A feature by Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff writer Rosalind Bentley on poet laureate Natasha Trethewey has been named runner-up in the first Best American Newspaper Narrative Writing Contest, sponsored by the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference. The conference is presented by the Graduate Institute of Journalism at the University of North Texas.
"The Nation's Poet" appeared in October in Personal Journeys, a weekly feature in the Sunday Living & Arts section that focuses on the lives of extraordinary individuals. The accolade puts Bentley in good company: The first-place winner is Eli Saslow for "Life of a Salesman," which appeared in The Washington Post. Kelley Benham, a reporter at The Tampa Bay Times, received second place for "Never Let Go," and Anne Hull, also at The Washington Post, won third place for "Breaking Free." The other two runners-up are John Branch for "Snow Fall" and Dan Barry for "Donna's Diner," both of which appeared in The New York Times.
Bentley’s “The Nation’s Poet” will be published next spring in the anthology "The Best American Newspaper Narrative Writing of 2012."
The Georgia Press Association's 2013 Better Newspaper Awards also has recognized AJC staff writers for two other Personal Journeys. Steve Hummer won first place in the sports category for "The Player and His Coach," a feature about the friendship between former Douglass High School basketball coach Larry Cart and his former player Sylvester Lawson.
Bill Torpy won second place in the features writing category for "After the Fall," about former state House Speaker Glenn Richardson's failed bid for a state Senate seat.
In May, the AJC’s features enterprise staff won second place for best features writing in the 63rd annual Green Eyeshade Awards for the contributions to Personal Journeys.
