a trendy woman, yet she exists throughout Mexican society. La Catrina appears in figurines, paintings, and paper cutouts. She is the grand lady of death and makes no bones about it.

The Mexican American borderlands culture has continued its medieval homage to death and combined it with pre-Columbian motifs. From it has emerged an awareness of the brevity of life and an emphasis on a respect for the dead. In the American Southwest, as well as other places in the country, I am celebrated in public schools and on college campuses, at mercados , and at cultural and art museums. Both Latino and non-Latino students organize festivals for me every year at such universities as the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, and the University of California. In San Antonio, the Market Square is adorned with various altars and many muertos figurines. In the Rio Grande Valley, observances are made at local cemeteries, cultural centers, museums, and colleges. My tradition has traveled north and enriched those it has touched.

I have been paganized, Christianized, eulogized, syncretized, politicized, and commercialized, yet seldom minimized because I am what you will become, and you respect that reality. After all this time, the autumn moon still tells my story and beckons you to tell yours. Wait for me; welcome me; remember me; laugh with me; celebrate me; believe in me.

So, every year for two days in November, the living meet the dead to celebrate their love, their lives, and their legacy. It is a reunion that transcends our time on earth and beyond. You remember the dead, knowing that one day, you, too, will be remembered. Those who believe in the duality that bridges the flesh and the spirit know that they are part of a continuous cycle of life and death, separated by a single heartbeat.

1 Mile Kearney and Manuel Medrano. Medieval Culture and the Mexican American Borderlands (College Station: Texas A&M Press, 2001), 107.

2 Octavio Paz. The Labyrinth of Solitude (New York: Grove Press, 1961), 57.

3 Mary Miller and Karl Taufe. T he Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and The Maya (London: Thames and Hudson, 1997), 74.

4 Miller and Taufe, 74

5 Mary J. Andrade. Day of the Dead: A Passion for Life (San Jose, CA: La Oferta Publishing Company, 2007), 66.

6 Andrade, 66.

El Día de los Muertos: Dos Días de Noviembre

A través de la neblina, caminan éllos hacia mi tumba; mis amigos, mis familiares, aquéllos que me recuerdan, aquéllos que me respetan. Me construyen un altar, y lo llenan de regalos, de comida y de recuerdos, y decoran mi última morada con la bella cempasúchil. Me celebran como yo también celebré a mi familia años atrás. Es nuestra tradición; es lo que creemos que conecta a quienes están aquí con quienes se han ido.

Vivo donde el anochecer se encuentra con el amanecer, donde los cielos se encuentran con el inframundo. Me rodean las calaveras y los huesos cruzados mientras que la vida y el más allá se convierten en uno. Soy el fantasma de los difuntos, y vengo a visitar a aquéllos que morirán. Mis raíces se encuentran en dos mundos y en dos culturas. Los paganos me han alabado, y los papas me han aclamado; los chamanes me han exaltado, pero pocos me han olvidado. Soy incomparable; soy inevitable; soy inescapable; soy el Día de los Muertos.

Hay quienes creen que el otoño reúne a los vivos con los muertos. Siempre ha sido así. Hace muchos años en el Viejo Mundo hacia el final de octubre, el Festival céltico de Samhain indicaba el inicio de una temporada estéril, una temporada de melancolía. Mientras las noches sobrevivían los días, se contaba que los fantasmas de los difuntos vagaban entre los vivos. En Europa, me bautizaron el Día de las Santas Ánimas para recordar a los creyentes.

El célebre escritor mexicano, Octavio Paz, dijo en una ocasión que el mexicano conoce la muerte y no la teme. De hecho, "se burla de ella, la acaricia; es uno de sus juguetes preferidos y su amor más estable".

En el Nuevo Mundo, mis tradiciones maya, tolteca, purépecha y azteca han sobrevivido casi tres milenios. En sus panteones y sus rituales, la muerte ocupaba un lugar significativo. A veces se exhibían las calaveras de sus ancestros, simbolizando la dualidad de la muerte y el renacimiento "ya que se creía que la vida y la muerte existían en una dinámica y complementaria oposición".

