AWARDS
CPC Annual Awards Contest
Each spring an Awards Banquet is held to honor the winners of the CPC Annual Awards Contest. The contest is open to anyone, members and non-members alike. However, CPC award winners must be both CPC members and National Federation of Press Women (NFPW) members in order for their entries to be submitted into the national contest. Membership is open to both men and women.
Contest Rules 2012
For contest 2012 rules and application, click here.
2011 Winners (Judges' comments on first prize winners are in italics).
| News reporting (1st Place) | "Coping With a Tough Downturn" by C.J. Hughes |
| Excellent reporting. Lots of sources. Reads well. Informative. | |
| Special Series (1st Place) | "Elder Care Articles Series" by Julie Jason |
| Extremely informative... examples included within columns. | |
| Editorial/Opinions (1st Place) | "Road Toward 'Perfection' Can Lead To Bad Places" by Sarah Darer Littman |
| Interesting topic. | |
| Feature Story - Non-Daily Newspaper (2nd Place) | "NHS Community Says Farewell to 'Father Figure'" by Layla Ann Silver |
| Feature Story (1st Place) | "Animation Domination" by Timothy Dumas |
| Loved the airy feel to the piece. Lots of visual detail in the written 'tour' of Blue Sky. | |
| Feature Story (2nd Place) | "Jose Feliciano" by Brigitte Quinn |
| Feature Story (3rd Place) | "Behind These Walls: The Enduring Art and Legacy of Hildreth Meiere" by Jane Kendall |
| Feature Story (Honorable Mention) | "French Connection" by Josh Garskof |
| Personality profile (1st Place) | "From One House to Another" by Chris Hodenfield |
| Great lede -- pulls you right into the story….Good quotes. | |
| Personality profile (2nd Place) | "Steppin' Out With Dovolani" by Beth Cooney |
| Personality profile (3rd Place) | "Brains & Braun" by Chris Hodenfield |
| Personality profile (Honorable Mention) | "Christopher Hitchens" by Diane Sembrot |
| Special Articles - Health (1st Place) | "Why Weight? Lift Now and Reap Rewards" & "Eliminate the Guilt: Processed Foods You Can Feed Your Family" by Georgetta Lordi Morque |
| Lots of information. Liked the sources. Reads well, lots of research. | |
| Special Articles - Food (3rd Place) | "Farm Feasts" by Elizabeth Keyser |
| Columns: General (2nd Place) | "Put on Skeptic's Hat with Munis" & "Time Is Running Out for Non-Profits" by Julie Jason |
| Columns: Humorous (1st Place) | "I Am a Creamsicle" & "Resting in Peace: The Lure of Cemeteries" by Judith Marks-White |
| An excellent mix of the humorous and the poignant. Good writing! | |
| Columns: Humorous (3rd Place) | "Dangerous To Your Health" & "When Push Comes to Shove" by Judith Marks-White |
| Columns: Humorous (Honorable Mention) | "Supersized" & "Wake Up Call" by Layla Ann Silver |
| Informational (how-to, Q&A, advice) (1st Place) | "Roots, Rhizomes Bed Down for Winter" & "Gardner's Trip To the Country" by Colleen Plimpton |
| "Roots" caught me the glimpse into the writer's home life and the punchline to the end. Very real. | |
| Informational (how-to, Q&A, advice) (2nd Place) | "Hail Kale" & "Seed Is Good" by Elizabeth Keyser |
| Specialized (essays, opinion, critique or review) (1st Place) | The Opening Salvo: "Not Quite Fit to Print" & "Shut Up, John Mayer" by Nick Keppler |
| Well-written, well-organized. Good style. Turns a phrase with the best of them! | |
| Specialized (essays, opinion, critique or review) (2nd Place) | "A Bite of Turkey" & "Expensive Tastes" by Elizabeth Keyser |
| Single page or pages regularly edited by entrant - Lifestyle or Entertainment (1st Place) | "At Home With..." (Back page celebrity designer interview) by Kate Hogan |
