NOTE: The deadline for the Cary Herz scholarship only has been extended to Wednesday, March 31.
New Mexico Press Women is offering two $750 Doris Gregory Memorial scholarships to male and female students majoring in journalism, broadcasting, photography, graphic art, writing, communication, public relations or advertising. In addition, for 2010, we are offering one $2,000 Cary Herz scholarship specific to students studying photojournalism.
Scholarships will be awarded to recipients at the New Mexico Press Women State Convention Awards Banquet Friday, April 16, 2010, in Albuquerque.
Completed applications must be postmarked by Friday, March 5, 2010.
Main criteria for this award are career potential and financial need, although scholastic standing is a consideration. Students must be a New Mexico resident enrolled at/attending a Post-Secondary/Higher Education institution.
We would appreciate your help in getting this notice out to potential applicants. Please post prominently or include in your scholarship listing or email alerts.
Applicants are required to send samples of their work, proof of financial need, an academic transcript, letter of recommendation, letter of intent with career goals and the application form.
An outstanding New Mexican writer will be honored for her work in fiction next spring when her book receives the prestigious Zia Award.
Women writers living in the state are invited to submit their books for consideration for the award, given each year by the New Mexico Press Women at the annual spring conference. The 2010 conference will be held in Albuquerque, April 16-17.
The 2010 Zia Award will be given to the author of an outstanding book in fiction published in 2007, 2008 or 2009. The contest is open to novels, novellas and short story collections and to all genres.
Each year the award rotates to one of three categories: nonfiction, fiction and children’s literature. To accommodate this schedule, a book published in the last three years is eligible.
Submissions can be made by the author or by someone else on behalf of the author, such as a publisher. Membership in the association is not required, but the writer must be a woman. Authors must also live in the state or have a strong connection to New Mexico; however the book can be published anywhere. A $10 submission fee is required and helps to defray the costs of the award. Entries must be postmarked by Jan. 11, 2010.
New Mexico Press Women is an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women and exists to provide professional development, networking and First Amendment rights protection to professional journalists and communicators. For more information on the association, visit www.NewMexicoPressWomen.org.
The Zia Award was started by members in 1953 to honor an outstanding woman in New Mexico media.
Book entries are considered a donation to the organization and are not returned. The books will be part of the silent auction held at the annual spring awards banquet to raise scholarship funds.
To submit a book entry to the Zia Award contest please send a cover letter containing contact information and a paragraph stating the author’s connection to New Mexico, an email address or stamped postcard for acknowledgement of receipt, the book and a check for $10 payable to New Mexico Press Women to the following address postmarked by Jan. 11, 2010:
Sari Krosinsky
Zia Award Contest Chair
315 Terrace Street SE
Albuquerque, N.M. 87106
For more information on the contest please send correspondence to the address listed above or email michal_kro@hotmail.com.
Monday, November 16th, 2009,
by nmpw,
Filed under: Zia Award| |
1 Comment
An unprecedented six Zia Book Awards were given to five New Mexican women for their outstanding book-length work in non-fiction and one publisher by the New Mexico Press Women this month at their annual conference in Santa Fe.
The Zia Award is given annually to a woman book author who lives or has ties to New Mexico. Each year the contest focuses on one of three genres: non-fiction, fiction, or children’s literature.
Receiving the top honor was Las Crucen Paula Moore for “Cricket in the Web,” which is the result of three years of intense researching and interviewing to flesh out the story of the Cricket Coogler murder case and its political aftermath.
“I believe the book covers the most notorious unsolved New Mexico murder in the twentieth century — the most notorious of the nineteenth century being the murders of Col.
Albert Fountain and his young son Henry in 1896, another case that still triggers heated debate in
Doña Ana County as well,” Moore said.
Published in 2008 by University of New Mexico Press, Moore’s book, subtitled “The 1949 Unsolved Murder that Unraveled Politics in New Mexico,” has also been honored by the state and Doña Ana County historical societies with awards. In the history of the Zia Award given since 1954, seven other Las Cruces-area women have received the honor, the most recent being Linda Harris, also a non-fiction honoree.