Una tradición azteca de la muerte incluía una celebración durante todo el mes de agosto presidida por la diosa Mictecacihuatl, la Dama de la Muerte. Se caracterizaba por la práctica de hacer un pan en la forma de la persona difunta, lo cual posiblemente podría ser el origen del actual pan de muerto. Los aztecas también consideraban el fallecer en el momento del parto, en una batalla o como víctima del sacrificio humano una bendición, ya que estos actos le aseguraban a la víctima un destino deseable en el más allá.

En México se celebra el Día de los Muertos a través de una variedad de costumbres regionales fusionadas por semejanzas infinitas. Éstas incluyen cementerios familiares, la preparación del alimento preferido del difunto, ofrendas en altares conmemorativos y, a veces, fuegos artificiales. Mixquic, anteriormente una isla agrícola en la capital azteca de Tenochtitlán, ha mantenido su ambiente rural y sus raíces indígenas. El área asume un ambiente ajetreado y festivo a fines de octubre cuando los comerciantes arreglan sus puestos en las calles para vender sus mercancías en honor a mí. En el camposanto, cuidadosamente se limpian y se decoran las parcelas familiares con mis delicias favoritas terrenales. A las dos de la tarde del día primero de noviembre, se juntan los parientes alrededor de cada tumba para lamentar la pérdida de su ser querido con un llanto. Luego, al anochecer, el brillo de miles de velas (la Alumbrada) ilumina el camino. A medianoche, mi alma retorna al otro mundo con el doblar de las campanas, y es recordado con la recitación del rosario.

Se cree que las almas de mis hijos vuelven el día primero de noviembre, y que mis espíritus adultos siguen el día dos. Los preparativos para el festival se llevan a cabo a través del año con la colección de artículos para las ofrendas a los difuntos. Las familias más adineradas construyen altares en sus propias casas, pero la mayoría visita los panteones donde yacen sus seres queridos y decora sus sepulcros con ofrendas. Éstas incluyen coronas hechas con las cempasúchil anaranjadas, conocidas como la Flor de Muerto en español, y zempoalxochitl en náhuatl. Supuestamente éstas atraen a las almas de los difuntos hacia sus ofrendas. A los niños difuntos, los angelitos, se les traen juguetes, mientras a los adultos les brindan botellas de tequila, mescal, pulque o atole.

En mi propio sepulcro, mis familiares colocarán chucherías y algunos de mis dulces favoritos, como el de calabaza y el de leche quemada. A veces me traen mariachis quienes tocan mis canciones preferidas. También se colocan en casa muchas de las ofrendas que incluyen el dulce de calabaza, el pan de muerto, las calaveras de azúcar, además de platones de arroz, frijoles y pollo en mole. Se dejan estas ofrendas a la entrada del hogar con motivo de darme la bienvenida. Ya que muchos creen que mi espíritu se come el espíritu de la comida, los anfitriones comparten las ofrendas que supuestamente carecen de valor nutritivo. Cerca del altar se colocan almohadas y cobijas para que yo pueda descansar después de un largo viaje.

En los altares también vemos la cruz cristiana, estatuas o imágenes de la Santísima Virgen o fotos mías. Mi familia se reúne alrededor del altar y comparte cuentos sobre los difuntos. En Mizquic y Pátzcuaro, las familias permanecen toda la noche vigilando el sepulcro de sus parientes.

Desde mediados de octubre hasta la primera semana de noviembre, las tiendas y los mercados de México se encuentran repletos de artículos especiales dedicados a mí. Éstos incluyen una variedad de esqueletos y otros juguetes macabros, papel picado y un surtido de coronas y cruces decoradas con flores de seda o de papel. Entre las delicias comestibles se encuentran calaveras, llamadas calacas, y ataúdes hechos de azúcar, chocolate o de semillas de amaranto. Además, hay pan de muerto de diferentes tamaños adornados con pedacitos de masa en forma de huesos; en algunas regiones, hay pan moreno, sin adorno y moldeado en figuras humanas, llamadas ánimas.

