Four University of Colorado at Boulder students are recipients of the second annual Western American Writing Awards presented by the Center of the American West.
Each of the students received $350 at an awards banquet on April 25. CU-Boulder professors from eight academic departments and three colleges judged the entries. The judges had such difficulty in deciding among the 94 entries that they also awarded three honorable mention awards of $25 each.
First prize in non-fiction writing by a graduate student went to Wendy Rex-Atzet of history for "Narratives of Place and Power: Laying Claim to Devil's Tower." First prize in graduate creative writing went to James Cypser of psychology for "Silence Meeting Eagles: A Confluence of Faiths."
First prize in non-fiction writing by an undergraduate student went to Erin Colleen Burke of journalism for "Herding Up History." First prize in undergraduate creative writing went to Adam Kay of classics for "Sand Creek."
Honorable mentions were awarded to graduate student Mark Bailen of English for "Arbor Day Dreams," undergraduate Brad Turner of journalism and music for "Sonja Horoshko and the Drawing Together Exhibition" and undergraduate John Evans of English for "The New Jersey Zinc Company; Gilman, Colorado."
The winning entries will be archived at the Center of the American West in Macky Auditorium, room 229. The next contest will be announced near the end of fall semester and will include a category for poetry.
For more information call the Center of the American West at (303) 492-4879 or visit