I won an Award

I won a First Place Award from the Society of Newspaper Columnists. It’s the first award I’ve won (or entered, I think) since the North Jersey Business Press Association in 1989. that one was for a profile of the CEO of Bertolli Olive Oil in the mighty Corporate Reporter.

I haven’t processed all this yet. It took over a week for me to even learn I had won, which is another story altogether. Anyhow, here’s what they said about my work.

Online (all circulations)

1st Place – Alan Paul – The Wall Street Journal Online

Ex-pat Alan Paul, who currently lives in China, explores the things that connect us (nd separate us) no matter which society we inhabit. The Internet allows him to tap into U.S. culture whenever he wants, but he reminds us that people everywhere risk losing touch if they immerse themselves too deeply in America’s seductive media soup. His column on seeing the Chinese government’s iron fist burst through the consumer glitter asks us to reflect on how people can and should fight for freedom. Paul writes about the constant good-byes that are a painful feature of ex-pat life. Then he notes that today’s educated elite are often expected to be nomads who never put down permanent roots. By using the exotic to illuminate the universal, his columns help us sort through the global challenges of contemporary life.