Kerasotis Wins Top Prize For Magazine Writing Excellence

By  //  August 21, 2012

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

PETER K's AWARD-WINNING FEATURE: Pat Williams always has a book in hand, although at any one moment he’s actually reading seven or eight books. He reads anytime he has a spare second, like when sitting in traffic, and finishes, on average, a book a day. (Image by Orlando Magazine's Norma Lopez Molina)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – SpaceCoastDaily.com Sports Columnist Peter Kerasotis has done it again as he was honored by the Florida Magazine Association (FMA) with a first place for writing excellence.

The Florida Magazine Association singled out “Peter K” during the FMA’s Charlie Awards Gala for his Orlando Magazine feature, “The Reader,’’ which detailed Pat Williams’ dedication to books, reading and philanthropy. Kerasotis’ first place honors was in the 20,000-50,000 circulation category.

Among the judges comments were, “Wonderful writing throughout in this tale of a lifelong lover of books. Great design, sidebars and choice of pull quotes. Makes you want to spend time in Williams’ Big Library.”

Kerasotis is among the most highly decorated feature and sports columnist in America, with awards going back all the way back to 1983. Last year he was judged the best sports columnist in America for 2011 by the Football Writers of Association of America, and was also recognized with the second best game coverage.

‘It’s An Honor To Win This Award’

Peter Kerasotis has been an award-winning sports journalist for the past 30 years.

In accepting the recognition from the FMA, Kerasotis said, “In the year since I’ve been laid off from Florida Today, it’s been validating to have won first place for column writing and second place for game story writing from the Football Writers Association of America.  And now this. A prestigious first-place award in the magazine industry for feature writing. It means a lot. It’s also special because of the subject I wrote about, Pat Williams, whom I’ve known for almost a quarter of a century now and consider a special human being. It was an honor to win this award, but a bigger honor to tell his story and to work with the good folks at Orlando Magazine.” [SEE THE WINNING STORY BELOW]

He’s Local, But He’s National

Kerasotis has been a sports writer since 1978, and has chronicled the accomplishments and achievements of many great area athletes. But he’s been around, too, working for the Dallas Times-Herald and the Los Angeles Daily News. He’s covered numerous Super Bowls, World Series, NBA Finals, National Championship Games, Final Fours, Wimbledon titles, the Masters and other major golf tournaments … the list goes on.

He’s local, but he’s national – and he’s yours to read at SpaceCoastDaily.com. Kerasotis is also the author of the book Stadium Stories, and he’s currently writing the biography for his friend, the local businessman, community leader and former coach Tom Wasdin. He also appears Friday afternoons at 12:10 p.m. on WMEL 1300-AM.

PETER KERASOTIS’ AWARD-WINNING FEATURE:

THE READER

Published: June 2011

Orlando Magazine

Pat Williams (Orlando Magazine image)

By PETER KERASOTIS

WINTER PARK, FLORIDA – Pat Williams hasn’t put a book down since he was a kid with a newspaper route, using the money he made from it to fund what became his passion—reading.

Now 71, the Orlando Magic executive has read about 7,000 books and has a home library packed with all of them, including rare first printings. In other rooms are hundreds of other tomes anxiously waiting to be read. Be patient, Williams tells them, your time will come.

The books cry to him, complain to him, cajole him, all clamoring for his attention.

“It can get noisy,” Pat Williams says, as he walks among the some 400 books spread through three rooms in his Winter Park home.

CLICK HERE To Read the full story in Orlando Magazine 

6 Comments

  1. Congratulations! Your readers have known all along that you are the best writer around…that’s why we keep following you and reading your stories. I’m glad you were recognized for the Pat Williams piece, because it reveals a side of him that, otherwise, I would not have known; the feature is crisp, concise and captures the essence of who Pat really is. Thoroughly enjoyable – I savored every word (both times I read it)!

  2. Peter,
    I’m not surprised. I knew you were someting special when I first moved to Palm Bay and started reading you in Florida Today. What was once a pretty good newspaper is now nothing but an over priced leaflet. I was irate when you were let go there, but now I know it was the best thing for you.
    Keep up the excellent writing that has become your trade mark and thanks for remembering all the readers of you columns and stories.

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