Waterston Desert Writing Prize winners announced — Hannah Hindley of Tucson, Arizona, is the winner of the 2020 Waterston Desert Writing Prize. Author and guest judge Robert Michael Pyle and the prize’s board of directors chose Hindley’s winning submission “Thin Blue Dream,” about the disappearing waterways of the Sonoran Desert.

“It’s a strange story of ghost rivers, dead fish and resilience in the heart of urban spaces in the desert,” a press release quotes Hindley.

Al Lehto, a senior at Redmond Proficiency Academy, took the top prize in the inaugural Student Writing Contest, winning for an essay about their  mother’s many hours spent painting in the Badlands.

The winners and finalists will be honored and give readings at the annual reception and awards ceremonies at the High Desert Museum, scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 10, COVID-19 status permitting. The event will also feature “A Desert Conversation” panel addressing this year’s theme of “Climate Change in the Desert.”

Contact: waterstondesertwritingprize.org.