Retired municipal administrator Robert Bernstein and retired teacher Mary Alexandra Peet were announced as winners of the 2023 Vermont Writers' Prize, a top literary award in Vermont sponsored by Green Mountain Power and Vermont Magazine.
Bernstein, of Bristol, won for his poem "Job Site Repair of Worn Out Glove," which brings to life the bitter cold of Vermont winters, and Peet, of Richmond, was honored for her essay "Searching for 'The Donut Man,'" a reflection on the power of childhood memories of family, community and Vermont summers.
Each winner received $1,250 and had their work published in the summer issue of Vermont Magazine, which is on sale now.
“The Vermont Writer’s Prize is a true celebration of Vermont,” said Dr. Joshua Sherman, CEO of Old Mill Road Media and publisher of Vermont Magazine. “This was a particularly competitive year with many worthy entries. We are grateful to the judges, and, as always, thankful that so many talented writers and poets shared their stories and reflections on Vermont with us.”
The Vermont Writers’ prize has been honoring the art of capturing the spirit of the state through the written word for more than three decades. The prize was originally launched as a way to both celebrate Vermont and honor the legacy of historian Ralph Nading Hill, a Vermonter who also served for many years on GMP’s board of directors.