| Very, very nice display. Great photos. Easy to read layout. | |
| Sections/supplements edited by entrant - infrequent (one-time, annual, semi-annual, quarterly) (1st Place) | "The A-List Awards" by Judy Ostrow |
| Good layout with dominant art offset by smaller art. Very inviting to any reader wanting to decorate well. | |
| Publications regularly edited by entrant (1st Place) | At Home Magazine - Spring & Fall 2010 issues by Kate Hogan |
| Excellent headlines and pull quotes. Top notch use of photos, especially 2-page spreads. | |
| Publications regularly edited by entrant (2nd Place) | Greenwich Magazine - February & June 2010 by Cristin Marandino |
| Publications regularly edited by entrant (3rd Place) | Westport Magazine - May/ June & September/October by Diane Sembrot |
| Page Layout (1st Place) | "Animation Domination" & "Brains & Braun" by Cristin Marandino |
| You had excellent art to go with this layout and you took advantage of it. | |
| Page Layout (2nd Place) | "The Big Play" & "Living in Harmony" by Venera Alexandrova |
| Page Layout (3rd Place) | "10 Teens to Watch" & "A Portrait of Grace & Strength" by Cristin Marandino |
| Headlines (2nd Place) | "Parties help women show-case their assets," "Dough and female deer," "Added size subtracts pounds" & "Young entrepreneurs hope for windfall" by Ashley Winchester |
| Photography in a printed publication (1st Place) | New Canaan/Darien "Living In Harmony" by Stacy Bass |
| Love the shadows in the swimming pool. Adds to the attraction of the photos. Beautiful color/reproduction. | |
| Photography in a printed publication (2nd Place) | New Canaan/Darien "Best Of Issue" by Hulya Kolabas |
| Photography in a printed publication (3rd Place) | At Home Fall 2010 Cover - Feature Photo by Amy Vischio |
| Photography on the Web or electronic publishing (1st Place) | CT Bites by Stephanie Webster |
| Great work. | |
| Photography on the Web or electronic publishing (2nd Place) | "Match Restaurant in SoNo ...11 Years: A Visual Journey" by Stephanie Webster |
| On-the-scene spot report - News (1st Place) | "Idle Threats" by News12/Mark Repasky, Jim Mennino |
| Good video, sound bites, tightly written - flows well. | |
| On-the-scene spot report - News (2nd Place) | "Ready, Aim, Fire!!!" by News12/Mark Repasky, Jim Mennino |
| On-the-scene spot report - News (3rd Place) | "Got 'Em!" by News12/Mark Repasky, Dan Renzetti |
| Prepared Report - Feature (1st Place) | "Sky's The Limit" by News12/Kathryn Hauser, Dan Renzetti |
| Great story - well told - love the way you brought in 'hand' issue - inspiring story. | |
| Prepared Report - Feature (2nd Place) | "Seek and Enjoy" by News12/Mark Repasky, Dan Renzetti |
| Prepared Report - Feature (3rd Place) | "Killer Caps" by News12/Melissa Taberna, Kristi Olds & Chris Woods |
| Prepared Report - Sports (Honorable Mention) | "Average Joe" by News12/Kathryn Hauser, Dan Wills, Dan Renzetti, Amanda Dennis |
| Special programming (documentary, public affairs or editorial) - TV (1st Place) | "Escaping Alzheimer's" by News12/Gillian Neff, Mark Gajda |
| There was passion in this story and it was told very well. | |
| Interview (Radio) (2nd Place) | Divine Intervention Episode #77 - "Dave Hess" by Daniel Fazzina |
| Interview (Radio) (Honorable Mention) | Divine Intervention Episode #79 - "Zachariah Anani" by Daniel Fazzina |
| Interview (TV) (1st Place) | 12 on Health: "Unlocking Language" by News12/Gillian Neff, Rocco Aloe |
| Great shooting - nice cutaways - close up inverview in package - great line of questioning. | |