Other honored titles dealt with subjects as diverse as Native American healing, wild and domestic animals, a New Yorker who falls in love with the Southwest and New Mexico on hiking excursions, and nuclear power. Each book was set at least in part in New Mexico. The other New Mexican women honored for their non-fiction books are:
• Marsha Scarbrough, First Runner-Up for “Medicine Dance: One woman’s healing journey
into the world of sweatlodges, drumming meditations and dance fasts,” 2007, O Books;
• Ruth Rudner, Second Runner-Up for “Ask Now the Beasts: Our kinship with animals wild
and domestic,” 2006, Marlowe and Company;
• Mary Beath, Chair Award for “Hiking Alone: Trails out, trails home,” 2008, UNM Press;
• Gwyneth Cravens, “Honorable Mention for Power to Save the World: The truth about
nuclear energy,” 2007, Vintage Books.
Scarbrough’s healing journey brought her to the revelation that she was a warrior in an archetypical sense. Beath quotes Barry Lopez in her introduction: “The differing landscapes of the earth are hard to know individually. They are as difficult to engage in conversation as wild animals.” Through her hiking and journaling Beath realizes she has done just that, while we learn reading through her book of essays Rudner is the one engaging wild animals. Guided by a Sandia National Laboratory scientist and environmentalist, novelist Cravens seeks to counter his nuclear endorsements, but ends up totally convinced nuclear energy should replace carbon-based fuel sources.
Runner-up honors were given in 2007 (fiction) and 2008 (children’s literature) but addition awards were given this year because of the large number of submissions and it was the end of the three year term of the current Zia Award Chair. The Chair Award, given to Beath represents the personal favorite book of the committee chair and this is first time the award has been given. Cravens received the Honorable Mention, also a first time honor for a Zia Book Award submission.
Publisher UNM Press received a certificate acknowledging their role as submitter of the three books that have received top honors in the three-year cycle covering the three genres recognized by NMPW with a Zia Book Award. The titles submitted and honored with the top award by UNM Press the past three consecutive years are: The King’s Lizard by Pamela Christie (Fiction – 2007), The Voyage of the Beetle by Anne H. Weaver (Children’s Literature – 2008) and Cricket in the Web by Paula Moore (Non-Fiction – 2009).
The 2010 Zia Award will be given to a woman author of an outstanding book in fiction. Eligible titles will have been published in either 2007, 2008, or 2009.
NMPW is the state affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women, organized to provide professional development, networking and First Amendment advocacy for women journalists and communicators. NMPW, an inclusive media organization, is open to men and women. Visit the website at: www.NewMexicoPressWomen.org.
Las Cruces Press Women presents a workshop by Susan Tweit, award-winning author, teacher, and former host of KRWG-FM’s Wild Lives, on Friday, Nov. 6, 1-5 p.m. at St. Clair Winery and Bistro, 1800 Avenida de Mesilla in Las Cruces. From 5-6 p.m., Las Cruces Press Women will host a private reception for workshop participants only, and an open book signing will follow at 6 p.m.
Writing As Practice: Finding and Tending The Voice of Heart and Spirit
In a world where we’re in constant contact via cell phone, text, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and email, how can we tune in to the “small, still voice” of our own heart and spirit? In the constant busyness of work, family, and community obligations, where do we find the time and energy to tend our own writing? Join award-winning writer Susan J. Tweit for a half-day workshop based on her new memoir Walking Nature Home, hailed by reviewers as “lovely, brave, inspiring” and “one book you don’t want to end.” Tweit will share the tools she has learned in transforming the work that earns her living–books, magazine features, newspaper columns, radio commentaries, lectures–into work that also nurtures her heart. Come prepared to explore, be moved, and to write!
Tools: Pencil and paper, laptop, whatever you need to write.
The workshop is limited to 20 pre-paid participants. The cost is $30 for current Las Cruces Press Women members, $40 for nonmembers, and $45 for the workshop plus membership to LCPW. Please RSVP to Elaine Stachera at 646-2959 by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Payment instructions will be given at the time of RSVP and payment must be received by Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Make your room reservations early for New Mexico Press Women’s 60th anniversary conference, April 16-17, 2010, at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown. A discount rate of $99 (plus tax) per night for a single or double room is available until 5 p.m. on March 25, 2010. After that date, standard rates will apply.
