Carol Wobig of Milwaukee took first place honors with her essay, "Love," in the Florence Lindemann Humor Contest. In her essay, Wobig takes the reader to a convent, where the Mistress of Postulants reads all in-coming and out-going letters, attempting to block out love or anything that has to do with love. When a new postulant writes a letter to a friend about a thin, beautiful, intelligent mistress at the convent, the Mistress of Postulants mistakenly believes that the young woman is writing about her.

Wobig was awarded the $50 first prize at the May 5 WRWA Spring Conference in Manitowoc. This year's judge, humor writer Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant of Eugene, Oregon, said, " 'Love' presents a unique story, grabs the reader from the opening line, and delivers consistent humor throughout. Ending each paragraph with a punch line takes talent."

The $30 second prize went to Chris Durski of Waukesha for her essay, "Whose Life Is It?" In her essay, Durski recounts her children's displeasure when she announces her plans to move to another town.

The $20 third prize was awarded to Lorraine Hawkinson of Oregon for her essay, "The Tight Squeeze." Hawkinson presents an embarrassing situation when a tow truck has to be called to help her get her car, parked too close to the wall, out of her garage.

A Certificate of Merit for Honorable Mention went to JoAnn Jones Opsahl for her essay, "A Snoring Nocturne." Opsahl analyzes her husband's snoring, comparing the different sounds to melodies.

Barb Jensen of Portage was the chairperson for this year's contest in which 40 writers competed.

A poignant reminiscence about an impressionable teenager and a 1957 Johnny Cash concert in Rhinelander has won first place for Dorothy Lund of Hayward in the 2007 Al P. Nelson Feature Writing Contest.

This year's judge was Jerry Apps of Madison, professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of 15 books. He praised Lund's vivid recollections. "This delightful piece," he said, "grabs the reader with the first line and never lets go."

The Hayward writer-a former English teacher and resort operator-was awarded the $75 first prize in nonfiction writing at the May 5 WRWA spring conference, held this year in Manitowoc. She also has created lyrics for some 500 songs. Her husband, Pete, writes the music and together they perform as a duo called Rough Cut. The Lunds treated attendees to a duet, singing Johnny Cash's "Closest Thing to Heaven." Their rendition brought a standing ovation from the crowd.

The $50 second prize for 2007 went to Susan Wentz of Portage for "The Difference Makers." Her inspiring feature focuses on a group of seventh and eighth graders attending the River Crossing Environmental Charter School in Portage. "We learn what these young people are doing (conservation improvement) and how they are doing it (getting their hands dirty and their feet wet)-making an extraordinary contribution to their community," the judge noted.

The $25 third prize was awarded to Julia Shea of West Allis for "Eagle River Dreams." Be careful of your dreams, the writer points out. Apps adds: "A good dose of reality checking should be mixed with our dreaming." The feature focuses on her North Woods, living-on-the-lake fantasy that, the city girl would come to realize, might also involve life in a country setting where doctors could be scarce, family distant, and important family gatherings missed.

Honorable mention certificates were awarded to two writers: Nate Scholze of Sparta, for "The Sweet Smell of Honeysuckle," recounting a brother's funeral and memories of a boyhood camaraderie long ago and lives that had gone in different directions; and John J. Mutter Jr. of Shawano, for "Dark Period in Life," a tale of the cycle of life with the darkness of death but also the light of new beginnings.

This was the 13th annual Al P. Nelson Feature Writing Contest, which is named after the longtime Delafield freelance writer and University of Wisconsin Extension writing instructor. Nelson, author of a book on the early days of moviemaking, The Birth of a Nation Story, died in 1994 and his family set up a fund to launch the WRWA contest. His son, Bill, a highly successful freelance writer in his own right, coordinates the contest.