| Talk Show (Radio) (1st Place) | Interview with Kathy Sorrentino & Monologue by Lisa Wexler |
| Talk Show (Radio) (2nd Place) | Interview with Former Senate Candidate and WWE Co-Founder, Ms. Linda McMahon by Lisa Wexler |
| Talk Show (Radio) (3rd Place) | Divine Intervention Episode #78 - "George Foreman" by Daniel Fazzina |
| Talk Show (TV) (1st Place) | Pet Talk: "Christmas Wedding Extravaganza" by News12/Lauren Collier & Jim Ballard |
| A lot of camera possibilities. | |
| Talk Show (TV) (2nd Place) | Ageless by Stacy Enyeart & Karen Heffner |
| Talk Show (TV) (3rd Place) | 12 on Health: "Unlocking Language" by News12/Lauren Collier & Jim Ballard |
| Best Newcast (1st Place) | Noon Newscast by News12 /Melissa Taberna & Rebecca Surran |
| Nice coverage of breaking news. Nice graphics. Moving. | |
| Best presentation (anchor) - TV (Honorable Mention) | Gillian Neff Composite by News12 /Gillian Neff |
| Writing for the Web/online newsletters - For profit organization/site (1st Place) | "Thali Opens in Westport With Small Plates & Big Flavor" by Amy Kundrat |
| Great explanations for the web reader. | |
| Writing for the Web/online newsletters - For profit organization/site (3rd Place) | "Who's The Mother Now" by Barb Wilkov |
| Writing for the Web/online newsletters - For profit organization/site (Honorable Mention) | "'Good' Daughter or 'Bad' Daughter?" by Laurie Newkirk |
| Writing for the Web/online newsletters - Hobby or special interest (2nd Place) | "Behind The Scenes at the SoNo Baking Company" by Deanna Foster |
| Feature article written specifically for the web (1st Place) | "From Dollars & Cents to Common Sense: John Turenne" by Elizabeth Keyser |
| Nice story. Good reporting. | |
| Feature article written specifically for the web (3rd Place) | "How To Add The 'Happy' in Holidays with Mom" by Barb Wilkov |
| Writing for the Web/online newsletters - Commentary (1st Place) | "Yale Falling Short After Fraternity Incident" & "Don't Be a Bystander" by Sarah Darer Littman |
| Great idea -- and your well thought-out opinions make me trust that you're not making a snap judgment and putting 'any old thing' on the Internet for all to read. | |
| Writing for the Web/online newsletters - Commentary (2nd Place) | Theatre Review: Driving Miss Daisy & La Bete by Lauren Yarger |
| Writing for the Web/online newsletters - Commentary (3rd Place) | "The Ex-Wife Files" & "Arms and The Woman" by Barbara Smith |
| Writing for the Web/online newsletters - Commentary (Honorable Mention) | "Digging Out of Debt and Surviving the Downturn" & "Boomer Love: How is the 'Free Love' Generation Doing Now?" by Jan Yager, Ph.D. |
| Website edited by entrant (1st Place) | Connecticut Arts Connection by Lauren Yarger |
| Clean writing. Well-written posts. Updated frequently. I can tell that much time and effort is put into this blog and web site. | |
| Website edited by entrant (2nd Place) | Fairfield Green Food Guide by Analiese Paik |
| Website edited by entrant (3rd Place) | Motherrr.com website by Barb Wilkov & Laurie Newkirk |
| Website Development/Creation (1st Place) | CT Bites by Stephanie Webster |
| So professional looking! Excellent design. Absolutely excellent work. I love this website - the display, the photos, the stories. I think you've got a great site. | |
| Blogs (1st Place) | "Your Guide to Great Food in Fairfield County" by Stephanie Webster |
| Loved everything. Great work. | |
| Blogs (2nd Place) | "Metrojournalist Blog" by Sherry Shameer Cohen |