To receive the discounted conference rate, call 1-800-252-7772 and request the “Press Women” rate. For more information about amenities at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown, visit sheratonabq.com (the discount is not available with online reservations).
If you have any difficulties making a reservation, please contact the conference chair at michal@unm.edu.
It’s time to get your entries ready for the annual New Mexico Communication Contest, recognizing excellence in print, broadcast, electronic or Internet media, photography, marketing, public relations, graphic arts and journalism in New Mexico. The submission deadline is Jan. 11, 2010. Awards will be presented at New Mexico Press Women’s annual banquet on Friday, April 16, 2010, at the Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown Hotel. First place winners advance to the national contest.
Our own NMPW President, Carol Clark, held a place of honor at the National Conference in San Antonio, Texas this month, as she was officially instated as Secretary of the NFPW. You can watch a video of the of all the new officers being installed at the NFPW website, here.
Congratulations Carol!
New Chairpeople Named at August Meeting
It’s autumn, and change is in the air. It was announced at the August Board meeting that Sari Krosinsky will take over as Zia Award Chairperson, and Nora Heineman-Fleck will take on the position of New Media Chair. Congratulations and good luck to Sari and Nora! We’re still looking for a Publicity Chairperson and a Secretary – so please consider helping out and contact Carol Clark for more details about these positions.
NMPW History to be Published in 2010
NMPW Historian Denise Tessier and Treasurer Sandy Schauer spoke of their intention to publish a book chronicling our organization’s history. After years of hard work, the book is complete and ready to go to press after one final edit by the team, who propose self-publishing with Booksurge. After some lively discussion on the various merits of some different self-publishing companies, and on alternatives for financing the project, the Board offered their unanimous approval and encouragement for the project, and agreed to work out the details as they become germane.
Other Board News
From the August 2009 NMPW Treasurer’s Report:
Profit from the April conference is $2,233.22 which was made possible with the donations of Los Alamos National Bank ($5,000 — thank you, Carol) and NM Beef Council ($1,000 — thank you, Sharon). Half of this ($1,116.61) goes to the Northern NM Chapter as sponsoring organization.
NMPW paid one-half registration for ten people to attend the NFPW conference in Texas; three more had their full registration paid through the NFPW Education Fund. Good showing in San Antonio!
My Two Cents
Contributed by Karen Lehmann
New Mexico Press Women Board Considers Name Change
How about “New Mexico Media Professionals”? No, wait – um: “New Mexico Media Network”?
At the latest NMPW Board meeting there was a good deal of discussion not only of the past (thanks to our able historians), but of the future. How do we best find our organization’s way forward? In what ways have we responded to the changing nature of journalism and communication in the new century, and what might be next for us? Is our new reality reflected fully in our organization’s name? Do we hold on to that name in order to reflect and honor our origins? Or do we change it to facilitate our future? Is it exclusionary? Is it justified? Do we really mean it?
New Mexico Press Women was organized in 1950 as an affiliate of the national organization. On our website and other promotional material we state our mission as an “organization of professional journalists and communicators that promotes the highest ethical standards while looking to the future in professional development, networking and protecting First Amendment rights”. NMPW was born in the days when it could be really tough to find a woman in the newsroom, and those women whose job titles included the word “editor” or “publisher” were even harder to find. It would be half a century before the extent of electronic communication via the Internet would prove to be a profound challenge to the viability of the traditional printed daily newspaper; as well as drastically changing the way we share information. Nowadays, many newspapers are making drastic cuts or even closing their doors, while others convert their publications to the internet. Journalists blog, tweet and flickrinstead of turning in typed (or even word-processed) copy or developing photos in the darkroom. That’s right, there are even new verbs that have developed to express the mechanics of spreading the news in the digital age and, yes – there’s a blog to keep track of them.
