MARK TWAIN AWARDS

Mark Twain Awards:
The Midwest Travel Journalists Association Inc. announced its newest group of Mark Twain Award winners at the organization’s fall conference in Lafayette, LA on Oct. 14, 2017. The Mark Twain Awards are presented to MTJA members for excellence in travel writing and photography. Special thanks to sponsors Visit Kansas City, the Beenders-Walker Group and Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

2018 MARK TWAIN WINNERS

2018 Mark Twain Contest Winners
(For work published in 2017)

MAGAZINE ARTICLES: INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS
3rd Place:  Carla Waldemar – “O Winnipeg”
2nd Place:  Randy Mink – “Liverpool Still Rocks to a Beatles Beat”
1st Place:  Jackie Sheckler Finch – “A Saint’s Shrine in Spain: Basque Country Birthplace of Saint Ignatius is a popular pilgrimage site”
Judge’s comment: “This writer gracefully re-animates a bit of history, while capturing the details with a sense of reverence.”

MAGAZINE ARTICLES: DOMESTIC DESTINATIONS
3rd Place:  Diana Lambdin Meyer – “Un-Cruising Alaska”
2nd Place:  Mike Whye – “Custer’s Thundering Hooves”
1st Place:  Terri Peterson Smith – “Folk School Students Explore Creativity”
Judge’s comment: “The story is graced with artful descriptions and a strong sense of place and character.”

SHORT COPY
3rd Place:  Amy Eckert – “Luge Your Mind”
2nd Place:  Rich Warren – “Long Live Luther”
1st Place:  Suzanne Corbett – “Under the Big Top”
Judge’s comment: “The writer’s sense of wonder about the Flying Wallendas shines through this story.”

RECENT MEETING SITES
3rd Place:  Rich Warren – “Columbus Throws a Costume Party”
2nd Place:  Susan Pollack – “Belle Isle: Detroit’s Beloved Urban Oasis”
1st Place:  Carla Waldemar – “Let the Good (Food) Times Roll”
Judge’s comment: “This is truly a travel article that sparks a desire to travel–and eat!”

MIDWEST DESTINATIONS
3rd Place:  Amy Lynch – “Nighttime Ziplining”
2nd Place:  Jackie Sheckler Finch – “Ford Museum Honors More Than Cars”
1st Place:  Mary Bergin – “Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage”
Judge’s comment: “This talented writer builds suspense before introducing the reader to a truly novel destination.”

DIGITAL
3rd Place:  Susan Bayer Ward – “The Big Picture”
2nd Place:  Janet Steinberg – “Travel Melds the Bitter With the Sweet”
1st Place:  Jody Halsted – “Neil Jackman on Ireland’s Ancient East” (Podcast)
Judge’s comment: “The podcaster skillfully uses audio to bring a master storyteller’s tales to life.”

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES: INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS
3rd Place:  Janet Podolak – “Japanese Manga”
2nd Place:  Amy Eckert – “Tracking Rob Roy”
1st Place:  Diana Lambdin Meyer – “A Different ‘Nam Now”
Judge’s comment: “This author beautifully tells a deeply personal story about a trip through time and place.”

NEWSPAPER ARTICLES: DOMESTIC DESTINATIONS
3rd Place:  Paris Wolfe – “Southern Dozen”
2nd Place:  Katherine Rodeghier – “Boomer Buddies”
1st Place:  Mary Bergin – “Catch a Parade: Iowa Chicken Run”
Judge’s comment: “The author cleverly sets the scene of a quirky local custom.”

CULINARY
3rd Place:  Mary Bergin – “On the Iowa Pork Tenderloin Trail”
2nd Place:  Paris Wolfe – “Montreal Charcuterie”
1st Place:  Jackie Sheckler Finch – “Croatian Home Dinner”
Judge’s comment: “The writer invites the reader along to a charming dinner party.”

PHOTOJOURNALISM
3rd Place:  Roberta Sotonoff – “Cuba: A 1950s Time Warp”
2nd Place:  Mike Pramik – “Kentucky’s Iconic Bourbon Distilleries”
1st Place:  Wendy Pramik – “Taste the Cape Cod of the Midwest”
Judge’s comment: “This gorgeous slide show pulls the reader right into the adventure.”

TRAVEL BLOG
2nd Place:  The Good Life: Detroit News Travel Blog – Susan Pollack
1st Place:  Roads Traveled – Mary Bergin
Judge’s comment: “This blogger’s love for the Midwest–particularly Wisconsin–builds a sense of community among readers.”

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SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MTJA MARK TWAIN TRAVEL JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR
Diana Lambdin Meyer for “A Different ‘Nam Now”
Judge’s comment: “The writer took what could have been a difficult journey and transformed it into a moving story of her husband’s past.”

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