| Blogs (3rd Place) | "Blogging With Barb (and Sometimes Laurie)" by Barb Wilkov & Laurie Newkirk |
| 50 - Newsletter (one-to-three color) (1st Place) | Meetinghouse Monthly Newsletter by Barb Wilkov |
| Love the color. Love the format. Easy to read. Beautiful stained glass window picture. | |
| News or feature release - single release (1st Place) | Straightening Out With SOAR - The New Method for Perfect Posture by Georgetta Lordi Morque |
| Your news release offered lots of detail -- got great results. | |
| Non-fiction, book, General (3rd Place) | Secrets of a Jewish Mother by Lisa Wexler, Jill Zarin & Gloria Kamen |
| Non-fiction, book, Historical (1st Place) | A Professor, A President, and a Meteor: The Birth of American Science by Cathryn J. Prince |
| This is a story that is interesting, vital, well-researched and well-written, and (most of all) an important look not just at history but issues that continue to this day. | |
| Non-fiction, book, Historical (2nd Place) | The Inside Stories of Modern Political Scandals: How Investigative Reporters Changed the Course of American History by Woody Klein |
| Non-fiction, book, Humor (1st Place) | Leave It To Boomer by Jerry Zezima |
| Entertaining stories...you're funny and don't make yourself out to be the...'dumb' dad...I'd agree with the youngester from Horizon Academy who called you 'cool' -- for your age. | |
| Non-fiction, book, Instructional (1st Place) | The Knee and Shoulder Hand-book For All of Us by Alan M. Reznik, M.D. |
| Very informational. Many people are dealing with knee/shoulder concerns so the topic is a good one. | |
| Non-fiction, book, Instructional (2nd Place) | Who's Crazy Here? by Gracelyn Guyol |
| Non-fiction, book, Religious or Inspirational (1st Place) | Divine Intervention: Amazing True Stories of God's Miracle's Today - Vol. II by Daniel Fazzina |
| An amazing, compelling well-written/edited book. Each story moved the reader along...page turning collection of diverser and attention-grabbing stories. | |
| Non-fiction, book, Religious or Inspirational (3rd Place) | Mentors in the Garden of Life by Colleen Plimpton |
| Fiction, novel (full-length, 40,000 words and up) (1st Place) | Stay With Me by Sandra Rodriguez Barron |
| Very good writing. Should make a movie. | |
| Fiction, novel (full-length, 40,000 words and up) (2nd Place) | Depraved Heart by Melissa Scheffey |
| Fiction, novel (full-length, 40,000 words and up) (3rd Place) | Dead Head by Rosemary Harris |
| Fiction, novel (full-length, 40,000 words and up) (Honorable Mention) | Stone Wall Freedom by David Lee Tucker |
| Young Adult Fiction (1st Place) | Life, After by Sarah Darer Littman |
| The cultural contrasts are beautiful, moments of brilliant writing such as food tasting like anger and 'after trying to figure out love, even geometry seemed easy.' | |
| Young Adult Fiction (2nd Place) | The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted |
| Young Adult Fiction (3rd Place) | The Twins' Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted |
| Young Adult Non Fiction (1st Place) | From Survivor to Survivor: Your Journey of Conquest (3 part-book). by Rejena L. Bennett |
| The questions are thought-provoking....Very nice set of booklets on a topic for which people need help. | |
| Book or chapbook of poetry (1st Place) | All Your Messages Have Been Deleted by Vivian Shipley |
| This book just won the 2011 Paterson Prize for Sustained Literary Achievement from the Poetry Center. | |
2010 Mark Twain Winner Donald Margulies with Michael Mordecai and Awards Chair Elizabeth Keyser (Photo courtesy of www.NewportSeen.com)