El copal ardiente, o incienso, y la luz de miles de velas ayudan a mi alma a encontrar su hogar, y le proveen de un descanso tentador además del alimento adecuado para el viaje. A menudo me dejan una cuenca y una toalla para lavarme y refrescarme antes del banquete. La ofrenda incluye mi platillo favorito y una cajetilla para disfrutar un cigarrillo después de la cena.

En el panteón local, los parientes preparan cada sepulcro. Cortan el césped y arrancan las hierbas, le dan una mano de pintura al sepulcro y le hacen las reparaciones necesarias. Luego se adornan los sepulcros según la costumbre local. Las decoraciones varían entre una sencilla cruz adornada con los pétalos del cempasúchil y adornos elaborados con floridas coronas o arreglos de flores naturales o artificiales. En muchas regiones se decoran los sepulcros de los niños con listones pintorescos u otros adornos festivos. Retumbantes fuegos artificiales dan inicio al momento más solemne, la celebración de la Santa Misa al aire libre.

En nombre mío se escriben "calaveras", versitos burladores que simulan epitafios de amigos. A fines del siglo diecisiete se publicó en el periódico un poema que narraba un sueño en un panteón del futuro en el cual se leían las lápidas de todos los difuntos. Aún ahorra los periódicos les dedican las calaveras a varias figuras públicas.

En Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, en el primer aniversario de la muerte de un niño, sus padrinos ponen la mesa en casa de los padres del difunto, y la adornan con dulces, frutas, pan de muerto, una cruz, un rosario y velas. De esta manera se celebra la vida del niño y se les muestra respeto y aprecio a sus padres. Además, hay bailes de disfraz en la plaza o el zócalo del pueblo donde se ven máscaras que representan calaveras o diablos. A medianoche del día dos de noviembre, con velas encendidas, el pueblo sale en botes llamados Mariposas a la isla de Cuiseo, hacia un panteón en el centro del lago donde alaban y honran a los difuntos.

Uno de mis personajes más inolvidables es La Catrina, conocida también como la Flaca, la Huesuda, la Pelona Elegante. Flaca, huesuda y calva, La Catrina no es figura de la moda. Sin embargo, existe a lo largo de la sociedad Méxicana. Hay estatuillas, pinturas y muñecas de papel de esta mujer. Es la gran dama de la muerte, y se vanagloria de ello.

La cultura fronteriza mexicoamericana perpetúa el homenaje medieval a la muerte y lo combina con temas precolombinos. De allí han surgido la conciencia de la brevedad de la vida y el énfasis en el respeto a la muerte. En el suroeste de Estados Unidos, al igual que en otros lugares del país, me celebran en las escuelas públicas, en los recintos universitarios, en los mercados y en los museos de arte y cultura. Cada año, tanto los estudiantes latinos como los no latinos organizan festivales en honor mío en universidades tales como las de Pennsylvania, Yale y California. La plaza del mercado de San Antonio se adorna con varios altares y una multitud de estatuillas de muertos. En el Valle del Río Grande se organizan celebraciones en los panteones, los centros culturales, los museos y las universidades. Mi tradición ha viajado hacia el norte y ha enriquecido la vida de aquéllos a quienes ha llegado.

Me han paganizado, cristianizado, elogiado, sincretizado, politizado y comercializado, pero rara vez minimizado porque soy quien usted será, y usted respeta esa realidad. Después de tantos años, la luna de otoño aún cuenta mi historia y lo invita a usted a contar la suya. Espéreme, déme la bienvenida, acuérdese de mí, ríase conmigo, celébreme, crea en mí.

Entonces, cada año durante dos días de noviembre los vivos se encuentran con los muertos para celebrar su amor, su vida y su legado. Es una reunión que sobrepasa nuestra estancia en la tierra y aun más allá. Uno recuerda al muerto sabiendo que algún día él también será recordado. Aquéllos que creen en la dualidad que enlaza la carne y el alma saben que forman parte del ciclo continuo de la vida y la muerte separado por un solo latido del corazón.

Translation by Dr. Lucy G. Willis, retired professor of modern languages at The University of Texas at Brownsville. 

