CAL received entries in 11 categories from which one winner was selected in each. A team of CAL members reviewed all entries and selected two or three finalists in each category. Judges, independent of CAL, made the final selections. Here are the winning writers.

Elizabeth Wrenn - Mainstream Fiction - "Around the Next Corner"

The judge for this category is Cheryl Klein

Director of the California Office and Readings/Workshops (West) for Poets & Writers, Inc. Her book, The Commuters: A Novel of Intersections, won City Works Press' Ben Reitman Award. Her fiction has appeared in journals including other, CrossConnect, and The Absinthe Literary Review, and the anthology Jane's Stories III (Jane's Stories Press, 2006). She co-edits the online queer fiction magazine Blithe House Quarterly, and has taught creative writing to homeless youth, high school girls, and teen boys in the criminal justice system.

Cheryl says the thing she enjoyed most about this novel was its kindheartedness toward all its characters.

In depicting how a smart woman who marries a good man for the right reasons can nevertheless find herself feeling lost and alienated, the author demonstrates that feminism is not just for radicals or women trapped in terrible marriages.

 Cheryl Klein:  "I imagine that many readers can relate to Deena Munger, and following her on her self-initiated journey is very satisfying. Her small triumphs-from getting Heloise to walk down the driveway to resisting the urge to baby her children-are realistic and, frankly, anything but small."

Laura Resau - Middle Grade/YA Fiction - "What The Moon Saw"

Our finals judge is Shannon Penney

an Editor in the Trade Paperback department at Scholastic, where she first began working in 2002.  She edits books at a wide range of age levels, from early chapter book series to middle grade novels.  She is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where she majored in English and Creative Writing and served as a freelance editor for national YA literary magazine, Merlyn's Pen.  Shannon currently lives in New York City.

Here's what she said about the winning entry:  "This is a beautifully written, touching story.  I really enjoyed the setup of sending the main character to visit the grandparents in Mexico that she's never met. 

Her anxiety about the journey is a captivating introduction to her grandparents' world - I loved seeing Mexico through her eyes ...and was captivated by her friendship with Pedro. She makes her Mexican heritage a true part of herself, while coming to understand exactly what her father left behind.

I particularly enjoyed the passion for detail with which life is described in both the main character's story and her grandmother's in flashbacks, which add a great deal to the main character's discovery and growth. 

Told with captivating, lyrical language, this is a wonderful read, full of inspiring messages that readers can absorb and apply to their own lives."

Debbie Dadey - Children/Picture Book Fiction  - "The Great Green Gator Graduation"

The Bloomsbury Review is a nationally distributed book magazine that has been in publication for more than 27 years.  Publisher & Editor Marilyn Auer served as our finals judge in this category.

She says there are a number of strong points in the story line: conflict, courage, family interactions, curious characters (Aunt Freda), drama, community, and cooperation.

"It is fanciful and well written."

 

Gail Waldstein - Short Fiction/Adult - "Garlic"

Our finals judge Dawn W. Petersen has an M.A. in English Literature and currently is an editorial assistant and book reviewer for The Bloomsbury Review. As a freelancer she has edited everything from technical manuals to poetry collections for more than 15 years.  

"Excellent use of sensory images throughout! I can smell the garlic and hear the onions crackling in the pan. The imagery conveys the messages of nurturing, belonging, alienation, and oppression ...

The author‘s use of parallelism is ... strong and effective as she juxtaposes elements ... she "shows" us so skillfully ... The absence of dialogue in the story creates a hushed, pensive mood of interiority that works very well with the subject.

At the end of the story, the reader has hope that the protagonist will indeed "add real cream" from now on.  For that I am grateful! We are left with the sense that she is ready to begin healing her life on many levels.  Lovely, powerful story! Thank you."

Eliza Cross Castaneda - Service & Informational/Nonfiction -
"Family Home of the New West"

Recently named the Director of Special Projects and editor for magazine's books and the New Mexico Vacation Guide, Emily Drabanski has been the editor-in-chief of New Mexico magazine for 21 years. Her credits including authoring, contributing to and editing eleven of the magazine's books, and  writing, "Santa Fe Impressions," published by Far Country Press (which is scheduled for release in July). She also hosts the radio show, "Hello, New Mexico" broadcast on KSFR-FM in Santa Fe. She currently serves as president for New Mexico Press Women.

