Odd Kudos From Afar
October 3, 2011News has just come that an essay I wrote for Ode Magazine on the value of dissent has been short-listed for an Eddie Award. These prizes are given by Folio each year in recognition of the best editorial content (the Eddies) and the best magazine design (the Ozzies).
To be honest, all though I am tremendously pleased and all affirmation does the creative soul good, I find the whole thing rather curious. On one hand, the awards do attract big name competitors: Playboy, People, Sports Illustrated, and Entertainment Weekly are among the magazines short-listed for various prizes. Yet in my category – Single Article, News/Commentary – the other finalists are city magazines from Newark, New Jersey and Dallas, Texas.
This seems odd. Shouldn’t all American magazine awards, especially the essay categories, be dominated by The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper’s, GQ, and the rest of the pantheon? Where are the big players? Or is this like the Carling Cup in English football, a secondary competition that titans like Chelsea and Manchester United tend to neglect? I know, I know, gift horses and mouthes. But if anybody knows the real story behind these awards, drop me a line.
(If you haven’t read the essay, click on the cover below … )
