Today VIS is proud to celebrate Xiaotang Li, a Grade 10 student and talented member of our after-school Creative Writing Club, for her impressive recognition in The New York Times 2024-25 Tiny Memoir Contest. The New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest offers a prestigious platform for young writers to showcase their talents. Out of 12,146 entries, Xiaotang’s personal narrative ranked in the top 15%, advancing her submission to at least the second round of judging.
The Tiny Memoir Contest challenges students to craft compelling 100-word personal stories that are as impactful as they are concise. Xiaotang’s memoir stood out for its unique topic, engaging storytelling, and a remarkable command of language—qualities that the judges praised in her submission.
Xiaotang’s entry, titled "The Dissipating Dandelion," captures the fleeting beauty of memory and the passage of time through a poignant and reflective lens. Here is the powerful piece she submitted:
The dissipating dandelion
The class bell rang, pulling me back to memories of an old friend in primary school—she smiles a lot like a little sun who made everything brighter. I remember we made a promise under a lush willow. Time had erased its details, and I can't remember what it was… A gust of wind swept me back to reality. I looked down and saw a dandelion. It has some seeds missing from its head, as if it has lost its vital memories. The seeds were blown apart in different directions. I stared as they dissipated slowly, thinking, It’s like our promises.
Congratulations to Xiaotang for this remarkable accomplishment and look forward to following her continued success as a writer in the VIS Creative Writing Club and beyond.