The Founders Prize is awarded annually by the three founders of The Telling Room: Susan Conley, Sara Corbett, and Michael Paterniti to the author of the best piece of writing to come out of a Telling Room program.

Congratulations to Beetlejuice Rooke-Dutton, our 2023 Founders Prize recipient!

Beetlejuice wrote their winning piece in the summer 2022 session of SWARM! and is published in SWARM! Volume Four.

A Few Words from the Founders

“We were absolutely captivated by Beetlejuice's voice, the exhilarating, wholly original way it leaps off the page in a wildly playful and deeply honest poem. We loved how the piece pushes past conventional grammar and syntax to arrive at a loose structure that captures the contradictions, revelations and uncertainty of love. And we were so excited to be invited into this very intimate conversation, one that feels true to the universal workings of the secret mind as it tries to profess what the heart most wants.”

Six Life Statements (from me : to you) You Don’t Ever Need by Beetlejuice Rooke-Dutton

1. How to speak your mind:

Open your mouth and start shouting until all the words jangle loose and fall out like baby teeth and you can’t speak anymore

2. Traits I choose/Traits I didn’t choose: 

I choose to be funny and energetic and relaxed and never sleep every again so my body is like a shriveled carcass i didn't choose to tap that vase 4 times and i didn’t want to poke you 16 times but my head told me to so i can know that you’re okay love you

3. Write a letter to someone who would never read it: 

I love you but you wouldn’t read this for i would never give it to you because i get that we’re friends but honestly? you’ve been hurt too much- and i’ve been hurt too much, and if I lose you as a friend i wouldn’t be able to live with myself-and i would grab a shovel and grab a mushroom-and i would bury myself underground and i would- i would- plant that mushroom in the holes of my hands-flowering and blossoming and the fungi would overtake me growing into my pores-and my eyes gobbling at the soft tips of my ears and my soft lips that would sooner throw myself away then ever confess how i feel about you and how much i love you and  
how you won’t be able to love me back. 
see you 
tomorrow

4. Something you wish you didn’t know:

i wish i didn’t know about you being cool and funny and probably the best person i ever met
i wish i didn’t know what flowers you want at your funeral cause they match you so much and i wish we didn’t plan to move in together when we get out of this hell hole called school and i hope that you think about me and wait for me but don’t wait too long but anyways love you glad we’re friends but i wish i’d never met you cause no one compares to you anyways love you but no comma see you tomorrow i'll show up to your house with flowers and a smile. love you

5. Somedays I hate this part of myself: 

my eyes//: 
my stupid, stupid eyes which made you fall in love with me but i don’t really love you. (sorry about that) GOD, why do people have to love my eyes? they’re just bluish grey and they’re nothing special. stop complimenting my eyes. I can’t have you hurting me again.
just go away.

6. Noises I hate:

Voices of masses and knives on plates and people laughing for no reason at all- just smiling wide, teeth stretching like rubber bands, ready to snap at the slightest inconvenience, all the while just being happy without thinking about it. Sometimes I wish I could be happy for no reason at all- 
what would that be like? 
as i write 
i realize i don’t know. 
“bloody-hell!”