Capture the essence of Erma's writings and you could win $1,000 and a free registration to the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop to be held April 4-6 at the University of Dayton. Honorable mentions will receive $100.

Learn More and Enter

The Washington-Centerville Public Library is looking for your best 450-word personal essay — either humor or human interest. Entries will be accepted from anywhere in the world. One caveat: your essay must be previously unpublished.

Registration to the University of Dayton's Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop is NOT required to enter the writing competition.

For more information or questions about the contest, please call Debe Dockins at 937-610-4429 or send an email to ddockins@wclibrary.info.

Meet the Finalist Judges

Book reviewer and columnist Vick Mickunas, who hosts one of the longest running radio shows about books in the nation, will judge the human interest category. Novelist Bill Scheft, best known as a longtime staff writer for David Letterman, will judge the humor category.

Meet Erma's Daughter

Betsy Bombeck will keynote the Erma Bombeck Writing Competition Awards ceremony at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 3, at Woodbourne Library, 6060 Far Hills Ave. in Centerville, Ohio. It's free and open to the public, but registration will be required because seating is limited.