Congratulations are in order for Mark Fiorentino, who not only won first place from the Connecticut Press Club, but also won first place in the National Federation of Press Women competition for his column, Waypoints. While Waypoints is usually a fishing-related column, it sometimes is a place to simply share a good story. This is Mark’s second time winning a national award and his column, If You Love Me Like You Love Me, was a touching tribute to Apollo, his 14-year-old dog who lost his battle to cancer.
For those who have had the pleasure of dog ownership, and all the joy that it can bring, they also know the heartache that comes with the loss of a beloved pet. Mark noted, “…with all due respect to the humans in my life, he was my best friend.” In his winning article, Mark told of the special bond that he and Apollo shared, and noted that they were “kindred spirits.” Keeping Apollo comfortable in his final days was important to the entire family, but Apollo showed he wanted to comfort his best friend too, and he maintained “that special twinkle in his eye,” reserved for Mark, right to the end.
Mark began writing articles for the Drummer soon after moving to Granby in 2009. According to Mark, “writing creatively doesn’t come naturally, but talking does.” And for Mark, it’s all about sharing stories. He credits Rita Isaacson, the Drummer’s former editor, with encouraging him to write. Over the years he has received lots of encouragement from Drummer readers who have told him that they, “don’t know anything about fishing, but love reading the stories.” Mark encourages anyone with a good story to share to consider writing for the Drummer.
If you’d like to read his winning article, it can be found here.