2010 Winners (Judges' comments on first prize winners are in italics).
| Mark Twain Award for Distinctive Author | Donald Margulies |
| Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography (1st Place) | Happily Ever After Divorce by Jessica Bram |
| "Jessica Bram's well-written book turns out to be a love story. The book takes the reader on an emotional, inspiring and ultimately satisfying 'journey' of revelation, growth and rebirth." | |
| Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography (2nd Place) | A Ship in the Harbor: Mother and Me, Book 2 by Julian Padowicz |
| Adult Nonfiction, Biography & Autobiography (3rd Place) | It's Never Too Late To Dance by Rosann Levy |
| Adult Nonfiction, History (1st Place) | America's Homefront Heroes: An Oral History of World War II by Stacy Enyeart |
| "Stacy Enyeart has collected a wealth of stories, poetry, photographs, telegrams and heartfelt letters that have been carefully stitched together to give insight into the human response to and the emotional impact of World War II." | |
| Adult Nonfiction, Inspirational(1st Place) | Mother Theresa and Me: Ten Years of Friendship by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle |
| "This well written book hooked me right from the start. Inspired by the life of and friendship with Mother Teresa, O'Boyle describes answering her own 'call' and working towards helping others and having a better spiritual life herself." | |
| Adult Nonfiction, Instructional (1st Place) | The Wrapping Scarf Revolution by Patricia Lee |
| "Patricia Lee's beautifully produced book, The Wrapping Scarf Revolution, pulls the read into the fun, great look, practicality and ecology of wrapping gifts and various items in the home with gorgeous scarves. Captivating." | |
| Children's Book (1st Place) | Bunnies Are For Kissing by Allia Zobel Nolan |
| "Very endearing 'snapshots of daily life in a loving household, both in text and illustration. A perfect night-time read (with a bed time kiss, of course.)" | |
| Children's Book (2nd Place) | Noah's Notebook by Allia Zobel Nolan |
| Children's Book (3rd Place) | ADDVerse by M.W. Penn |
| Children's Book (Honorable Mention) | Mrs. McGee's Coconut by Allia Zobel Nolan |
| Creative Writing - Playwriting (1st Place) | Butterscotch by Barbara Smith |
| "Butterscotch is lively, warm, well plotted with real and distinct human characters. It certainly holds one's interest and many of the really good lines are genuinely humorous. One can relate easily to both the situations and the characters." | |
| Creative Writing - Poetry | Number Tree by M.W. Penn |
| "'Number Tree' is well crafted. It demonstrates the fun one can have with poetry while dealing with math or the sciences, or many other important subjects not often associated with poetry. Your work as a poet is unique, instructive and refreshing." | |
| Column - Criticism, Review (1st Place) | "Choral Society hums, drums, and chants in spring concert" & "Taste of Tango" by Linda Phillips |
| "Linda Phillips has a way of putting readers at an event they couldn't get to. Her writing is vivid and she backs it up with what is clearly an impressive body of knowledge." | |
| Column - Humor (1st Place) | "Take that, Greenback National" & "Blind Date with a Billionnaire" by Barbara Smith |
| "Barbara Smith took a situation in which we have all found ourselves (without a speck of humor) and put a funny twist on battling the bank's rude customer service operators that brought a smile to even the most curmudgeonly of faces." | |
| Column - Humor (2nd Place) | "Medical Malpractice" & "Do My Eyelashes Make Me Look Fat?" by Judith Marks-White |
| Column - Informational (1st Place) | "Money, planning needed for the future" by Julie Jason |
| "It's a topic none of us wants to discuss, but Julie Jason puts the care of the sick and elderly in front of readers at the time when they're probably thinking of it the least - the holidays. The column is packed with information, advice and tips and is a true service to the readers." | |
| PR campaign (1st Place) | Summer Theatre of New Canaan by Marven Moss |
| "The kind of results the campaign organizers received helped drive their season's success. Getting PR results for yet another theatre season always is a challenge, and they were effective." | |
| PR campaign (2nd Place) | Elizabeth Edwards Luncheon (for Family Centers) by Bill Brucker |
| Feature Story (1st Place) | "A Welcome Home" by Lois Alcosser |
| "Powerful story of how a diverse community working together can transform lives in the most tangible ways. Splendid reporting - this writer made good connections and invested the necessary time to come away with the detail and insight revealed here. Good ending, too." | |
| Feature Story (2nd Place) | "Bastianich's Bees" by Rosemarie T. Anner |
| Feature Story (3rd Place) | "Secrets of a Diary" by Leslie Chess Feller |
| Feature Story (Honorable Mention) | "Time Will Tell" by Christy Colasurdo "Super Jocks" by Nancy McLoughlin |
