We announced on Nov. 10 in Philadelphia that Bianca Giaever of Garfield HS in Seattle was 2007’s Brasler Prize winner. Now you can see why.
The $1,000 award, given to the best of the First Place winners in the five Story of the Year categories, was announced Nov. 10 at the JEA/NSPA convention in Philadelphia. Wayne Brasler judges the contest himself, and these were his comments on the winning story:
In a remarkably detailed, sensitive, honest feature story, Bianca Giaever uses probing research, perceptive interviewing, steely-eyed observation, genuine wisdom, warm understanding and a broad cinematic-like viewpoint to tell of student Nick Sears’ life with an incurable form of brain cancer. She interviews Nick, producing an unforgettable portrait of an unforgettable young man; his family; his friends. She takes readers to his home, to the hospital with him for chemo treatments; she sometime steps into the story with her own reactions without taking the spotlight from her subject; and she reports with incredible detail and breadth. The writing is profound while seeming effortless, the quotes are always revealing and often startling in their honesty, the narrative interweaves multiple elements seamlessly and there’s not the slightest hint of pity as Giaever unfolds a real-life tragedy. Many readers undoubtedly weep after completing this story, both for heroic Nick Sears and for the poetic elegance of this exceptional achievement.
Congratulations to Bianca on her award. Since publishing her story in the Spring 2007 issue of the Garfield Messenger, she has also had it published in the Seattle Weekly, a local alternative paper.
Download Bianca’s Brasler Prize-winning story as a Word document