Contest Judge Thomas Maltman ("The Night Birds", Soho Press, 2007) chose Olseth's story for first place stating: "The vivid imagery in this piece seared my consciousness, so I went on seeing it after I set it down. I love how the writer invokes a moment in time, even if that moment has a casual brutality true to rural life. The ending allows the story to lift and touch on universals."

Olseth has been a full time instructor at Riverland since 1999 and teaches English, creative writing and the humanities.

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