ContestsFOX, MARTIN, MAYO, AND THOMAS WIN 2005 WASHINGTON WRITING PRIZES By Beryl Lieff Benderly, Washington Writing Prize Committee Chair WIW member C.M. Mayo has scored a first in the short history of the Washington Writing Prizes by winning in two categories, personal essay and poetry, in the same year. Winners in the other categories are Catherine Fox for newsletter, Maurice Martin for reported nonfiction article and Julia Thomas for short fiction. Eugene Meyer and Mark Stricherz received honorable mentions in the reported nonfiction category. Presented by board member and Washington Writing Prizes committee member Lisa Daniel at the awards reception that culminated the 2005 Washington Writers Conference on May 14, the Prizes honor published freelance work by WIW members. Fox won for the fall, 2004, issue of Alley Cat Action, a newsletter which is published by Alley Cat Allies, a non-profit organization working for the welfare of feral cats. The judging committee praised Alley Cat Action's well-written profiles of communities that have solved their feral cat problem. It called them colorful, engaging and illustrative of what it takes to start such a program. Martin’s article, "Fish or Foul?" published in Washington City Paper on July 9, 2004, reached beyond hysteria and pack reporting in its treatment of the recent introduction of snakeheads in to the Washington area, the judging committee found. In addition, his reporting uncovered questionable government reactions and brought truth and understanding to an overheated topic. Martin also writes plays and has had some produced. In addition, he works as communications director at the Society for Technical Communication. Mayo, who teaches at The Writers Center and also has worked as an economist, divides her time between Washington, D.C. and Mexico City. Her winning essay, “The Essential Francisco Sosa or, Picadau’s Mexico City,” appeared in Creative Nonfiction, fall 2004, in an issue devoted to writing about Mexico. The judging committee praised her skill in taking the reader along as she walked her dog, Picadou, down her Mexico City street. With artistry and perception, she provided a vivid canine's-eye view of a neighborhood as well as a broad perspective on the history, sociology and probable future of a great metropolis. Mayo’s poem "Man High," published in the spring, 2004, issue of Border Senses, describes an Air Force captain's test-parachute drop from 102,800 feet and crackles with visceral description, the judging committee reported. A feat of imagination, it deftly conveys the drama, danger and splendor of this experience. Thomas won the admiration of the judging committee for the straightforward way in which her story, "Worms," published in the summer, 2004, issue of storySouth, dealt with the difficult subject of grief. Her character's confusion about how to make sense of her son's untimely death had the ring of truth. Thomas also works as an advertising communications writer. Meyer’s received his honorable mention for "Sole Survivor," published in the Washington Post Magazine, and Stricherz for "Marriage at the Polls," published in The Weekly Standard. Prizes were not awarded in advertising, publicity or speechwriting categories. The Washington Writing Prizes are offered in eight categories and the competition is open to all WIW members in good standing. The 2006 competition will be announced in the fall. Read the 2005 Award-Winning Pieces Here
Read the 2004 award-winning work Read the 2003 award-winning work |