After a great deal of soul searching, I must regretfully step down from chairing the Cóyotl Awards. I apologize for the awkwardness of this timing with awards season at hand. Unfortunately, until the season arrived, I didn’t realize how much the newer commitments in my life (among others, editing the furry e-zine Zooscape and a 3-book deal for a space opera trilogy) had conspired to take up every last minute of my time for the foreseeable future, extending into the next few years.
The Cóyotl Awards have survived awkward transitions before. The year when I took over, we held voting for two years worth of awards at once and hosted a double awards ceremony to cover the previous year that had been missed. So, even if this transition is rocky, it is survivable.
Thank you to the membership and officers of the Furry Writers’ Guild for the necessary roles you play in maintaining these valuable awards. Every nomination and vote that a member takes the time to cast makes a difference. Every officer plays an essential role in keeping the guild running. It has been an honor to serve among the officers of the Furry Writers’ Guild for the last six years, helping to create something as meaningful in the world as the Cóyotl Awards.
-Mary E. Lowd