EWC Instructor Honored by the Western Writers of America

April 1, 2010

TORRINGTON, WY –

And the Spur Award goes to…John Nesbitt. For the second year in the row, Nesbitt has been honored by the Western Writers of America (WWA) for his western writings. He will be recognized and receive the coveted Spur Award at the WWA Convention, June 22-26 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

According to the WWA website, the Spur Awards are given annually for distinguished writing about the American West and are among the oldest and most prestigious awards in American literature. The awards were established in 1953. Winners of the Spur Awards in previous years include Larry McMurtry for Lonesome Dove and Michael Blake for Dances With Wolves. Each year, judges pick one winner and two finalists in each category. In 2008, Nesbitt was a finalist for the award with his novel Raven Springs and won in 2009 for his novel Trouble at the Redstone.

This year Nesbitt is being honored and recognized for two works of western literature. His novel, Stranger in Thunder Basin, won the Spur Award for Best Mass-Market Paperback Original. He is also receiving a Spur Award for his short story titled “At the End of the Orchard,” which was originally published by Hardboiled Magazine. This short story takes place in a peach orchard and labor camp in California in 1964 and is part of another line of fiction that Nesbitt is working on.

“This is an honor beyond my imagination,” shared Nesbitt, “I hope that with it I can be useful to others, especially EWC students and writers in our service area.”

Nesbitt’s most recent novel was released in February of 2010 and is entitled Not a Rustler. This is a ranch story about a person being accused of rustling cattle when he didn’t do it. The character courageously rises up to defend himself and clear his name.

Recently, Mysterical-E, an electronic magazine, published a novella by Nesbitt. The story, Dead for the Last Time, began in one edition and was concluded in another. Winning awards such as the Spur awards has also provided opportunities for Nesbitt’s work to be featured in other formats. He has had novels go into large print, electronic books and audio books. He will have another novel released in October of 2010.

“John Nesbitt is an amazing and unique resource at Eastern Wyoming College. I have had students share with me that John was the reason they came to study here. John’s experienced dedication to his companion professions of writing and teaching benefit students and colleagues alike,” shared EWC President Dr. Tom Armstrong. “John’s put himself in good company; Western Writers of America can also pick winners. “

Nesbitt is currently an English and Spanish instructor at Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington, Wyoming. He has taught at the College for 29 years.