Pulitzer Prize winner T.J. Stiles, the prolific Joe R. Lansdale and an 11-year-old Maine girl highlight the 2016 Spur Award winners from Western Writers of America.
Winners and finalists were announced the past march at the Tucson Festival of Books and will be honored during WWA’s convention June 21-25 in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Lydia Schofield of Thorndike, Maine, became the youngest Spur winner in WWA history when Buckaroo Bobbie Sue, published by Little Hands Press, won the Storyteller Spur as best illustrated children’s book. The book, illustrated by Kristina Zack Young, was published under the penname JoJo Thoreau.
Stiles, the 2010 Pulitzer winner for his Cornelius Vanderbilt biography, won in the biography category for «Custer’s Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America» (Alfred A. Knopf). Lansdale, known more for his horror and mystery writings, earned his first Spur when «Paradise Sky» (Mulholland) won as Best Historical Western Novel.
Since 1953, Western Writers of America has promoted and honored the best in Western literature with the annual Spur Awards, selected by panels of judges. Awards, for material published last year, are given for works whose inspiration, image and literary excellence best represent the reality and spirit of the American West.
Other winners:
Contemporary Novel: «Crazy Mountain Kiss» by Keith McCafferty (Viking).
Traditional Novel: «The Last Midwife» by Sandra Dallas (St. Martin’s).
Mass-Market Paperback Novel: «Lords of an Empty Land» by Randy Denmon (Pinnacle).
First Novel: «American Copper» by Shann Ray (Unbridled).
Historical Nonfiction and First Nonfiction Book: «William Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest» byWilliam Heath (University of Oklahoma Press).
Contemporary Nonfiction: «The Size of the Risk: Histories of Multiple Use in the Great Basin» by Leisl Carr Childers (University of Oklahoma Press).
Juvenile Nonfiction: «This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon» by Nancy Plain(University of Nebraska Press).
Juvenile Fiction: «Walk on Earth A Stranger» by Rae Carson (Greenwillow).
Short Nonfiction: «Cowboys and Capitalists: The XIT Ranch in Texas and Montana, 1885-1912» by Michael M. Miller(Montana The Magazine of Western History).
Short Fiction: «The Scalper» by Richard Prosch (Western Trail Blazer).
Song: «The Hand» by Trinity Seely and Waddie Mitchell (Bucket Bail).
Poem: «All-American Biography» by Paige Buffington (Narrative magazine).
Drama Script: «Slow West» by John Maclean (See Saw Films/Film 4/New Zealand Film Commission; A24).
Documentary Script: «Power’s War» by Dodge Billingsley and Cameron Trejo (Amistad Entertainment LLC).

2016

Best Western Historical Novel
Winner: Paradise Sky Joe R. Lansdale Mulholland Books
Finalist: The Memory Weaver: A Novel Jane Kirkpatrick Revell
Finalist: Custer Gerald Duff TCU Press
Best Western Contemporary Novel
Winner: Crazy Mountain Kiss: A Sean Stranahan Mystery Keith McCafferty Viking
Finalist: The Canyon: A Novel Stanley Crawford University of New Mexico Press
Finalist: The Darkness Rolling Win Blevins and Meredith Blevin Forge
Best Western Traditional Novel
Winner: The Last Midwife Sandra Dallas St. Martin’s Press
Finalist: The Long High Noon Loren D. Estleman Forge
Finalist: Buell: Journey to the White Clouds Wallace J. Swenson Five Star Publishing
Best Mass-Market Paperback Novel
Winner: Lords of an Empty Land Randy Denmon Pinnacle
Finalist: Frontier S.K. Salzer Pinnacle
Finalist: Frontier: Thunder at Dawn S.K. Salzer Pinnacle
Best Western Biography
Winner: Custer’s Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America T.J. Stiles Alfred A. Knopf
Finalist: The Gray Fox: George Crook and the Indian Wars Paul Magid University of Oklahoma Press
