2005 Arizona Press Club Awards

FEATURE WRITING

Each winning entry is followed by judges' comments

Small newspapers

A6. Lifestyle reporting

50 entries

Judge: Kathy Blackwell is executive features editor for the  Austin American-Statesman.

First place

Ryan McKee, College Times: "The business of pleasure"

“This is the type of story that snares lesser writers in its many traps, but McKee's profile of an S&M club in Phoenix is smart, witty, well-reported and full of the unexpected. He manages to respect his subjects while respecting the readers at the same time.”

Second place

Cindy Yurth, Navajo Times: "Nadleeh on the rez"

“This story, about young gay, bisexual and transgendered Navajos who consider themselves today's ‘nadleeh’ was packed with interesting information, good writing and strong reporting. Yurth obviously earned the respect and trust of her sources, whose painful and insightful experiences made for a gripping story.”

Third place

Mollie J. Hoppes, Daily News-Sun: “Freedom lost & found”

“Stories about guide dogs and the people they help are nothing new, but Hoppes' piece is fresh and vibrant. Her kickoff anecdote about Joe letting his blind wife Sabrina drive down a dirt road hooks the reader effortlessly.”

A7. Personality profile

49 entries

Judge: David Niles worked as a reporter, columnist, photographer, managing editor and editor at weekly and daily newspapers in Wisconsin before founding his own company, Productive Knowledge Inc. in 2004, focusing on providing articles and other information for business websites.

First place

Nicole Girard, College Times: “Blind prodigy”

“Girard does a good job taking us along through her visit with blind pianist Scott MacIntyre, filling in enough background to explain who this person is, what made him and what drives him.”

Second place

Darin Fenger, Yuma Sun: “4 instruments in 1-man band”

“Nice look at an interesting man. I was glad to see the sidebar with facts and favorites of the story subject; I wish more of the submitted profiles provided such information. Nice, clean writing.”

Betsey Bruner, Arizona Daily Sun: “A tale of horses and homesteaders”

“Enjoyable reading. Nice story with some valuable background to help describe the story subject.”

Mid-sized newspapers and magazines

B6. Lifestyle reporting

36 entries

Judge: Kathy Blackwell is executive features editor of the Austin American-Statesman.

First place

Gabrielle Fimbres, Tucson Citizen: "Remembering Michael"

“A gripping and haunting story that grabs you from the start and doesn't let you go. By telling the story of young boy's killing from the perspective of people on the sidelines (his coach, his former teammate, etc.), Fimbres avoids the type of sentimental writing that too often weighs down stories like this. I also liked the unexpected quotes from the victim's parents.”

Second place

Laura Marble, Explorer News: "Making magic in the pediatric ward" 

“What wonderful detail! Marble is very good at packing her paragraphs with special touches and vivid imagery.”

Third place

John Dickerson, The Scottsdale Times: "Finding love again"  

“A charming piece. Dickerson really captured the couple's personalities as well as their playful relationship. I especially liked his back-and-forth quotes, reminiscent of the couples ‘interviewed’ in the movie ‘When Harry Met Sally...’”

B7. Personality profile

37 entries

Judge: David Niles worked as a reporter, columnist, photographer, managing editor and editor at weekly and daily newspapers in Wisconsin before founding his own company, Productive Knowledge Inc. in 2004, focusing on providing articles and other information for business websites.

First place

Jana Bommersbach, Phoenix Magazine: “Anchors away”

“Bommersbach does a great job painting a picture of news anchor Kent Dana, and what made him the man he is. Many of the other submissions in this category merely reported on what someone is doing now; Bommersbach paints a much fuller picture by telling us what shaped this man. Good, smooth writing, too.”

Second place

David Leibowitz, Phoenix Magazine: “Jason Schechterle is doing just fine”

“Leibowitz does an outstanding job relating a very compelling story. His writing is the stuff of great storytelling. Would have liked a bit more on his past — more supporting material on what made him so tough.”

Third place

Margaret Regan, Tucson Weekly: “A life lived, legendary UA art prof., painter Bailey Doogan takes a look back”

“Readers learn a lot about artist Bailey Doogan in this profile. Crisp writing makes it easy to read and keeps the reader with the story.”

