Coloradans honored for superb writing

Ten Colorado authors were chosen by judges from a list of 36 finalists for recognition at the annual Colorado Authors’ League awards dinner/ceremony on May 8 at the Courtyard Marriott-Denver in Cherry Creek.

Preliminary judges were members of the Southwest Writers, based in Albuquerque, who named 36 finalists –; more than the expected 30 –; because of the superior quality of the entries, they said.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was given to best-selling adventure/thriller writer Clive Cussler, while last year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner, 103-year-old poet Lois Beebe Hayna, won in the poetry category for her latest book “Lagniappe.” (She was able to attend.)

The Authors Advocate Award went to Margaret A. Coval and Josephine Jones of Colorado Humanities, which has its office in Greenwood Village and includes Colorado Center for the Book.

List of awards

Poetry –; Lois Beebe Hayna, a longtime Colorado resident who now lives in Montrose, Michigan, for “Lagiappe,” her latest book of poems.

Feature articles –; Denny Dressman of Arapahoe County won for “Next on the Tee: Lewis and Clark” in Avid Golfer magazine.

Essays –; Ellen Nordberg of Louisville won for “The Ambivalent Mother” in Flatirons Literary Review.

General nonfiction –; Mary Taylor Young of Castle Rock won for her “Rocky Mountain National Park: The First Hundred Years,” published by Farcountry Press.

Creative nonfiction –; Julene Bair of Longmont won for “The Ogalalla Road: A Memoir of Love and Reckoning,” published by Viking Penguin.

Children’s –; Lydia Gil of Centennial won for “Letters From Heaven,” published by Arte Publico Press.

Young adult –; Linda LeBlanc of Westminster won for “No Summit Out of Sight,” published by Simon and Schuster.

Short fiction –; Sharon Cairns Mann of Denver won for “Pockets,” published in Progenitor Art and Literary Journal of Arapahoe Community College.

Mainstream fiction –; J.M. Mitchell of Littleton won for “The Height of Secrecy,” published by Prairie Plum Press.

Genre fiction –; Denver author Mark Stevens’ third novel in his Alison Coil series, “Trapline,” was the winner, published by Midnight Ink.

Other finalists

Other south metro area writers were among the finalists. The Colorado Authors’ League offers programs at regular meetings and membership is open to interested writers. See coloradoauthors.org for information.

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