| News Story (2nd Place) | "Pressed to the Bone" by Elizabeth Keyser |
| Personality Profile (1st Place) | "Paradise Found" by Timothy Dumas |
| "Profiling the man through his property and what he has done with it is a great approach. I came away from the piece feeling, in a sense, as if I had met and talked with Gamarci. The descriptions of the Chilean landscape are skillfully interwoven with quotations, historical facts and Gamarci's own history with the property." | |
| Personality Profile (3rd Place) | "Rising Star" by Wendy Logan |
| Restaurant Review (1st place) | Elizabeth Keyser |
| Special Article - Food (1st Place) | "Connecticut Chefs Go Whole Hog" and "They've Got Game" by Elizabeth Keyser |
| "Who knew that meat could be so interesting? The strong thesis, active verbs and just-the-right word choice makes the writing in both articles strong and interesting. Good use of quotes." | |
| Special Article - Home (1st Place) | "Renew, Remodel, Reinvent, Reuse" and "A Welcome Home" by Elizabeth Keyser |
| "I really liked how the writer correlated the homes and their décor with the owners’ personalities. Very well done. In both articles, vivid vocabulary and strong, active verbs bring the writing to life." | |
| Special Article - Physical Health (1st Place) | "Thirteen Symptoms You Should Never Ignore" and "No More Excuses" by Cheryl Platzman Weinstock |
| "Good job presenting real life people facing health issues we can all relate to. I like your conversational style as well as the solutions offered as well. You gave readers something to think about." | |
| Photography - Print (1st Place) | "Clea Newman Soderlund" by William Taufic |
| "Well done, direct portrait, conveying an interesting and alive personality. Good work!" | |
| Photography - Print (2nd Place) | "Light a Fire" by William Taufic |
| Photography - Web (1st Place) | www.ctbites.com by Stephanie Webster |
| "An excellent editorial illustration that clearly communicates the quality, care, and appetizing aspects of good food and its preparation & presentation." | |
| On-the-Scene Report - TV News (1st Place) | "Up in Smoke" by Frank Ricchia (reporter) and Christopher Wood (photographer) |
| "I really liked the use of the scanner as NAT sound. That spoke volumes about this fire. It told the viewer this blaze was serious and the danger immediate. Good shots of the flames - again, this stresses the threat and shows people what firefighters are up against." | |
| On-the-Scene Report - TV News (2nd Place) | "Milford Fire" by Shawna Ryan (reporter) and Al Howard (photographer) |
| On-the-Scene Report - TV News (3rd Place) | "Hot Sauce Spill" by Kimber Crandall (reporter) and Joselito A. Rivera (photographer) |
| On-the-Scene Report - TV News (Honorable Mention) | "Girand Street Fire" by David Pickering |
| Prepared Report - TV Features (1st Place) | "Kojo" by Kimber Crandall (reporter) and Christopher Wood (photographer) |
| "Great job of letting the subject tell his story. You kept the reporter tracks to a minimum and that helped. Excellent use of music to drive the story and the edits." | |
| Prepared Report - TV Features (2nd Place) | "Flying Fortress" by Mark Repasky (reporter) and Teal Tyszka (photographer) |
| Prepared Report - TV Features (3rd Place) | "A Divine Deal" by Courtney Kane (reporter) and Bob Cook (photographer) |
| Prepared Report - TV Features (Honorable Mention) | "A Different Role" by Kristi Faccenda (reporter) and Christopher Wood (photographer) |
| Prepared Report - TV Sports (1st Place) | "Giving With Both Fists" by Shirleen Allicock (reporter) and Bob Cook (photographer) |
| Special Reporting Series (1st Place) | "Baby Talk" by Gillian Neff (reporter), Matt Cyr (photographer) and Joe Connors (photographer) |
| Website Development & Creation (1st Place) | www.NewportSeen.com by Linda Phillips |
| "It delivers a lot of information about the Newport social scene. Clearly it's intended for an upscale audience and even the graphics and fonts have an upscale look. It reminded me of an online version of Town & Country." | |
| Website Development & Creation (2nd Place) | www.motherrr.com by Barb Wilkov and Laurie Newkirk |
| Website Development & Creation (3rd Place) | www.ctbites.com by Stephanie Webster |
| Writing for the Web and Online (1st Place) | "Raptorex: The Latest Fossil Discover" by Linda Phillips for www.NewportSeen.com |
| "It's very informative with a lot of interesting photos and appropriate captions. The paragraphs are short and to the point and the article ends when there's nothing more to say." | |
| Writing for the Web and Online (2nd Place) | "Beauty Rehab - Looking Your Best" by Lynn Flaster |
| Best Blog (1st Place) | www.ctbites.com by Stephanie Webster |
| Best Blog (2nd Place) | www.CtMonuments.net by Dave Pelland |
| Best Blog (3rd Place) | "Blogging with Barb (and sometimes Laurie)" by Barb Wilkov and Laurie Newkirk |
