My memoir, "The Wishing Chair," placed 2nd in the 2008 First Person Arts National Memoir and Documentary Competition! "Touching Joy" tied for Grand Prize in the 2007 Be The Star You Are® national essay contest. Be The Start You Are® is a national charity that promotes literacy for disadavantaged youth. "salt wind (for J.S.)" placed in the top ten in Shadow Poetry's 2006 international poetry competition! Thanks, Josh, for the inspiration. Back in 2004, "In the Dog House," my (then-innovative) 100-word flash fiction placed 1st in the Somewhere in America Short Short Story Contest!