 Van Ostrand is a regular contributor to the "Chicago Tribune", and her articles have appeared in the "Boston Globe", "Amarillo Globe-News", "Newsday", and other publications.In 1998, 2001, 2003, and 2004 she received Outstanding Literary Achievement awards and, in 2002, Best Article of the Year award from two English-language Mexican publications.In 2004 she was recognized as Strike Force Member of the Year by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists.