Kudos to SFWA member Anita Mitchell for winning the 2025 Buck Dawson Authors Award for her book, God Took My Arms but He Gave Me This Gift: The Story of Abbas Karimi, PL.

The Award is presented to the author of an aquatics- related book for which the book’s content has had a profound educational or entertaining impact on the aquatic disciplines or population in general.

Buck Dawson is the Founding Executive Director of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and established the first book store for swimming located at the ISHOF. He is the author of eight books with subjects ranging from swimming to war to volcanoes. His books include: Saga of the All-American – The 82nd Airborne in World War II, A Civil War Artist at the Front, When the Earth Explodes, Michigan Ensian, All About Dryland Exercises for Swimmers, Weissmuller to Spitz – An Era to Remember, Gold Medal Pools, We Don’t Sew Beads on Belts – A History of Camps Chikopi and Ak-o-Mak.

Anita, Congrats on winning this prestigious award.

We’re sure there’ll be many more.

A Dark Night in Gotham City

The Totally Mind-Blowing Show has had its judging status upgraded to selected by New York City’s Gothamite Film Festival.

For those of you who don’t know what a Gothamite is, I looked it up.

“A Gothamite is a native or inhabitant of New York City.” As a former Gothamite (As a lad, I lived in Astoria, Queens). I knew the word is derived from the nickname of NYC, “Gotham” (Remember Batman, the protector of Gotham City in DC Comics, the TV series and the movies. Recall the exclamations “Bam!”, “Pow!”, “Whack”, and “Zap!” Who can forget those immortal sounds of combat).

And for those of you who are counting, TTMBS has been honored by six film festivals. Here are the stats by country: India 3, Serbia 1, Italy 1, and the USA 1.

I picture Batman and Robin being quite impressed with those stats.

Then, I imagine Blake’s video team producing a comedy sketch where the Gotham Film Festival award panel sits in brown leather accent armchairs. They sit around a large, light beige oak table as if they’re working in the Wayne Manor. The actors are in full costume and makeup and dressed as the Dark Knight, his sidekick Robin, Batgirl, the Joker, the Penguin, Catwoman, and Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne’s loyal butler. They have just watched The Totally Mind-Blowing Show.

The Caped Crusader stands, pushes his dark blue “memory cloth” cape to his side, and raises his voice: “I vote that Blake Laitner’s pilot show be awarded first place in the TV Pilot Show category.” All the superheroes and supervillains jump to their feet and applaud loudly.

I smile, remembering my favorite Batman quote: ” It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.

And Batman was defined in 2024 when he became the first superhero to be given a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

Blake, my filmmaking superhero, I hope The Totally Mind-Bending Show gets a gold star from the Gothamite Film Festival.

You and your team deserve it.

Good luck.

What you have done has defined you.

Love, Dad

Well, this is pretty absurd.

“The Totally Mind-Blowing Show” was awarded an “honorable mention” at the Absurd Film Festival.

Their decision is ridiculous and unreasonable! Some might say absurd.

TTMBS deserves a more prestigious award.

Okay, this festival is based in Italy (That may explain their mistake) and it’s only in its sixth year. With more experience, their judges may learn to appreciate originality and unconventionality

So let’s see how the Absurd Film Festival presents itself.

“Reality sucks, (Yup, especially when you only get an honorable mention) let’s paint it with absurdity! (I love painting things with absurdity) Are you ready to take part? (We did.)

Are you feeling absurd enough to participate in the Absurd Film Festival? (Yup.)

Our goal is to award your originality and unconventionality with unique awards crafted just for your works.” (You didn’t.)

Okay, AFF, we’re just pulling your leg.

Thanks for the honorable mention.

Arrivederci