November 2023 TOK Essay Prompts Explained + SAMPLES

Table of contents

• Writing Metier

The TOK essay prescribed titles for November 2023 are finally out. Since many students struggle with TOK essays, it’s quite good news that IB students have a lot of time to check those TOK prompts.

Psssss…it’s time to check November 2024 TOK essay titles .

No more general words, and dry theory, I’m sharing a list of the TOK titles. I will start with a general list and move further to detailed explanations of each and give you examples. This can help you understand which one you will go for.

Moreover, I believe this can help you get started so that you know what exactly is required of you to work. 

November 2023 ToK essay titles list

• Are facts alone enough to prove a claim? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.
• If “the mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s and the poet’s, must be beautiful” (G.H. Hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts.
• In the acquisition of knowledge, is following experts unquestioningly as dangerous as ignoring them completely? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.
• Is it problematic that knowledge is so often shaped by the values of those who produce it? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.
• Is it always the case that “the world isn’t just the way I is, it is how we understand it – and in understanding something, we bring something to it” (adapted from Life of Pi by Yann Martel)? Discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences.
• Faced with a vast amount of information, how do we select what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

If you need assistance with your IB ToK essay , press on the picture above and order your paper. Now let’s move to the explanation part.

Title 1: Are facts alone enough to prove a claim? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

This seems to be one of the easiest prompts to work on. But in some cases, when things seem too simple, there is a lot that has to go behind that. The keyword in this case is ‘facts.’ The title asks if facts alone are enough to help prove a claim. Another word that also needs to be focused on is ‘alone.’ The idea is to explore if only facts can help you prove a claim or if there are other factors that are needed as well. 

 A lot of us think that we know what ‘facts’ stand for. In some fields of interest, like math, it is very easy to chalk out what facts are. Say one plus one is two, is a fact in mathematics. But how does one decide what facts are in areas of knowledge like arts and human sciences?

These areas of knowledge are subjective in nature, which means that it can be very hard to differentiate facts in these areas of knowledge. Every area of knowledge that we talk about has a different way of classifying facts.

For example, when we talk about math, we can see that the Pythagorean theorem is based on hard facts, where we talk about how the summation of the square of the base and the perpendicular equals to the sum of the hypotenuse. So we can see that while facts are indeed sufficient in some areas of knowledge , there is indeed more probing needed in other areas of knowledge to help understand things better.

Sample of November 2023 TOK Essay Title 1

Below you can find an example of the November 2023 TOK essay sample on Prompt 1: Are facts alone enough to prove a claim?

To understand this better, it is highly advised that you also go through the different stages of knowledge that exist to help you understand how knowledge is produced here. Does it come solely from facts, or do you also need other types of evidence to help you reach a reasonable conclusion about things? 

Title 2: If “the mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s and the poet’s, must be beautiful” (G.H. Hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts.

This title is very specific. Actually, I’m finding it super confusing and I guess it will be one of the less-selected November 2023 TOK prompts. Agree? Leave your comments below 😉

It is one that talks about the importance of math and how contrary to popular belief, it shares characteristics that are very similar to arts. Many a time, you must have heard that math is a very creative discipline on the whole. The idea behind this concept is that while the subject is highly objective, it does take into account many different factors, and all of these factors are ones that need to be taken into consideration when we talk about this.

One interesting example that we can see here is the concept of fractals. If you read up more about this, then you will find out that this has a lot to do with the artistic representation of mathematics. This raises a very valid question, which is whether art has only to do with how beautiful something is or is there more to it as well. 

On the contrary, we can also see that there is a lot of evidence that shows that art is not all about being pretty. There is a lot more to it as well. An example can be seen in terms of the paintings and photographs that depict famous wars that happened in the world. While these aren’t pretty pictures, they are pretty much valid and prevalent, and they really help us understand more about different situations in terms of what we think or believe about them.

So the idea is to explore that does mathematics really have any value is the knowledge is produced but does not add any value? So if you go for this prompt, then you have to dispute the notion of this quote, giving your own two cents to the situation to actually explore what this is all about and how you can work your way toward things in the best possible way. 

Title 3: In the acquisition of knowledge, is following experts unquestioningly as dangerous as ignoring them completely? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.

