The Project
The DC Stanfa Memorial Writers' Award covers registration, travel and hotel expenses to the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop for two writers who demonstrate financial need and would benefit from the encouragement Erma Bombeck received when her University of Dayton English professor told her three magical words: “You can write!” The award is named after DC Stanfa, a writer, humorist and long-time attendee who died unexpectedly in January 2021. The fund was started with generous gifts from her husband, Tom Schonecker, and daughter, Cori Hedrick, and bolstered by additional private support from family, friends and workshop attendees.
DC (shown in the video above) *always* supported and encouraged the dreams of writers. This award is her legacy. Tom Schonecker has promised to match, dollar for dollar, every dollar raised up to $5,000 between now and Nov. 20 to help us build the endowment for the award.
Who We Are
The Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop is the only workshop in the country devoted to humor and human interest writing. Our mission is simple: to encourage and inspire writers in the same way Erma Bombeck found encouragement and inspiration at the University of Dayton. Its mantra is timeless: “You can write!”
The Impact
Previous winners have credited the award for giving them the motivation needed to pursue a longtime goal. Celeste Conner, a writer from Dothan, Alabama, received one of the inaugural awards in 2022, and earlier this year, she celebrated the publication of her first book.
In addition to the two awards, we give a select number of virtual package registrations to applicants who needed financial help.
What Your Gifts Will Do
We are building the endowment for this award so that we can continue to bring deserving writers to every workshop. All funds raised in this campaign will help to provide financial support for writers, especially underrepresented ones.
“Staying committed to your writing goals and investing in your development as a writer isn’t easy, especially when creativity doesn’t always pay the bills,” said Shannon Shelton Miller, co-director of the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop. “We’re so thankful to DC Stanfa’s family and our Erma community for their generous support in helping more writers achieve their dreams by attending the workshop.”
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