Congratulations to BittenByAZebra for winning the writing contest with 28 votes! A photographer as well as a writer, his bio and portfolio can be seen on his website. Here is his winning submission, titled "Fired by God:"

How can a man go from Director of Communications at St. Bartholomew’s Church—one of the most prestigious Episcopal parishes in New York City—to living on welfare?

Was it because he was bitten by a zebra when he was a child? Was it because his mother took him to see strippers for his sixteenth birthday? Could it have something to do with his living with a 250-pound Vietnamese potbelly sow? Or is it because some of his roommates started up an escort service? 

This first person memoir will address all of the above and, also, his brain surgery to evacuate a subdural hematoma, his battle with colon cancer, living with HIV and getting fired by God’s minions.

Along the way, he has more than several brushes with greatness: the Indigo Girls bum cigarettes from him, he rides around in a car with opera diva Miss Jessye Norman, Chubby Checker gives him beef jerky, Joan Rivers plants one on his cheek and a whole lot more.

It’s a story of hope, it’s a story of God (or no God), it’s a story of the American Dream. There’s no happy ending yet but maybe it will by the time it’s published...

Thank you for your loyal membership and active participation on ForTalent!

Sincerely,

Niki & ForTalent.com staff