Many students would find this title very appealing. The idea here is to explore to what extent exactly can we trust experts in any field to give us information about things so that we can base our behavior on them. The best way we can look at this is with the help of the Coronavirus pandemic that took the world over by storm.

Health experts told us that we have to get ourselves vaccinated and stay at home for our own safety and the safety of our loved ones. We did exactly so because we realized that this was the best thing to do for people because we trust experts in terms of the knowledge that they have and the advice that they give us about things. 

But what is also important to note here is that experts are not always right. They can also go wrong based on what they think and also have it in them to make mistakes. So this raises a very important question, which is what makes an expert?

So the idea is to explore this in a lot of detail. It would be very interesting to explore this with reference to human sciences, because the nature of the subject is highly subjective, which means that it can help understand what all it constitutes. You can explore this better by looking at what economists have to say about different situations and how that seems to be wise or not.

This is a very interesting prompt if you choose to go about it wisely and have sound examples to support your viewpoint about things. 

Title 4: Is it problematic that knowledge is so often shaped by the values of those who produce it? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

This is a very interesting prompt to work on if you take into account the fact that knowledge is produced according to the values of producers. We need to work toward understanding what the main problem is and how knowledge is influenced by different values.

Let’s look at this with the example of slavery. There was a point in time when people didn’t see anything wrong with slavery. They knew that slavery is prevalent and at that time, it was also very common to have slaves. But if we look at how problematic this is today, then you can see that no one takes into account slavery today. In fact, it is looked upon as something that is extremely bad.

So what we can see here is that the knowledge that we have is greatly influenced by different thought processes that make us understand things a certain way. The value system that we rely on here is something very important that we have to take into account if we wish to work a certain way. 

At the end of the day, the knowledge that you have is dependent on what all you have learned so far and what this has taught you. Your lens might become outdated in the future,  but the idea is to help you understand all of this in a much better way. An accurate depiction of things can only happen when you take all of that into account and try to understand things for the better. For some areas of knowledge, the issue of values is not very prominent, while for others, that is not the case.

So it depends entirely on what you choose to work with and how you think that affects the way that you think and work toward things. 

Title 5: Is it always the case that “the world isn’t just the way it is, it is how we understand it – and in understanding something, we bring something to it” (adapted from Life of Pi by Yann Martel)? Discuss with reference to history and the natural sciences.

While this prompt may seem to be a little complicated at first, it is not really that hard to understand. In simple words, you are expected to work toward bringing your own perspective and interpretation of knowledge. It asks you how you understand things and how your interpretation of things makes you add value to the world. The idea here is that all of us have our own thoughts and ideas about things. The knowledge that we acquire is very different, and our value systems are very different as well. So this is something that we have to explore and try to understand in all ways. There is also a very wide spectrum that makes you understand what it means to bring something to the things that you learn. 

With some areas of knowledge, this can be very easy to explain. Say if you talk about art, you can see how artists have their own thought processes when they paint a picture. Even if we talk about an abstract painting, we can see that there is a lot that goes behind all of that, and the main reason for that is that they have a specific thought process that they follow. But how we interpret that painting depends entirely on what our lookout toward things is.

So this is what we need to understand very well. So basically, how well you explore this prompt depends on the type of examples that you come through with and what all you help explain in the best way. So this is something that is very important and is something that you need to pay a lot of attention to, when working. 

Title 6: Faced with a vast amount of information, how do we select what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge? Discuss with reference to the natural sciences and one other area of knowledge.

This title basically talks about big data and how there is so much information in the world that we actually find very hard to understand. You might have experienced a lot of this in your entire student life. When there is too much that you have to understand and study, it becomes really hard for you to retain all of that.

So the idea is to understand what information you will actually understand and retain, and what you will not. The idea is to know that some information is more valuable than others, so you have to be very mindful about what you think and do in this situation. 

Similarly, in the real work, there is a lot of information that we have in front of us. It depends entirely on us what we choose to pick out as more important, depending on what our world view is and what we think is important for the acquisition of knowledge. Search engines have also given us access to so much information that it actually becomes very hard for us to pick and choose what we want to pay the most attention to.

