I was honored to receive a “Gold Award for Best Travel Article” from the Western Chapter of the Society of American Travel Writers for my story, “My Friend, the Enemy” which appeared in Chance Encounters: Travel Tales from Around the World and on GoWorldTravel.com.
The judge’s comments: “This was an outstanding article. I was very impressed by the way the author juxtaposed past and present to give a poignant sense of the recent history of Berlin and to add profoundly personal layers and dimensions to that history.
The story worked beautifully: the way the American and East German had first met and learned about each other’s cultures; the ties they’d maintained over time as their lives and possibilities evolved; and now the grand reunion when their shared history helped them — and us — appreciate even more deeply the triumph of Berlin today. This article was both moving and edifying and presented truths small and large. Bravo!”