2009 Winners (Judges' comments on first prize winners are in italics).
| Mark Twain Award for Distinctive Author | Wally Lamb |
| Fiction book (1st place) | Deadliest Strain by Jan Coffey |
| Coffey's book was thrilling and exciting. | |
| Fiction book (2nd place) | Belly of the Whale by Linda Merlino |
| Non fiction book | All the Presidents' Spokesmen by Woody Klein |
| Klein, press secretary to New York City Mayor John Lindsay in the mid-1960s, gives a sure-footed analysis of 24 presidential spokesmen from FDR's Stephen Early to Bush 43's Dana Perino. Rather than writing a dry chronological narrative, he addresses his material thematically -- "Hot War," "Cold War," "Presidential Scandals," "Domestic Crises." Klein ably deconstructs spin, examining how spokesmen over the generations have coped with ethical dilemmas in their office. | |
| YA book (1st place) | Jump the Cracks by Stacy DeKeyser |
| DeKeyser gives the reader a look at how an adolescent might feel and react in what could be a plausible situation. She has a good hold on a 15 year old's angry adolescent thinking as well as a 2 year old's behavior. | |
| YA book (2nd place) | Comes A Little Light by Darice Bailer and Rosemarie Molsen |
| Children's book | The Winter Lodge by Gwen North Reiss |
| The work done in rhyme gives a feeling of summer camp and what it must be like when no one is there but mice who have just as much fun, it would seem, as people do. | |
| Poetry | Lion's Tooth by Connie Magnan-Albrizio |
| Column (1st place) | My Fellow Americans by Judith Marks-White |
| The nomination of Sarah Palin as Sen. John McCain's running mate was fodder for columns and talk show hosts around the country. In this column, Ms. Marks-White echoed the sentiments felt by many Americans and did so with her trademark light touch. | |
| Column (2nd place) | "When Obama's Right, Give Him Due Credit" by Theresa Vara |
| Column (Honorable Mention) | "Pardon Me If I Don't Shake Your Hand & Please Pass the Purell" by Ann DeMatteo |
| Creative writing | When Janice Bailey Walked by Tessa Smith McGovern |
| We meet Janice Bailey as she is being released from prison and so terrified of the real world that she wants to return to life behind bars. Her crime? Manslaughter in self-defense. Ms. McGovern's tightly written prose and fine sense of pace allows the story to build gently to a happy conclusion. | |
| Blog | Heather Kovar |
| Much of the success of Ms. Kovar's blog is due to the many links she provides to other sites that are related to her news segments. | |
| Web copy | "Social Media Emerging as Customer Engagement Channel" by Dave Pelland |
| This straightforward business piece explains why social networking sites are a more effective means of reaching customers than call-in centers or traditional web sites. Mr. Pelland writes in plain English, not just for "suits." | |
| PR campaign | Nancy Helle |
| A comprehensive and strategic public relations campaign. | |
| Feature (1st place) | "Secret Shame" by Margaret Farley Steele |
| "Secret Shame" started with a great lead that grabbed the attention and got to the heart of dating violence among teenagers. Well-written and researched piece on an important topic. | |
| Feature (2nd place) | "Food Fight" by Leslie Chess Feller |
| Feature (Honorable Mention) | "Rail Riders" by Nick Wedge |
| Feature Video (1st place) | "My Name is Mimi" by Andrea Vavasour, Matt Cyr and Debra Alfarone |
| The narrative arc was perfect, great beginning, middle and end. The commentary was lean and well-paced, creating a compelling story. The topic was moving and the message worthwhile. | |
| Feature Video (2nd place) | "Out of Darkness" by Andrea Vavasour, Matt Cyr and Chris Wood |
| Feature Video (Honorable Mention) | "Bodie's Place" by Kristi Faccenda and Mark Sogofsky |
| TV News | Old Man Marathon by Shawna Ryan and Jim Mennino |