TOK Essay Title 6 Example

Below you will find a link to the November 2023 TOK essay prompt 6 – Faced with a vast amount of information, how do we select what is significant for the acquisition of knowledge?

When we choose some knowledge, and we miss out on some other, it gives us a feeling of whether we are missing out on something important. So the idea is to understand this best and think about what interests us the most so that we can pick and choose very wisely. 

Other TOK essay prompts from previous years with samples

In case you have overlooked any of the past TOK essay titles, along with their examples or topics from previous years, I am providing the links below.

The year 2023:

• May 2023 TOK essay titles

The year 2022:

• November 2022 TOK essay prompts
• May 2022 ToK essay titles

Previous years’ prompts:

• November 2021 ToK Essay titles
• May 2021 Theory of Knowledge essay prompts

Ready to select your 2023 November TOK essay prompt?

With a better idea of what you have to touch upon in each of these, it will become much easier for you to choose things so that you understand all of it better and make a very wise choice. 

You can always count on our service if you need assistance writing your TOK essay. Simply get in touch with our support team or place your order directly to buy TOK essay using our online order form.

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Vasyl Kafidoff is a co-founder and CEO at WritingMetier. He is interested in education and how modern technology makes it more accessible. He wants to bring awareness about new learning possibilities as an educational specialist. When Vasy is not working, he’s found behind a drum kit.

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Essay Writing Contests: The Ultimate List of 2024

Did you know that the very first recorded essay contest can be traced back to the early 16th century, initiated by none other than the renowned philosopher and essayist Michel de Montaigne? In 1580, Montaigne published his collection of essays titled 'Essais,' which not only marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of the essay as a literary form but also contained an implicit challenge to his readers. He encouraged them to engage with his ideas and respond by writing their own essays, essentially laying the groundwork for what we now recognize as essay contests.

Fast forward to the vibrant year of 2024, and this tradition of writing competitions has evolved into a global phenomenon, offering emerging writers from all walks of life a captivating platform to share their thoughts, emotions, and narratives with the world.

In this article, our essay writer will review essay writing contests, presenting you with an exclusive selection of the most promising opportunities for the year ahead. Each of these competitions not only provides a stage to demonstrate your writing prowess but also offers a unique avenue for personal growth, self-expression, and intellectual exploration, all while competing for impressive writing awards and well-deserved recognition.

Top Essay Writing Contests in 2024

If you enjoy expressing your thoughts and ideas through writing, you're in for a treat. Essay writing competitions in 2024 offer you a chance to do just that and win some great prizes in the process. We've put together a list of contests specially designed for students like you. These contests cover various interesting essay topics , giving you a unique opportunity to showcase your writing skills and potentially earn cash prizes or scholarships. So, let's jump right into these fantastic opportunities.

2024 International Literary Prize by Hammond House Publishing

The 2024 Writing Competition beckons writers with over £3000 in cash prizes, publication opportunities in anthologies, and a chance to participate in a televised Award Ceremony. Sponsored by the University Centre Grimsby, this annual contest, now in its eighth year, draws entries from approximately 30 countries worldwide. Entrants can vie for prizes across four categories, gaining exposure at the televised award ceremony and receiving expert feedback at the annual literary festival.

And if you're determined to learn how to overcome writer's block for this contest, we have a wealth of expert tips and strategies to guide you through the process!

Deadline: 30th September 2024

• 1st Prize: £1000
• 2nd Prize: £100
• 3rd Prize: £50

Ready to Break Free From Essay Stress?

Let our writing wizards rescue your grades with a tailor-made essay that'll make your professors do a double-take!

International Voices in Creative Nonfiction Competition by Vine Leaves Press

Vine Leaves Press welcomes writers worldwide, prioritizing voices from marginalized communities such as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and individuals with chronic illnesses or disabilities, among others. Submissions, which must be in English and previously unpublished, are accepted from February 1, 2024, until July 1, 2024. Manuscripts can be either narrative (50,000 – 80,000 words) or experimental (at least 100 pages), adhering to specific formatting guidelines, including anonymity to ensure impartial judging. Each submission requires a $25 entry fee via Submittable, and multiple entries are allowed. Entries will be judged based on originality, creativity, writing quality, and adherence to genre, with finalists announced in October 2024, shortlisted in January 2025, and winners in March 2025.