Any publication

C21. Features beat reporting

30 entries

Judge: Lisa Gutierrez of The Kansas City Star won first place for general feature writing from the American Association of Sunday and Features Editors.

First place

Ron Dungan, The Arizona Republic: the outdoors beat

“Dungan impresses with vivid imagery and colorful language, two important tools of the feature writer. Of the Grand Canyon, he wrote: ‘It captures their minds as if some invisible, primordial cord has wrapped itself around the brain stem.’ Better still, he never lets quotes clutter the magic. Nice work.”

Second place

Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star: the film beat

“Villarreal has fun with his writing, and the reader appreciates it. What a great line: ‘Whatever ‘The Producers’ is, it's a surefire nominee, as long as it's better than last year's musical mishap,’Phantom of the Opera,’ or as some call it, ‘Phantom of Emmy Rossum's Unnaturally Wide-Open Mouth.’ He's a wonderful reviewer and writes with authority.”

Third place

Niki D'Andrea, Phoenix New Times: the music beat

“D'Andrea writes with a seemingly encyclopedic knowledge of music and shows good instinct for choosing telling quotes. She seasons her stories with great details, as in this description of 14-year-old guitar prodigy, Nick Sterling: ‘Sterling really seems himself as just a regular young guy — even if he does seem 40 from the forearms down...’

C22. Lifestyle reporting

28 entries

Judge:

Sharon Chapman

Kansas City Star

First place

Marija Potkonjak, East Valley Tribune: “Canyon girls”

“First-person is hard to do well. Potkonjak grabs readers with a bold ‘I own the Grand Canyon,’ then expands beyond her own experience to tell a relatable and inspiring story.”

Second place

Jennifer Duffy, Arizona Daily Star: “Public stencils”

“Duffy explains the story behind something people see everyday, covering both the legal and cultural issues.  She establishes a sense of place while entertaining and educating.”

Third place

Doug Kreutz, Arizona Daily Star: “Lovely words”

“No one thinks about eulogies, until they are forced to write one. Kreutz mixes the emotional with the practical — through real people's stories — in offering advice for delivering final goodbyes.”

C23. Personality profile

39 entries

Judge: Mary Glick, associate director of the American Press Institute, founded the Center for Community Journalism and in 1994 was named Outstanding Journalism Educator by the California Newspaper Publishers

Association. 

First place

Paul Rubin, Phoenix New Times: “Crying shame” 

“One man dies alone on a Phoenix street, an unidentified transient caught in a searing heat wave. The story of Carl Gholson that unfolds from this sad ending reads like the best detective fiction in Rubin’s capable hands. Powerfully written and rich with detail and context.”

Second place

Robert Nelson, Phoenix New Times: “About face”

“This is a frightening story. Nelson expertly captures the euphoria and the anger of a man wrongfully convicted of murder.”

Third place

Joe Watson, Phoenix New Times: “Baby man” 

“Watson got the first part right: choosing a fascinating subject to profile. Then he got the rest right, trying to understand the motivations behind the bizarre lifestyle of adult baby William Windsor.”

Honorable mention

Doug Haller, The Arizona Republic: “Still fighting” 

“Kevin Pollak is a fully human, multi-dimensional man – not just a disabled vet – in Doug Haller’s well crafted story.”

C24. Slice of life reporting

75 entries

Judge: Tom Hallman, Jr. of the Oregonian won the 2001 Pulitzer for Feature Writing.

First place

Robrt L. Pela, Phoenix New Times: “You don't know Jack”

“This is classic storytelling that reveals character, place and time. The opening graf draws the reader right in with wonderful images: ‘voice like gravel frying in

brown butter.’ Wonderful details throughout and those details come from great reporting and structure.”

Second place

Joe Watson, Phoenix New Times: “Poker faces”

“Who hasn't watched poker on TV and wondered about who these players are and what it's like on, and off the table. This story takes readers into the world.”

Third place

Rhonda Bodfield Bloom, Arizona Daily Star: “Road of grief nearing end”

“This is a good profile of someone in a community that helps make the community what it is.”