| Well documented, action packed, informative, leaves viewer with an upbeat feeling. | |
| On the Scene | No Fire Hydrant by Joe Connors |
| First rate, first hand reporrting, fire images graphic, brings disaster alive. | |
| Investigative | Justice for Jessica by Melissa Taberna |
| Well documented, images good, topic inviting, well thought out. | |
| Sports | Gracie by Robert Cook and Fred Gerteiny |
| Moving story, proves a good point, video action excellent. | |
| Prepared Special | What's Bugging You by Heather Kovar and Lori Golias |
| Enterprising reporting, excellent camera work, articulate, clear script writing. Real public service. | |
2008 Winners
| Best Publication | Geoffrey Morris, Ridgefield Magazine |
| Best Feature | Jamie Marshall |
| Best Creative Writing | Theresa Vara |
| Best Column | Theresa Vara |
| Best Children's Book | Marianne Prokop |
| Best Adult Fiction | Amy Bloom |
| Best Adult Non-Fiction | Edward Alwood |
| Best Audio-Visual | Weston Woods |
| Best Prepared Sports | David Springer, Mark Sogofsksy, News 12 |
| Best on the Scene Coverage | Debra Alfarone, Joe Connors, Matthew Cyr, News 12 |
| Best Prepared Feature | David Springer, Christopher Wood, News 12 |
| Best Investigative Report | Dave Grunebaum, Frank Bruce, News 12 |
| Best Creative Report | David Springer, News 12 |
| Best Blog | Heather Kovar, News 12 |
List of Past Winners
For award certificate sample, click here.
Mark Twain Journalist of the Year Award
Given each year by the Connecticut Press Club to a candidate who has made a notable journalistic or literary contribution to Connecticut. The candidate may or may not be a member of the CPC.
List of Winners- 2009 Wally Lamb
- 2008 Faith Middleton
- 2007 Hugh Mulligan
- 2006 Robert E. Button
- 2004 Morton Schindel
- 2003 Andree Aelion Brooks
- 2002 Diane Smith
- 2001 Lawrence Fellows (Post-humously)
For Mark Twain award criteria, click here.
For background details about Mark Twain past winners, click here.
Wally Lamb's novels She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True were both featured selections of Oprah's Book Club and climbed The New York Times best seller lists. She's Come Undone was a 1992 "Top Ten" Book of the Year selection in People Weekly. Lamb's latest novel, The Hour I First Believed, explores the lives of a fictional Connecticut family interfaced with nonfiction events such as the Civil War and Columbine High School shootings in 1999.
A native of Connecticut, Lamb lives in Storrs, where he taught writing at the University of Connecticut. He earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees in teaching from UConn and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Vermont College. He began writing fiction in 1981 while teaching high school English at his alma mater, The Norwich Free Academy. Lamb also edited the nonfiction anthologies Couldn't Keep It to Myself: Testimonies from Our Imprisoned Sisters and I'll Fly Away.
Background on 2008 winner Faith Middleton.WNPR interviewer Faith Middleton is one of only two dozen interviewers in the world who have ever received the The George Foster Peabody Award ("Pulitzer" of national broadcast journalism) twice. She joins the ranks of Ted Koppel, Walter Cronkite, Charles Kuralt, Diane Sawyer, Robert MacNeil, Jim Lehrer, Scott Simon, and Susan Stamberg. Faith has interviewed more than 7,000 people and is the author of The Goodness of Ordinary People (Crown, now in its third printing). She is a contributor to CPTV and to National Public Radio's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition with Scott Simon. She has guest hosted Fresh Air With Terry Gross, and her print stories have appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Denver Post, The Hartford Courant, and a variety of national magazines. In addition, she has taught The Art of the Interview at Yale University, where she is an associate fellow.
