Columnist Dorothy Rosby, a regular contributor to this paper, was the global winner in the 2022 Erma Bombeck Writing Competition in the humor category. The award is a joint venture of the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop the Washington-Centerville Public Library in Centerville, Ohio.
Along with the global humor competition there was a global human interest competition and competitions in both humor and human interest in the library’s local area.
The four winning writers will receive a free registration to the Oct. 20-22 Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop in Dayton, Ohio, $1,000 and publication of their essays online and in the workshop’s program. The winners topped the field of 486 entries received from six countries, 48 states and the District of Columbia. Winning entries can be read at on the Washington Centerville Public Library website https://wclibrary.info/erma/
winners/.
Rosby won for her essay titled, “My New British Boyfriend.” One of the judges commented, “I loved the voice here, so much like Erma. The little bits of self-deprecating humor…go a long way toward making her more accessible, more of a ‘buddy’ to the reader, and that’s what makes such a strong connection between reader and writer.”
Contest judges are established authors, columnists, creative writing teachers, screenwriters, editors and stand-up comedians. After two rounds of judging, the final judge in the humor category was Max Pross, a Primetime Emmy Award-winning producer and writer known for The Simpsons, Seinfeld and Late Night with David Letterman.
Awards will be presented at a virtual ceremony March 23 by Cindy Ratzlaff and Kathy Kinney of Queen of Your Own Life.