ASJA 2019 Writing Awards winners

Congratulations to this year’s winners! Our judges worked hard to select from the abundance of great submissions. Our members are so talented! A special thanks to the members who volunteered their time to judge. ASJA thanks you!

ASJA Writing Awards Co-chairs, Salley Shannon and Janine Latus

ARTICLES

Article awards open to the public:

The Arlene Eisenberg Award for an Article that made a difference: “A Star Surgeon Left a Trail of Dead Patients — and his Whistleblowers Are Punished” by Eve Herold.

The Donald Robinson Prize for Investigative Journalism: Dog Fight: Dog rescuers, flush with donations, buy animals from the breeders they scorn” by Kim Kavin.

Outstanding Fitness & Sports Article:  Saudi Women Will Run the Kingdom” by Michelle Hamilton.

Outstanding Food & Drink Article winner: “Black Nightshade and the Bierocks, Connecting to my Volga German ancestors through recipes” by Heather Arndt Anderson, writing in The Oregon Humanities Magazine.     

Honorable Mention: “Black Gold from Tank to Table” by Andrea Cooper, writing in Roads & Kingdoms and reprinted in The Guardian.

Outstanding Opinion/Op Ed Article: Anti-Vaccine Activists Have Taken Vaccine Science Hostage” by Melinda Wenner Moyer, published in The New York Times Sunday opinion section.

Article Awards Open to ASJA Members Only:

June Roth Memorial Award for an Outstanding Medical Article: “A Surgeon So Bad It Was Criminal,” by Laura Beil, writing in ProPublica.

Outstanding Blog Post: Pittsburgh: Never Again? Just Words” by Eugene Meyer.

Outstanding Business Article: The Factory That Oreos Built” by Katherine Martinelli.  

Excellence in Reporting Article: Waste Land, Promised Land, Refugee farmers replant hope in post-hurricane Houston,” by Kimberly Meyer.

Honorable Mention: “On The Other Side” by Ann Babe.

Outstanding Personal Essay: “Your Leaving” by Laura Laing.

Honorable Mention:  “The Reality of Empty Arms, a Father on the Grief of Stillbirth” by Todd Pitock.

Outstanding Health Article: Inside the Power Clinics” by Maya Kroth.

Honorable Mention: “Transgender College Students’ Health Care is Far From Guaranteed” by Donna Jackel.

Outstanding How-To Article: “Couponing for a Cause” by Laura Daily.

Outstanding Lifestyle Article: Arab and Coming Out in Art That Speaks Up” by Michael T. Luongo.

Outstanding Profile Article: The Rigors of Success” by Julia M. Klein 

Outstanding Reported Essay: “What Are We Doing Here? Drought, Dread, and Family in the American Southwest” by Cally Carswell.

Outstanding Science or Technology Article: “Clicks, Lies and Videotape” by Brooke Borel.  

Outstanding Trade Article:  “Fighters: Veterinary Professionals Face Unique Challenges While Undergoing Cancer Treatments” by Jen Reeder.

Travel:  “In Chad, the Elephants (So Many Elephants) Are Back” by Rachel Love Nuwer.  

Honorable Mention: “Cold Comfort” by Todd Pitock, appearing in the Saturday Evening Post.

BOOKS

Book Award Open to the Public:

The Arlene Eisenberg Award for a Book That Made a Difference:  The Dog Merchants: Inside the Big Business of Breeders, Pet Stores, and Rescuers  by Kim Kavin.

Book Awards Open to ASJA Members:

The June Roth Memorial Award for an Outstanding Medical BookThe Informed Parent, A Science-based Resource for your Child’s First Four Years by Tara Haelle and Emily Willingham, PhD.

Outstanding Biography/History book:  Five for Freedom: The African American Soldiers in John Brown’s Army by Eugene L. Meyer.

Outstanding Children/Young Adult Nonfiction book: Vaccination Investigation: the History and Science of Vaccines by Tara Haelle.

Outstanding General Nonfiction bookPoached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking by Rachel Love Nuwer.

Honorable Mention:  The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids are Less Disciplined Than Ever — And What To Do About It by Katherine Reynolds Lewis.

Outstanding Memoir/Autobiography book: Let Your Mind Run: A memoir of thinking my way to victory by Deena Kastor with Michelle Hamilton.

Outstanding Service/Self-help book: The Byline Bible: Get Published in Five Weeks by Susan Shapiro.