My @marchxness.bsky.social Sadness Championship ring arrived today and I promised to take pictures! I love it so much, it fits perfectly, and I am so happy and honored to have been part of something so rad.

Aw, thank you so much! Ha, and I see what you did there; love it

Thank you so much! When I'll look back on this, yours will be one of the essays I think of first.

The winning bracket (by @legaultd.bsky.social) got the Championship game and result correct, 2 of the final 4, and 4 of the Elite 8 correct. Well done sir. You will receive a special prize (we'll be in touch)!

Thank you so much!!

Oh thank you!!

Thank you so much!

Thank you!! This is such an undertaking, and it's just the best thing on the Internet

Thank you so much! I am such a fan of you and your writing.

Lol

Thank you!!

People have noted the high @marchxness.bsky.social vote count, and I don’t know how to explain all of it. My husband and friends are all incredibly supportive. Mostly, though, I think my biggest strategy was just being a high school English teacher for the past 20 years:

Truly, such a great game! I won't ever forget your essay.

I’m really happy and overwhelmed to have won the @marchxness.bsky.social championship. So much respect to @cicilybennion.bsky.social and her incredible, vulnerable essay. I felt connected to so many you in this tournament, both through your essays and interacting with you here. I will miss this ❤️

This rationale is basically what made me choose "My Heart Will Go On" to begin with! And thank you.

This is such a delight ❤️

I could not love this more

Cicily, your essay is exquisite. I feel that when I’m finally able to write something hard after a long time of trying, it becomes something that can live outside of me more than inside of me, finally.

That's it, I'm pulling up this whole thread in English 11 next fall when I next teach Gatsby

Yes, you should. And I should. The way I gasped when I saw this last night!

Happy birthday, Celine Dion! I wrote an essay for @marchxness.bsky.social about how much "My Heart Will Go On" means to me, but you are too famous to probably ever know this, which is itself a sadness this March

I mean is there a better reason

This is beautifully put. I know I have an essay in this, but this is exactly how I’ve felt reading the other essays. And then interacting with the other writers on here has added this layer. I feel really attached to everyone, and I will miss this when it’s over

AMAZING

Allison, I swear I hadn’t seen this comment when I also called this post a poem!

Wow wow wow, this post is a poem

I actually listened to that version while writing the essay!

This makes me so happy! For her and for the world, honestly

Oh my goodness, I can't believe I didn't know this! That's so awesome and also this is now my favorite picture that's ever been taken of anyone

Oh thank you! But honestly I am nervous about such an early lead, so we'll see!