'Behind the scenes' writers sought for limelight

Do you have a colleague who writes all day, turning out prose in praise of ASU, but who never sees his or her name in print?

Then it’s time to take action. Nominate that person for the second annual Behind the Scenes Writer of the Year award.

The award celebrates the National Day on Writing Oct. 20, a day that celebrates the diverse types of writing that people do throughout the country each day.

The National Day on Writing was established by the National Council of Teachers of English to point to the importance of writing instruction and practice at every grade level for every student and in every subject area from preschool through university; to emphasize the lifelong process of learning to write; and to encourage Americans to write and enjoy and learn from the writing of others.

The Behind the Scenes Writer of the Year Award is sponsored by the Department of English.

“We feel identifying this person is a particularly appropriate way to celebrate the day-to-day central importance of writing at that dynamic place we call the ASU community,” said Bruce Glenn, and English instructor at ASU. “This recognition is all the more important on the National Day on Writing when universities across the nation will be trying to highlight the importance of writing in all our lives.

To nominate a colleague, write a paragraph about why you believe this person deserves the award and send it by e-mail to Bruce Glenn at bhglenn@asu.edu.

The winner will receive a plaque during a ceremony on Hayden Lawn, Oct. 20.

Last year’s winner was Linda Pedersen, a program manager with Enrollment Marketing and Communications.

She said, “It was a huge surprise to receive the phone call informing me of the award. I almost didn’t accept it. After the shock wore off, I was proud to accept the award in honor of the people at ASU for whom I’ve written and on behalf of the exceptional team of professionals I work with in the Enrollment Marketing and Communications team.”