March’s Featured Artist: John Randall York

John Randall York, an American artist, designer, illustrator, cartoonist, watercolorist, and musician, loves to bring the whimsical  places and creatures of imagination—and memory—to life.  Known for capturing the unseen world of fairies, witches, dragons, and spirits in lush watercolors, his popular jack-o’-lantern filled Halloween tree prints evoke both the joy and the foreboding that Ray Bradbury captured in his perennial favorite, The Halloween Tree.

To read more about York and the fantastical worlds in his illustrations, visit to our Legacy page.

Winners of 2021 Scholastic Ray Bradbury Award for Science Fiction & Fantasy announced

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers has announced the National Medalists of the 98th annual 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. For the first time, students will be recognized with the Ray Bradbury Award for Science Fiction & Fantasy.  Sponsored by the Ray Bradbury Foundation in recognition of  Bradbury’s enthusiastic  support for young artists seeking to follow their passions and improve their craft, the award provides $1,000 scholarships to six students whose entries emphasize supernatural, magical, futuristic, scientific, and technological themes.

The inaugural recipients are Samuel Franklin, New York, NY; James Lee, Northbrook, IL; Elena Luo, Flemington, NJ; Mia Naccarato, Wexford, NJ; Chinonye Omeirondi, Cypress, CA; and Sofia Schaffer, New Haven, CT.

Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards recognizes students across the United States in grades 7–12 with exceptional artistic and literary talent. Regional award winners move on to the national level where they can access opportunities to have their works evaluated, exhibited, and published. Teachers of regional winners can apply for a two week GOLDEN Educators Residency summer program. Past Scholastic Art & Writing Award recipients include Ken Burns, Kay WalkingStick, Andy Warhol, Luis Jiménez, Charles Wilbert White, Stephen King, Paul Chan, and Amanda Gorman.

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The Los Angeles Times announces finalists for the Ray Bradbury Prize

The Los Angeles Times has announced the finalists for the 2021 Ray Bradbury Prize for Science Fiction, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction, part of the 41st annual L.A. Times Book Prizes.  Last year’s inaugural Bradbury prize went to Marlon James for his  fourth book, Black Leopard, Red Wolf.

This year’s Bradbury Award finalists:

The L.A. Times Book Prizes honor the best books of the preceding year in one of the preeminent literary festivals in the United States.  Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a  reimagined awards ceremony will be held virtually on Friday, April 16.

See all L.A. Times Book Prizes Finalists