Annual Writing Awards
New York, NY — The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) today announced the recipients of its annual writing awards, honoring the outstanding nonfiction work produced on a freelance basis during the past year.
“Compelling writing always grips us. No writer can peruse a story or book on this list without thinking ‘I wish I’d written that,'” says Salley Shannon, ASJA president. “It’s a pleasure to recognize and honor the best in nonfiction writing, as we have for more than 60 years.”
The awards will be presented on April 29 during the 40th Annual ASJA Writers Conference, which will be held in New York City, April 29 – May 1, 2011.
ASJA is the only professional association focused on independent nonfiction writers, an often isolated segment of the media world. Members share expertise, ideas, opportunities, and inside information critical to success in a constantly changing environment. Through services such as a member-to-member rights and fees database, contracts and grievance guidance, and diverse educational programs, ASJA membership gives writers the confidence and connections to prosper.
Outstanding Book Awards
General Nonfiction
Winner: Murder in the High Himalaya (Public Affairs) — Jonathan Green
Honorable mentions:
The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick’s Dogs and their Tale of Rescue and Redemption (Gotham) — Jim Gorant
The Tin Ticket: The Heroic Journey of Australia’s Convict Women (Berkley Books) — Deborah J. Swiss
Memoir/Autobiography
Winner: Crossing the Heart of Africa (Harper Perennial) — Julian Smith
Service/Self-help
Winner: Green Sense (The Taunton Press) — Kevin Daum
Honorable mentions: A Baby at Last (Simon & Schuster) — Mark Fuerst
The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing (Writers Digest Books) — Marilyn Ross
Children/YA
Winner: My Orange Duffel Bag (Operation Orange Media) — Echo Garrett
Outstanding Article Awards
Business/Technology
Winner: “Take us to the River” (Fast Company) — Michael Fitzgerald
Honorable Mentions
“Zinc Fingers: Entry Fee” (Proto) — Rachael Moeller Gorman
“How to Save the Grasslands” (Time.com) — Judith Schwartz
First-person (personal experience or dramatic narrative)
Winner: “My Mother’s Brain” (D Magazine) — Beatriz Terrazas
Honorable mention:
“Do it Yourself Genetics” (Duke Magazine) — Barry Yeoman
Lifestyle
Winner: “A Strange and not Unpleasant Experience” (Bicycling Magazine) — Florence Williams
Honorable mention:
“Timeless Sardines” (Leite’s Culinaria) Mary Ann Castronovo Fusco
Personal essay/opinion/op-ed
Winner: “Taking Grief Step by Step” (Whole Living) — Judi Ketteler
Honorable mention:
“Hometown Exile” (Texas Observer) — Beatriz Terrazas
Profile
Winner: “How Mya Saved Jacob” (Spirit Magazine) — Kate Silver
Honorable Mentions:
“Little Bill Clinton: Easing into a Comfort Zone” (The Christian Science Monitor) — Mary Wiltenburg
“Looking for a Greener Way of Death” (Salon.com) — Rachel Dickinson
Reporting on a significant topic
Co-winners: “Where Are We Headed? New Energy: climate change and sustainability shape a new era” (The Christian Science Monitor) — Douglas Fox
“The African Divide” (The Christian Science Monitor) — Jina Moore
Honorable mention:
“Confronting Rape as a War Crime” (Congressional Quarterly Press Global Researcher) — Jina Moore
Service Article
Winner: “Understanding Depression at Mid-Life” (Woman’s Day) — Cheryl Platzman Weinstock
Honorable Mentions:
“Your Brain on Meditation” (Yoga Journal) — Kelly McGonigal
“Between the Lines” (Better Homes and Gardens) –Leslie Pepper
Trade
Co-winners: “Mindfulness and Weight loss” (IDEA Fitness Journal) — Kelly McGonigal
“When IT is Asked to Spy” (Computerworld) — Tam Harbert
The Arlene Eisenberg Award for Writing That Makes A Difference
Winner: “School of Hard Knocks” (Good Housekeeping) — Barry Yeoman
Honorable mention:
“Finding Ann Marie” (Bethesda Magazine) — Christine Koubek
June Roth Memorial Award for Medical Journalism
Winner: “Hot Zone — A Warming Planet’s Rising Tide of Disaster” (Discover Magazine) — Linda Marsa
Donald Robinson Memorial Award for Investigative Journalism
No winners.
Honorable mentions:
“Risky Play: NYC’s Fake Grass Gamble” (City Limits) — Patrick Arden
“A Return to Baghdad”(Gay City News) — Michael Luongo
ASJA Founders’ Award for Career Achievement – Grace W. Weinstein
Grace Weinstein has written for many years about diverse financial issues within her area of expertise, a specialty that she says, she didn’t choose so much as it “chose her.” Grace’s writing has educated readers about many aspects of a topic that many people find challenging and has helped to make a significant difference in people’s lives.
Grace was the first freelance writer elected to a three-year term on the Consumer Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Board, through which she helped to make regulations affecting consumer credit. She has also served as a member of the Board of Governors of the New York Financial Writers Association and of the Copyright Clearance Center.
Since joining ASJA in the 1970s (when it was the Society of Magazine Writers), Grace has held many posts within the Society, including serving as its first two-term president. Grace is also the treasurer of the Writers Emergency Assistance Fund (WEAF) and a member of its board, where she has worked tirelessly to help needy professional writers get back on their feet after illness, disability, infirmity or an extraordinary professional crisis left them facing financial hardship.