Finalist: Juan Bautista De Anza: The King’s Governor in New Mexico Carlos R. Herrera University of Oklahoma Press
Best Western Historical Nonfiction
Winner: William Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest William Heath University of Oklahoma Press
Finalist: The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey Rinker Buck Simon & Schuster
Finalist: Ladies of the Canyons: A League of Extraordinary Women and Their Adventures in the American Southwest Lesley Poling-Kempes University of Arizona Press
Best Western Contemporary Nonfiction
Winner: The Size of the Risk: Histories of Multiple Use in the Great Basin Leisl Carr Childers University of Oklahoma Press
Finalist: Unbranded Ben Masters Texas A&M University Press
Finalist: Unruly Waters: A Social and Environmental History of the Brazos River Kenna Lang Archer University of New Mexico Press
Best Western Juvenile Nonfiction
Winner: This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon Nancy Plain University of Nebraska Press
Finalist: Wild at Heart: Mustangs and the Young People Fighting to Save Them Terri Farley Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Finalist: Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and Defender of His People S.D. Nelson Abrams Books for Young Readers
Best Western Juvenile Fiction
Winner: Walk on Earth A Stranger Rae Carson Greenwillow Books
Finalist: Chili Queen: Mi Historia Marian L. Martinello TCU Press
Finalist: Rawhide Robinson Rides the Tabby Trail: The True Tale of a Wild West CATastrophe Rod Miller Five Star Publishing
Best Western Storyteller (llustrated Children’s Book)
Winner: Buckaroo Bobbie Sue JoJo Thoreau (author) Kristina Zack Young (illustrator) Little Hands Press
Finalist: Ol’ Jimmy Dollar Slim Randles (author) Jerry Montoya (illustrator) Rio Grande Books
Finalist: The Hero Twins: A Navajo-English Story of the Monster Slayers Jim Kristofic (author) Nolan Karras James (illustrator) New Mexico Press
Best Western Short Nonfiction
Winner: “Cowboys and Capitalists: The XIT Ranch in Texas and Montana, 1885-1912” Michael M. Miller Montana, The Magazine of Western History
Finalist: “Where the Pronghorns Play” Dan Flores Wild West magazine
Finalist: “Wage Work in the Sacred Circle: The Ghost Dance as Modern Religion” Louis S. Warren Western Historical Quarterly
Best Western Short Fiction Story
Winner: “The Scalper” Richard Prosch Western Trail Blazer
Finalist: “Tinsel Town” Deborah Morgan Crossroad Press Publishing
Finalist: “Tough” Miles Wilson The Georgia Review
Best Western Song
Winner: “The Hand” Trinity Seely and Waddie Mitchell Bucket Bail Press
Finalist: “Dad’s Song” Caitlyn Taussig Self Published
Finalist: “Parker Eyes of Blue” Almeda Bradshaw Bendiksen Productions
Best Western Poem
Winner: “All-American Biography” Paige Buffington Narrative magazine
Finalist: “A Trailside Boulder Story” Joel Nelson C.J. Hadley and Range magazine
Finalist: “Woe to the Land Shadowing” Red Shuttleworth Blue Horse Press
Best Western Drama Script
Winner: “Slow West” John Maclean See Saw Films/Film 4/New Zealand Film Commission; A24
Finalist: “The Revenant” Mark L. Smith and Alejandro G. Innaritu Anonymous Content/Appian Way/Regency Pictures/Rat Pac Entertainment; 20th Century-Fox
Finalist: “Bone Tomahawk” S. Craig Zahler Caliber Media; RLJ Entertainment
Best Western Documentary Script
Winner: “Power’s War” Dodge Billingsley and Cameron Trejo Amistad Entertainment LLC
Finalist: “ Murder on the Southern Pacific” Kami Horton Oregon Public Broadcasting
Finalist: “ Unbranded” Ben Masters Fin & Fur Films/Implement Productions/Cedar Creek Productions; Gravitas Ventures
Best First Novel
Winner: American Copper Shann Ray Unbridled Books
Best First Nonfiction Book
Winner: William Wells and the Struggle for the Old Northwest William Heath University of Oklahoma Press