This excerpt from Michael Massing’s article in the 9/24 edition of the “New York Review of Books”* both acknowledges the news industry’s woes and points us toward a hopeful new path:
“The American news business today finds itself trapped in a grim paradox. Financially, its prospects have never seemed bleaker. By some measures, the first quarter of 2009 was the worst ever for newspapers, with sales plunging $2.6 billion. Last year, circulation dropped on average by 4.6 percent on weekdays and 4.8 percent on Sundays. Earlier this year, Detroit’s two daily papers reduced home delivery to three days a week, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer ended its print edition, and the Rocky Mountain News shut down altogether. This summer, The Boston Globe, which is losing more than $50 million a year, survived only by giving in to the draconian cutbacks demanded by its owner, the New York Times Company, while the Times itself, weighed down by the Globe, had to take out a $250 million loan from Carlos Slim Helú, Mexico’s richest man, at a junk-bond-level interest rate of 14 percent a year.
Yet amid all this gloom, statistics from the Internet suggest that interest in news has rarely been greater. According to one survey, Internet users in 2008 spent fifty-three minutes a week reading newspapers online, up from forty-one minutes in 2007. And the traffic at the top fifty news Web sites increased by 27 percent. While this growth cut across all age groups, the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism found, “it was fueled in particular by young people.” The MTV generation, known for its indifference to news, has given way to the Obama generation, which craves it, and for an industry long reconciled to the idea of its customers dying off, the reengagement of America’s young offers a rare ray of hope.”
Mr. Massing doesn’t mention the change in the balance of women and men in the workplace over the past half-century, but there is now, in the U.S., greater equality for women and men in the communications business than there ever has been before. This professional evolution may also play an important part in our discussions about the potential for change in the way we describe, or name, our organization. As communicators, it’s a given that we cherish the power of words. As an organization, we began at least partly as a result of institutional exclusion. Now, men are actively engaged and play leadership roles in our organization – yet there is no place for them in the naming of that organization. Have the excluded become exclusive in our own turn, in name if not in deed? Can we pay due respect to the origins of the New Mexico Press Women, while also recognizing that the naming of a thing is important – and may no longer reflect the reality of what we do, who we are and how we’d like to position our organization for the future?
I’m kind of partial to the “New Mexico Media Network” moniker. What can I say? I’m a fan of symmetry. What do you think? Let me know, at karen@phrasesincorporated.com.
*excerpt from “The New York Review of Books” Volume 56, Number 14, September 24, 2009
A New Horizon for the News by Michael Massing
Chapter News
North Chapter
There’s no meeting planned for September; but we’ve got a humdinger coming up in October. In an event that will be jointly sponsored by the North Chapter and Santa Fe Community College, Anne Hillerman and her husband Don will talk about her book Tony Hillerman’s Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn – to be published in November 2009. Don’t miss this event, the second Saturday in October.
On December 5th you’ll find us in Santa Fe (location to be determined). Our speaker will be Lois Manno, the author of Visions Underground: Carlsbad Caverns through the Artist’s Eye.Ms. Manno has been working in the arts for over 30 years. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and has spent many years working as a graphic designer, professional illustrator and fine artist. Lois has illustrated over a dozen books for various publishers, and is a published author herself. After a few years of wandering various western states, she settled permanently in New Mexico, which has been her home for 20 years. There she raised her two daughters and became deeply involved in the sport of caving, working regularly as a volunteer at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Las Cruces Chapter
According to theirblog, the Las Cruces Press Women chapter has a meeting planned for September 24 at 5:30 p.m. at Doña Ana Community College. Abby Osborne will give a presentation on graphic design.
November brings a writing workshop given by Susan Tweit , and look for the Holiday Potluck on December 10 at 5:30 p.m
For more information, please contact Cheryl Fallstead (cfallstead@hotmail.com) or lcpresswomen@gmail.com.
Albuquerque Chapter
Greg Fouratt, the newly named U. S. Attorney for New Mexico, spoke at the Monday luncheon on September 14th.
D.D. Wolohan, who edits the bimonthly magazine of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, is the Albuquerque chapter’s new Vice President. D.D. has been involved with APW and NMPW in the past (nearly 30 years ago, now!) and is happy to once again be more active in the organization.
Rivkela Brodsky, a staff writer at the Albuquerque Journal, has been named the chapter’s new Secretary.
Although there’s been some talk of a venue change for the Albuquerque folks, the chapter plans to continue meeting at the MCM Elegante through December 2009.