Emily says, "This beautifully written book is a fine example of literary non-fiction.  The words are selected with care and crafted into meaningful sentences that tell the stories of the homes featured.Useful tips, as well as captions chock-full of information make this a book that is as fun to read as it is to look at.  Even the captions incorporate strong, active verbs that bring life to the sentences.  Like the beautiful images showcased in the book, the author's writing style invites us to linger and sit a spell as we immerse ourselves in the very readable text.

The imagery is bright, colorful and vibrant and the same can be said of the writing.  I loved the highlighted "Bright Idea" tips. They certainly offered inspiration and practical suggestions."

 Sureva Towler - Narrative - Nonfiction - "The Boys at the Bar"

Our finals judge in this category has a master's degree in journalism from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a bachelor's degree in English from Knox College, Galesburg, Ill.

She has enjoyed a 30-year career in newspapers, including 12 years as managing editor, editor or vice president of The Sun News in Myrtle Beach, S.C., 10 years at Boulder's Daily Camera, where she started as a reporter covering the University of Colorado, and local & state government; there she worked her way up to city editor, and asst. managing editor.

Our judge, Susan C. Deans, is currently a senior editor and columnist at the Daily Camera in Boulder. 

"The author has an unusual writing style, fast-paced, informative and quirky. She uses it to good effect in this collection of short essays on life in the New West.  Her take is that of a veteran and somewhat curmudgeonly Westerner and she does a great job of contrasting the Western "newbies" with the old-timers, the "Boys at the Bar" in her title piece. I read through this in one sitting but it would be even more effective to read the essays one or two at a time and savor them."

Joe Nigg as "John Topsell" -  Young Adult/Children/Nonfiction -
"How To Raise and Keep A Dragon"

Adrienne Stolarz holds an MFA in Creative Writing; she writes and publishes personal essays, presents writers workshops, and teaches language and communication skills to ESL students. 

As associate editor for Disney's FamilyFun magazine, she's been writing, editing, and producing all genre of content for more than seven years.

This phenomenal book deserves an award for being a one-of-a-kind, well-crafted adventure that any child will love - especially those rearing their own fascination with the fantastical and surreal. 

In fact, I'd even recommend this to adults who enjoy the Harry Potter-esque style of ageless with and wonder, and as a great gift for the child who wants a pet - from the parent who is reluctant to get one -  as it successfully parodies the responsibility of pet- ownership.

The beautiful paper quality supports the story by giving it a medieval-era papyrus effect.  The imaginative, detailed illustrations complete the package." 

Cameron Burns - Feature Article -Nonfiction -Adult -
"Walking on the (Mountains of the) Moon" 

Since 1989, Lorenzo Benet has been a staff writer at PEOPLE and currently serves as the magazine's associate bureau chief for news and features in the Los Angeles Bureau. He has covered a variety of assignments ranging from sports to celebrity news, and covering the Persian Gulf War and the Winter Olympics in1998, 2002  and 2006. He oversaw the court trials of Scott Peterson, Michael Jackson, Phil Spector and Robert Blake and the O.J. Simpson trial.

Benet collaborated with Olympic champion ice skater Scott Hamilton for his New York Times bestselling autobiography, Landing It, which was published by Kensington Books.  His other book writing credits include a collaboration with conservative political activist Star Parker for her memoir Pimps, Whores and Welfare Brats, published by Pocket Books. Benet's first book, written with Vickie Bane, was The Lives of Danielle Steel, the unauthorized biography of the romance novelist that was published by St. Martin's Press.

As a celebrity expert, he has made numerous television appearances on CNN, ET, EXTRA, E! Entertainment, Access Hollywood, MSNBC, Fox News, Biography and Inside Edition.  He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.  

Lorenzo told me it was a very tough decision because the entries were so excellent ... "Cameron really captured the essence of excellent travel writing -- putting the reader in the spot and sparing him the trouble of actually going. I liked how he blended in the global warming issue and spiced the story with a little history of the region, the mountains and the tortuous regime of Idi Amin. Nice details of how he celebrated his daughter's birthday so far away from home. Nice touch all around."

Shari Caudron - Essay Nonfiction/Adult - "When in Jordan..."

