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Corrales resident Jim Trittenรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs photo graces this month’s cover of Military Writers Society of America magazine as the organizationรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs Writer of the Year. On the heels of that, he was recognized by SouthWest Writers as the recipient of its annual Parris Award, the organizationรขโ‚ฌโ„ขs most prestigious award.

The Parris Award has been given for the past 40 years to a published writer รขโ‚ฌล“who has given outstandingly of time and talent to other writers,รขโ‚ฌย past recipients include Tony Hillerman and Pulitzer nominee Norman Zollinger.

The Parris Award is named for Parris Afton Bonds, a charter member of the group, established in 1983, who gave tirelessly of her time encouraging aspiring writers, according to a news release.

รขโ‚ฌล“I was pretty pretty blown away to be included in that list,รขโ‚ฌย said Tritten, who received the award from SouthWest Writers on Oct. 14. The non-profit organization was established to assist published and unpublished writers.

Consideration for the award included a significant body of published work, efforts to further the organization and providing encouragement to other writers.

Tritten co-edited and contributed stories to รขโ‚ฌล“Holes in Our Hearts,รขโ‚ฌย a collection of stories and poems by everyday New Mexicans about their own military experience, or how a friend or family member serving in the military affected their lives. He helped solicit stories, secure funding and organize a book tour of sorts since it was published earlier this year.

รขโ‚ฌล“In both cases, the award was not for the book, but it never would have occurred without the book,รขโ‚ฌย he said.

The criteria for the Michael D. รขโ‚ฌล“Moonรขโ‚ฌย Mullins Award handed out by Military Writers Society of America award was similar. It required รขโ‚ฌล“distinguishedรขโ‚ฌย writing in any form, รขโ‚ฌล“displaying respect for the military and military family understandings, abilities, and appreciations.รขโ‚ฌย

Tritten, a retired Navy officer, continues doing exactly that. In conjunction with SouthWest Writers, he will be leading workshops teaching people how to write military memoirs, the first of which will be on Nov. 4.

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