Please contact Dan Mayfield (dmayfield@abqjournal.com) for more information on the Albuquerque chapter.
Sharon Neiderman will facilitate a writing workshop at the Mandala Center in October. The workshop is titled Writing from Personal Experience: Memoir, Journal, Family History and More and it runs Wednesday – Sunday, October 21 – 25. Participants will mine their personal experience as a source of inspiration and understanding, and record a legacy during this intensive retreat-workshop. They’ll find opportunities to explore memory and ways of expressing the remembered eras and moments of their lives, all in the meditative space of The Mandala Center. Sharon has made her living as a writer for 15 years. She’s the author of six non-fiction books and has published thousands of articles in regional and national publications. Her debut novel, Return to Abo, published by the University of New Mexico Press, was a finalist for the 2006 Willa Literary Award in Contemporary Fiction. In September, 2008, Sharon’s latest book, New Mexico: An Explorer’s Guide First Edition was published by Countryman Press. For more information, visit Sharon’s website.
Lisa Lenard-Cook’s upcoming writing workshop is called:
after practice:
piecing together your scattered writings (& life) in four easy lessons
There’s only one slot left for this popular workshop, to be held in Corrales the weekend of October 17. Limited to eight participants, it runs both Saturday and Sunday from 9 am – 4 pm. $250 includes lunch both days. Contact Lisa at lisalenardcook@gmail.com for more details.
We’ve got this year’s contest safely put to bed, but it’s not too early to start thinking of 2010. We need judges from out of state. Mid-summer is a good time to start thinking about them. If you know anyone who might be willing to serve as a judge in the areas of print media, including writing and layout; photography, radio/tv, Internet communications, advertising, electronic media, public relations, print PR, information for the media, speeches, collegiate (student entries print), achievement, research, or books, (non-fiction, fiction, verse), please email their contact information to me at gotschc@sanjuancollege.edu
Also if anyone would like to help locate and confirm judges, that would also be appreciated. If we divided the task among three or four people, it would be fairly painless for everyone.
Please get back to me by Sept. 1, so I (we) can start working on making the 2010 contest better than ever.
Thanks to Sari Krosinsky, NMPW’s Web site has a fresh new look! It’s been updated to feature easier navigation and an interactive blog. Check it out at http://www.newmexicopresswomen.org. Members are invited to contribute multimedia content like photos, video or audio from NMPW and chapter events. The new site also includes links to members’ Web sites and blogs. (Reciprocal links to NMPW would be appreciated, but are not required.) Send submissions to New Media Chair Sari Krosinsky at michal@unm.edu.
Where in New Mexico is NMPW’s 60th Anniversary?
Planning will soon be underway for NMPW’s 60th anniversary conference, and we need your help choosing a location. Vote and comment at http://www.newmexicopresswomen.org/blog.
Some issues to consider:
Accessibility for attendees and presenters from both in and out of state.
Potential for chapter building and/or recruitment of new members.
Local journalism/media history, resources and culture.
NMPW April Conference: Sweepstakes Winners
Oops! Looks like we neglected to mention some deserving winners in the Annual Conference Wrap-up Issue. Our apologies. We offer belated, but no less sincere, congratulations to the Sweepstakes Winners:
Individual Category Denise Tessier: 1st Place Chris Burroughs: 2nd Place Tania Casselle: 3rd Place
Organization Category Santa Fe New Mexican: 1st Place
The Weekly Alibi: 2nd Place
New Mexico Independent: 3rd Place
NFPW 2009 Annual Conference: Close to Home and Half the Price!
The NMPW Board has voted to pay half the registration fee for any members who wish to attend the National Conference to be held Sept. 10-12 in San Antonio, Texas. This is a fantastic opportunity to attend a national conference that is both close to home and discounted! You can link to the conference agenda here.
More information on the conference can be found at the NFPW Web site, here. For information on applying for NMPW to pay half of your registration fee, please contact Chris Burroughs at coburro@sandia.gov.
Chapter News
North Chapter
Please mark August 1 on your calendars for the next meeting, to be held in Los Alamos. Local author Dorothy Hoard is the featured speaker. Lunch will be catered by Katy Korkos’ husband David Korkos, who served as top chef of Katherine’s Restaurant in White Rock for 25 years. Lunch costs $10 per person (the chapter is contributing $5 per person toward the real cost of $15). Expect a reminder and a request for positive RSVPs about a week before the event.
