The Center of the American West hosted the 16th annual Thompson Awards banquet on May 1. Contest winners were honored with certificates and cash prizes, and the first place winners in each category gave short readings of their work. The keynote speaker for this year's banquet was John Vernon, author of 11 novels, including the New York Times notable book, "Lucky Billy." Visit the website to read the winning entries, as well as John Vernon's "10 Commandments for Writers." Information on next year's contest will be posted in the fall.