Essay 2021
Gold
Texas Highways, “The Desert Reclaims Everything” by Roberto José Andrade Franco
In this stirring, heartfelt tribute to the borderland between Texas and Mexico–El Paso on one side of the Rio Grande, Juarez on the other–a native son tells what it was like to grow up there and why he felt compelled to leave.
Silver
Arizona Highways, “Breathing Space” by Craig Childs
Beautiful visuals and interesting portrait of a stunning part of the country.
Bronze
Adirondack Life, “My Adirondack Life” by Alice Paden Green
Very moving essay about pain and perseverance in a part of the country that one rarely thinks of as having Black residents.