Dorothy Hoard has written several books including her latest, Historic Roads of Los Alamos, which was published in April of this year.
Others include: A Guide to Bandelier National Monument January 1983 Los Alamos Outdoors December 1993
Dorothy and husband Donald Hoard arrived in Los Alamos with their four children on Sept. 9, 1963. For 10 years, she and fellow hikers from the Los Alamos Outdoor Association walked down every canyon and every mesa in Bandelier, which led to the publication of her book, A Guide to Bandelier National Monument.
Dorothy founded Friends of Bandelier in 1987 and has served as president since its inception. In 1982, she helped catalog the Los Alamos County petroglyphs. The survey took 10 years to complete. In 1995, Sentinels in Stone was published and White Rock Canyon and its art were given a place on the National Register of Historic Places. Dorothy and a co-author received a Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation. “Casa Dorotea” is the name Bandelier National Monument archaeologist Rory Gauthier selected for a small site Dorothy discovered during her years of hiking in Bandelier. Dorothy organizes the annual butterfly count in Los Alamos, has inventoried local plants and teaches plant identification classes.
Many thanks to member Bonnie Gordon, who is the public affairs director at UNM-Los Alamos. She has reserved the student lecture hall for the meeting at no charge.
The annual membership fee of $10 is due by Sept. 1. (Dues were last collected in June 2008.) Dues can be paid at the Aug. 1 meeting or mailed to:
NMPW President Carol Clark is running for Secretary of the National Federation of Press Women. What follows are some words in support of her campaign, excerpted from the NFPW website:
“Ten years of experience interviewing, writing and reporting for newspapers, radio and television provide the skill set Carol Clark feels will enable her to fulfill all the duties of NFPW secretary. In addition to her job as managing editor of the Los Alamos Monitor, her journalism background has honed the attention to detail, accuracy and clarity that are necessary for keeping the functions of an organization in order through the taking of minutes at board meetings and general membership meetings. Carol has been active in her affiliate, New Mexico Press Women, currently serving as president, and having been vice president, as well as chair and co-chair of state conferences and chapter president.”
You can check out all the candidates for NFPW office at the NFPW Web site, here.
Good luck in Texas, Carol!
Connie Gotsch writes:
My children’s book Belle’s Star comes out August 11 with Artemesia Press in Albuquerque. Written from a dog’s point of view,Belle’s Star tries to show kids that once removed from a bad situation, they can take control of their lives by making wise choices.
Connie also had two of her black and white photos juried into the Durango Art Center’s 33rd Annual June Show in Durango, Colorado. Two additional photos were juried into the 2009 Gateway to Imagination show at Farmington’s Gateway Museum.
Sari Krosinsky came across this group, NM Web Journalism/Media Awards, on Facebook. She thought NMPW folks might be interested. As it states at the site, the title (NM Web Journalism/Media Awards) is only tentative. This Facebook group is the budding effort of New Mexico’s electronic journosphere to form an annual awards competition.
R. Thomas Berner writes:
Press women might be interested in these Indie Publishing workshops conducted by Tom Johnson, who has been at the North Chapter’s bi-monthly lunches. On July 28, Johnson presents an introduction to Indie Publishing at the Santa Fe Complex beginning at 7 p.m., followed on Aug. 22 by a day-long seminar at St. John’s Methodist Church in Santa Fe. The workshop highlights basic computer programs and techniques readily available to help writers publish their own novels, memoir, poetry, dissertation, cookbook and even photo collections enhanced with text. Participants will learn to use free, on-line web applications that guide writers though the formatting of their work so it will look good in print. They will learn how those formatted pages, created with easily available word processing templates and including graphics, can be saved and uploaded to Web-based print-on-demand companies. For more information, go to http://indiepubwest-santafe.eventbrite.com/.
Receiving the top honor was Las Crucen Paula Moore for “Cricket in the Web,” which is the result of three years of intense researching and interviewing to flesh out the story of the Cricket Coogler murder case and its political aftermath. 