The College of Communication and Information Sciences will present this year’s Clarence Cason Award to nationally syndicated columnist and author Rheta Grimsley Johnson March 9 at a dinner held in her honor.
Established in 1997, the Cason Award is presented annually to a person with a strong connection to the state of Alabama who exhibits excellence in nonfiction writing.
Jennifer Greer, journalism department chairwoman in the College of Communication and Information Sciences, said Johnson will speak to several journalism classes and will receive a plaque in recognition for her work.
“The Cason Award is named for the founding chairman of the department of journalism, and it honors those who carry on his tradition of bringing social issues to light through outstanding long-form non-fiction writing,” she said.
Johnson, raised in Montgomery and a graduate of Auburn University, has gained nationwide recognition for her human interest reporting in the South as a columnist for the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other regional newspapers.
Johnson’s syndicated column currently appears in over fifty newspapers nationwide. She was a finalist for the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for commentary and has received several other national awards, including the 1983 Ernie Pyle Award for human-interest writing.
“Johnson has a unique ability to see the special in what others might perceive as ordinary…Johnson, like previous Cason Award winners, has striven throughout her career to celebrate, in eloquent prose, the life she sees around her,” Greer said.
Elizabeth Anderman, a junior majoring in journalism, said nonfiction writers like Johnson are often overlooked in favor of popular fiction writers, but the nonfiction work is just as relevant to today’s society.
“It is important to honor nonfiction writers because they write about real life and everyday things, which is a really hard thing to do,” she said. “I think they are not appreciated enough because you never hear about them.
“You always hear about the fiction writers such as J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer, but you never hear about the authors of nonfiction, which makes their writing seem less important somehow.”
Owen Pierce, a junior political science major, also said that journalism is a significant literary genre.
“Journalists bring our attention to important issues that we would be unaware of otherwise,” he said. “Newspapers and magazines are often overlooked because people today don’t consider them true literature, but glimpses into the life of an ordinary American southerner can present an immortal picture of a unique lifestyle.”
In addition to her work as a columnist, Johnson has also authored several books. Her newest publication will be released in March and is an extended memoir titled “Enchanted Evening Barbie and the Second Coming.” Another book, “Poor Man’s Provence,” describes Johnson’s experiences in Henderson, Louisiana near Atchafalaya Swamp.
Tickets for the dinner honoring Johnson are $50 each. Johnson will accept her award and speak at the event, which begins with a reception at 6 p.m. at Hotel Capstone.
