2012 Judges

Fiction Judge

Judith Claire Mitchell, the author of the novel The Last Day of the War, judged this year’s fiction entries. Her short stories and poetry have appeared in numerous literary magazines and anthologies including Prairie Schooner, StoryQuarterly, The Iowa Review, and Best of the Fiction Workshops. A former recipient of the James C. McCreight Fiction Fellowship and a Michener-Copernicus Society of America Fellowship, she is currently a professor in the English Department of the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where she co-directs the Program in Creative Writing and directs the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing.

Non-fiction Judge

Justin Isherwood, whose humorous and thought-provoking non-fiction essays have graced pages of the Pulse for years, judged this year’s non-fiction entries.

Isherwood is an award-winning writer, a Wisconsin farmer, humorist, author and contributor to numerous collections and publications including: Badger CommonTater, Isthmus, and Newsday. He is an essayist for the radio program, BookMarks & Art, airing on a CBS affiliate in central Wisconsin. His books include: Christmas Stones & the Story Chair, Book of Plough, Farm Kid, and most recently, Pulse.

Poetry Judge

Bruce Dethlefsen, Wisconsin’s Poet Laureate, judged this year’s poetry entries. His collection Breather (Fireweed Press) won an Outstanding Achievement award from the Wisconsin Library Association. He also has two chapbooks, A Decent Reed and Something Near the Dance Floor, and his poems were featured twice on The Writer’s Almanac. His latest collection of poetry, released last fall from Cowfeather Press, is Unexpected Shiny Things. He plays bass, harmonica, and drums and performs original music with poetry as Obvious Dog.

To learn more about Dethlefsen and read selections of his poetry, visit http://www.brucedethlefsen.com.

Photography Judges

Len Villano, Photography Director for the Peninsula Pulse and Door County Living, judged this year’s photography entries with fellow Peninsula Pulse and Door County Living photographer Katie Sikora.

Villano has been capturing stunning images of the people and landscapes of Door County for years. An artist, musician, recording engineer and producer, Villano left a promising career in architecture years ago to devote his life to capturing the beauty of nature on film. Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary is now the focus of Villano’s photography work.

To view Villano’s photography, visit http://www.doorcountyphotos.com or http://www.lenvillanophotography.com.

Sikora recently graduated from the University of Miami with a BSC in Photojournalism and Marine Science with a minor in Theatre Arts, fully representing her eclectic palette of interests. She is now living full time in Wisconsin and is excited to have joined the Peninsula Pulse and Door County Living family in her first post-college job. Her photographs have been published in The Miami Hurricane, The Miami Planet, Peninsula Pulse, and Door County Living magazine.