Writing Judge - Mary Taylor Young
Author and naturalist Mary Taylor Young has been writing about the landscape and heritage of Colorado and the
American West for 35 years. Her 22nd book—Bluebird Seasons: Witnessing Climate Change In My Piece of the Wild
—was published in May 2023 by Chicago Review Press. Mary’s honors include the 2018 Frank Waters Award for
exemplary literary achievement and a canon of writing that communicates a deep understanding, celebration, and love
of the West; 2019 induction into the Colorado Authors Hall of Fame; 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award from the
Colorado Authors’ League. She has been an RMOWP contest judge and convention presenter for many years. Mary
contributed to and was the managing editor of her latest project, At Home In Nature: The History of Colorado’s State Parks
Michael Salomone - Success not Measured in Inches
This piece is perfect for its audience, persuasively turning table on the usual quest for “the largest fish.” (Writing Judge - Mary Taylor Young)
• 1st Michael Salomone - Success not Measured in Inches
• 2nd Ron Belak -Beautiful Butterflies & Mysterious Moths
• 3rd Ron Belak - Advice from the Sages for the Ages
• 1st Virginia Staat - Too Small a Box
• 2nd Virginia Staat - When the Bloom Is Gone
• 3rd Maryann Gaug - When a Three-Mile Hike Turns into Five
• 1st Judy Lehmkuhl - Arachnae
• 2nd Jan Barnes - Bear Camp Alaska