Into the awards void

I was pleased to read in the local paper the other day that I’d won a prize for a piece I’d written in the darkest month of this dark juncture: The Society for Features Journalism had recognized my story about holiday dishes that victims of COVID-19 wouldn’t be here to make for their families. (The story’s here, in case you’re not already persuaded that manicotti can make you weep.)

For writers, one of the nice things about SFJ’s awards program is the prizes come with cash money. A first-place finish is worth $300, or about what the average reporter earns for every 13 hours of work.