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• Publication of the winning manuscript will occur in 2026 by Vine Leaves Press.
• Runners-up will also be considered for publication.

Solas Awards by Best Travel Writing

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Deadline: September 21, 2024

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Vocal Challenges by Creatd

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Cambridge Re:think Essay Competition 2024

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The Hudson Prize by Black Lawrence Press

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Deadline : March 31, 2024

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Irene Adler Prize by Lucas Ackroyd

Introducing The Irene Adler Prize essay writing contest, offering a $1,000 US scholarship to the winner, with up to two $250 awards for honorable mentions. Open to women pursuing bachelor’s, master’s, or Ph.D. degrees in journalism, creative writing, or literature worldwide, regardless of age. Unlike previous years, this year's competition welcomes applicants from any country. The application period runs from January 30, 2024, to May 30, 2024, with no late submissions accepted. Each application requires a 500-word essay on one of five provided prompts and a completed entry form, both submitted via email.

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100 Word Writing Contest by Tadpole Press

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Deadline : April 30, 2024

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Aurora Polaris Creative Nonfiction Award by Trio House Press

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Poetry & Spoken Word Competition 2024 by Write the World

Young writers aged 13 to 19.5 are invited to enter this upcoming competition, with submissions of 50 to 500 words. Inspired by Audrey Lorde's words and the power of poetry, participants are encouraged to craft original poems or spoken word pieces advocating for change and self-expression. Winners, including top prizes for written and recorded performances, will be announced on June 14. Malika Booker, a renowned British poet, serves as the guest judge. To enter, writers should sign up on Write the World, respond to the prompt, and submit their final entries before the deadline.

Deadline : May 27, 2024

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Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award

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Deadline : June 15, 2024

• Top prize: $250

Journalism Competition 2024 by Write the World

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Deadline : July 22, 2024

National Essay Contest by U.S. Institute of Peace

This year, AFSA is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the United States Foreign Service. They've been involved in important events throughout history, like making decisions about war and peace, supporting human rights, and responding to disasters. Now, AFSA wants students to think about the future of diplomacy. They're asking students to imagine how diplomats can adapt to the changing world and its challenges. It's a chance for students to explore how diplomacy can continue to make a difference in the world.

Deadline : April 01, 2024

• Top prize: $2,500
• Additional prizes: Runner-up: $1,250

In 2023, the world of writing competitions offers a diverse tapestry of opportunities for writers across the globe. From exploring the depths of nature to delving into the mysteries of microfiction, these competitions beckon with enticing prizes and platforms for your creative voice. So, pick your favorite, sharpen your pen, and embark on a journey of literary excellence!

Unlock the Essay Enchantment!

Our expert wordsmiths are standing by, wands at the ready, to craft your essay masterpiece. No potions, just perfect prose!

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

IELTS Writing Topics July & August 2024

The collection of writing topics that were reported by IELTS student in 2024 . These questions could be repeated from previous months. Keep in mind that the provided questions are not predictions.

Pick one of the topics and improve your writing skills every day. If you can't come up with ideas for a topic just click the "Answers" button and you will see the different ideas.

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• Progress tracking Track your writing improvements.

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Nicolais: Stopping extremism in June protected Colorado from bad outcomes in November

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Colorado primary voters made it clear most of the state is off limits to crazies and wackadoos. It is a welcome outcome that is good for the state.

Personally, I am still pleasantly surprised by what happened on Tuesday. Primaries have traditionally been a slanted battleground on which the extremist elements of the two major parties have held the high ground.

Only a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of people vote in primaries. Because the extremes on either end tend to be the most passionate, they typically turn out in disproportionate numbers. Candidates who appeal to that bloc often win.

For example, the Republican 4th Congressional District race followed that script. Rep. Lauren Boebert, switching sides of the state, won with a plurality while her five opponents split the anti-Boebert vote among themselves.

Boebert is a bombastic presence prone to missing votes in her relentless hunt for television cameras to spew right-wing rhetoric. That plan did, afterall, propell her into Congress in the first place.

