We’re feeling vindicated by our decision to bring Detroit-based journalist Eleanore Catolico on board as part of a year-long New Voices Fellowship in 2022.
On Tuesday, the Society for Features Journalism announced that Catolico won second place in its annual writing competition for the category, “Inclusion and Representation in Features.” Catolico earned the award for two of her Metro Times stories: “At queer prom, a trio of Southwest Detroit teenagers cultivate belonging for LGBTQ+ youth” from July 5 and “In Detroit, a poetry workshop gives high school students freedom to be themselves” from Nov. 29.
The category includes “Coverage that centers on historically marginalized or undercovered communities through revelatory storytelling.”
In commentary, the judge heaped on praise for Catolico’s vivid long-form writing style.
“Journalists don’t have to be tremendous writers but it definitely helps in the handling and telling of someone's personal stories and experiences, and Eleanore masters both beautiful prose and intentional storytelling in both pieces,” the judge remarked. “Come on — ‘a chiaroscuro of bodies veiled by shadows?’ That’s narrative excellence, as are both entries as a whole.”
In her New Voices Fellowship application, Catolico, a former Metro Times intern, wrote about being raised by Filipino immigrant parents in a working-class suburb and how she found her voice and her desire to write long-form journalism.
Catolico’s fellowship has ended, but we’re pleased to see her vision and hard work pay off — and excited to see what else she accomplishes in the future!