Kenneth Budd has been with AARP since 1998, and became AARP The Magazine's travel editor in late 2006. His work as editor of the magazine's Navigator section was nominated for a National Magazine Award in 2005, and helped the magazine earn a Lowell Thomas Award for General Excellence that same year. Since 2003, he has been the editor of an annual health report that appears in USA Weekend. Before coming to AARP, he was the editor of Common Ground, an award-winning magazine on condominium and homeowner associations, and he is the author of the popular condo legal guide, Be Reasonable!. His writing credits include pieces in Smithsonian, the Maxim-produced magazine Stuff, The Washington Post, and The Washington Post Magazine; he has also written for such alternative magazines and web sites as McSweeney's, Might, Opium, and Modern Humorist. Ken is a contributing editor to the Mason Spirit, the George Mason University alumni magazine.

In his opinion, "...the writer takes us on a lively trek inside a country and culture that Americans rarely see. The unique Middle East moments and vivid anecdotes make this an enjoyable, insightful read. The scene in the Turkish bath is gripping and entertaining - totally hooks the reader.

The writer has a strong voice and an eye for telling details. I've never been to Jordan, but I feel like I have."

Chris Ransick  -  Poetry -  "Lost Songs and Last Chances"

Our finals judge in this category has taught writing at Arizona State University in Tempe, where she received her master of fine arts degree in poetry. Her reviews of poetry collections have appeared in the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette, Chelsea Magazine, and Poetry International. Her poems have been published in the Paris Review, Antioch Review, Washington Square, and SHADE, among other literary journals. Mary Gannon is the editor of Poets & Writers Magazine.  She was delighted to participate as a judge for us!

Mary Gannon comments on the winning entry, "There is a lovely balance between form and subject matter in this collection. While the poems are quiet at times, their power is released through an excellent execution of poetic qualities: subtle and unexpected music, nice line breaks, and impressive handle on a range of forms. Overall, very impressive collection."   

Bruce Berger - Specialty Writing - "Oasis of Stone"

Dr. Connie Gotsch has won numerous awards for her own full length fiction, short stories, plays, documentaries, and radio programming.  She hosts the morning classical music show, "Roving with the Arts," and is both  producer and host of a segment for authors called "Write On Four Corners."

She is currently Program Director at KSJE Farmington NM  Public Radio for the 4 Corners. 

In addition, Dr. Gotsch publishes a monthly arts column in The Four Corners Free Press and has herself has been the recipient of  New Mexico Press Women Awards for Special Programming Radio,  Special Articles Reviews, Prepared Report Radio;  Feature Story Non-daily Newspaper;  and Radio Interviews. The Colorado Society of Professional Journalists awarded her the 2006 First Place for Arts and Entertainment Reporting.  She has served the New Mexico Press Women as Awards Chair for 8 years.

The writing sings -  the best way to know the desert remains what it has always been - to walk.  What a grabber - I could picture doing it .  Those kind of zingers go through all the rest of the text.  I loved the image of the plants in the open and the animals in shadow. 

The best way to know the desert remains what it has always been - to walk.  What a grabber -  I could picture doing it .  This kind of zinger goes through all the rest of the text.  I loved the image of the plants in the open and the animals in shadow.  And the environmental impact of people  - just enough to remind us that if we're not careful we won't have this magnificence forever.  Great job."

2006 CAL Award Winners 

BOOK-LENGTH FICTION Genre – In Stone's Clasp by Christie Golden

Middle Grade/Young Adult – Makeovers by Marcia, by Claudia Mills

Children/Picture Books – I Could Do That! Esther Morris Gets Women The Vote, by Linda Arms White

SHORT FICTION Adult – Progress Toward a Proof, by Lee Patton

Young Adult/Children – A Hundred Coconuts and a Top Hat, by Nancy Bo Flood

BOOK-LENGTH NONFICTION Service and Informational – Food Lovers’ Guide to Colorado: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants, Events and More, by Eliza Cross Castaneda

Narrative – The Complete Half-Aspenite, by Bruce Berger

Young Adult/Children – Panda Math: Learning About Subtraction from Hua Mei and Mei Sheng, by Ann Whitehead Nagda

NONFICTION ARTICLES Adult Feature – “For the Least Among Us,” by Cameron M. Burns

Adult Essay – “Singing in the Ear Canal,” by Gail Waldstein, M.D.

Young Adult/Children – “Puppets Without Strings,” by Nancy Bo Flood

POETRY Keeping Still, by Lois Beebe Hayna

SPECIALTY WRITING Neighborhoods In Nature, by Mary Taylor Young