Awards: What They Do (and Don't) Mean for Creative Artists

MIA in action last week - as I scurried out of town to boycott the snowstorm. When my husband and I landed in Sarasota to celebrate his birthday, I discovered a surprise: my book Crooked Lines: A Single Mom's Jewish Journey was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Awards competition.

What does that mean? During the past few years, I've received a number of book awards and am very honored to say so. 

I feel lucky and blessed to have received The Wishing Shelf Award for The Beat on Ruby's Street and the Firebird Award in the Parenting and Family category for Crooked Lines. 

My play A Body of Water was also chosen by the National Foundation for Jewish Culture on the 350th anniversary of Jewish life in America as a play that "breaks new ground."

It's important to note here that while awards recognize the blood and sweat authors and playwrights put into our books and plays, they don't necessarily translate into sales or increased audience size. What they do mean is that certain designated readers who put the time into reading large numbers of books or scripts are choosing your book as one of the best. That, to me, is worth celebrating.

So, to all the other (many) award winners out there, congratulations--for shutting yourself into dark rooms and bright days, for paying attention to the world around you and for spending hours at your computers, trying to get the words right.

Of course, writing is it's own reward and all that -- but how wonderful it is to be recognized. Thank you, awarding organizations and readers, for making that happen, too.