Polk County Itemizer-Observer • September 30, 2015 5A
Polk County News
Recreational
Marijuana
starts
October 1st
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Stewart Baker will be published in the annual anthology, “L. Ron Hubbard Presents
Writers of Tomorrow,” after being selected as a first-place winner in the Writers of the
Future contest.
WRITER OF THE FUTURE
Dallas author wins award for science fiction work
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — From Susan
Cooper to J.R.R. Tolkien to
Anne McCaffrey, the world
of science fiction and fanta-
sy has inspired Dallas author
Stewart Baker since he was a
young child to ask one sim-
ple question.
“In general, my ideas
come from asking, ‘what if
…?’ questions and then
coming up with people
whose lives would be
changed by them,” Baker
said.
Now, one “what if” has be-
come reality.
Baker has been chosen as
a quarterly winner from a
group of eight finalists in the
Writers of the Future Con-
test.
“To be honest, I was a lit-
tle surprised,” Baker said. “It
was actually the last quarter
I was eligible to enter and
almost all my other entries
to the contest were rejec-
tions. I found out I was a fi-
nalist when Joni Labaqui,
the contest administrator,
gave me a phone call. My
wife told me my phone was
vibrating in the other room
and I almost didn’t bother
answering it. Fortunately,
she made me.”
A few weeks later, Baker
found out he had won first
place.
“I’m honored that they
c h o s e m y s t o r y, a n d
thrilled,” Baker said. “The
way the judging works, only
a few of the judges read sto-
ries each quarter, so I don’t
specifically know who read
my entry, but to see names
like Nnedi Okorafor and
Nancy Kress and Larry Niven
on there and know they
might have chosen my story
out of all the others is an
amazing feeling.”
His win earned him a cash
prize, a trip to Hollywood for
a week-long writing work-
shop, an awards ceremony
and having his short story
published in the annual an-
thology, “L. Ron Hubbard
Presents Writers of Tomor-
row.”
The contest, now in its
32nd year, attracts entries
from around the world.
Twelve quarterly winners are
chosen, with first place en-
tries earning $1,000.
Of the four first-place
winners, one will receive Au-
thor of the Year during the
annual awards show, which
comes with a $5,000 prize.
Judges include several no-
table authors, including
Orson Scott Card and Tim
Powers.
The contest is open to any
novice writer who has not
professionally published
more than three short sto-
ries or one novelette or
novel.
Since his story is in con-
tention for Author of the
Year, Baker is unable to
share the title or plot of his
story, but he is already excit-
ed for what the future will
hold and to see what his
next “what if” will lead to.
“I’m working on a few
short stories, including one
that will be interactive (web-
based, with elements the
reader can change as they
read), and I write haiku pret-
ty regularly,” Baker said.
Perrydale auction set Saturday
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
PERRYDALE — Perrydale will host its an-
nual booster club auction and dinner Satur-
day evening at the Willows Events Center,
12455 Meyers Road in Dallas.
This year’s auction includes a variety of
items, from gift cards to art and everything
in between.
The event begins at 4:30 p.m. for cocktails
and a silent auction. Dinner, catered by
Uncle Jack’s BBQ from Amity, starts at 6, fol-
lowed by a live auction.
Ticket sales were cut off on Tuesday, but
booster club member Anna Scharf hopes the
event will raise at least $8,000.
“We do have a guided fishing trip, a beach
house rental, a catered dinner for 10 to 12
people, wine tours, wine, and various gift
certificates and gift baskets,” Scharf said.
Raffle tickets for a trip to Hawaii will also
be sold beginning the night of the auction
until the final home varsity boys basketball
game this winter. Tickets will cost $20 each.
Money raised from the event will go toward
the purchase of new uniforms and equip-
ment for middle and high school athletics.
“The athletic director will guide us to
where the need is the greatest this year,”
Scharf said. “I believe it is middle school girls
basketball (right now).”
For more information: Anna Scharf,
anna4perrydale@gmail.com.
From pruning t o antifreeze,
this section is full of information
t o help your cust omers get
geared up for winter.
Publishes: October 21
Deadline to reserve: October 7
Size:
B&WColor
1/8 pg
4.917” x 2.5”
$75
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1/4 pg
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$138
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1/2 pg
10” x 5.083”
$252
$302
4.917” x 10.292”
$252
$302
Full pg
10” x 10.292”
$475
$525
Back pg
10” x 10.292”
$577
$577
1/2 pg vert
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503-623-2373 Itemizer-Observer
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