But that was the exception on Election Night.

Dominated by extremist elements that put the hateful, spiteful Dave “But I Really Want to Be in Congress” Williams in charge, the official Colorado Republican Party ended with more than just egg on its face. It seemed more like they sat beneath an entire chicken coop.

For the first time in memory, the Colorado GOP chose to take sides in primaries after Williams massaged the party rules over the past year. Predictably, he used the process to handpick candidates who shared his penchant for offensive positions and predisposition toward authoritarian rule. Almost all candidates endorsed by the party lost .

In the 3rd Congressional District, Williams gave the stamp of approval to Ron Hanks, a failed U.S. Senate candidate and January 6th attendee who cannot tell the difference between a voting machine and a copier. He lost to all-around good guy Jeff Hurd , a kind, thoughtful attorney who prefers problem-solving to bombast.

Adam Frisch, the Democratic nominee who chased Boebert across the state, certainly would have preferred Hanks. Now that race may be one of the most highly competitive in the whole country. Again.

Things only got weirder in the 8th Congressional District. Williams chose a disgraced doctor who had his medical license stripped years ago over current State Rep. Gabe Evans. This is the same Evans who prostrated himself over the clown show impeachment hearing against Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold. That counted little for Williams. Likely, Evans’ real sin was his relationship with Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group Williams despises. Evans trounced the bad doctor Tuesday.

And finally, in a Kafkaesque move, Williams endorsed himself in the 5th Congressional District. He drained the already dwindled party coffers to bolster his meager fundraising and touted his endorsement from Donald Trump. In a one-on-one matchup against a respected candidate with ties to monied special interests (Jeff Crank used to be the state director for the aforementioned Americans for Prosperity), Williams only ended up embarrassing himself.

While the GOP backlash stole the show, Democrats were also quietly hewing toward the center as well. State Rep. Elisabeth Epps, the paramount radical left member of the state House, lost her first re-election bid by a nearly two-to-one margin. Apparently infighting with Democratic colleagues and self-aggrandizing screams from the gallery were not what voters had in mind when they elected her two years ago. 

Likewise, Tim Hernández, who joined Epps at the extreme end of the aisle, lost his first election since being appointed to fill a vacancy in the legislature. He could not escape rhetoric that left many in his own party aghast and appalled.

☀ MORE IN OPINION

Littwin: the radical supreme court ruling that donald trump is immune turns democracy upside down, silverman: alan berg’s legacy remains powerful 40 years after neo-nazis gunned him down, zornio: are biden and trump the best america can do.

These outcomes are certainly welcome. They represent another victory for unaffiliated voters participating in either major party’s primary process. After staving off the most virulent election deniers in 2022 , unaffiliated participation curbed the outward trajectory of both parties again this year.

Of course, Colorado can do even better. Afterall, Boebert is still the heavy favorite to return to Congress. While I think Trisha Calvarese is a stronger candidate than most believe (I got to know her as I represented her in a ballot access lawsuit filed against her), in a one-on-one election, the district leans heavily toward Boebert.

But what if Colorado adopted the Alaska open-primary, ranked-choice general election format? The top four candidates proceeding on to the general election would be Boebert, Calvarese, Ike McCorkle (D), and Jerry Sonnenberg (R).

A ranked choice general could bode as badly for Boebert as it did for Sarah Palin, who lost a congressional race in Alaska in 2022 under that format. Such an option will likely be on the ballot this November, though even if it passes a last-minute legislative change could delay implementation.

We may still be months away from the 2024 general election, but for the most part, Colorado voters did their part to keep our state on the rails. Putting the most reasonable candidates on the ballot in June is the best protection against extreme outcomes in November.

Mario Nicolais is an attorney and columnist who writes on law enforcement, the legal system, health care and public policy. Follow him on Twitter:  @MarioNicolaiEsq .

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom.   Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun’s opinion policy . Learn how to submit a column . Reach the opinion editor at [email protected] .

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Mario Nicolais

Special to The Colorado Sun Twitter: @MarioNicolaiEsq More by Mario Nicolais