I don't normally blog from work, but I can't resist sharing this happy news. I just got a phone call from someone at the Thomas Merton Foundation in Louisville, telling me that my poem "O" was awarded honorable mention in their Poetry of the Sacred contest! The judge was Sena Jeter Naslund, whose book Ahab's Wife I just adored -- so to think that she liked my poem makes my little heart all tingly.
Apparently the poem will be posted on their website eventually, so when it is, I'll link to it. It's a poem I've always been particularly (maybe unreasonably) fond of, so I kind of feel like one of my favorite children just brought home straight A's on her report card. *grin* Sort of makes up for all those other poems that were ordered to report to the principal's office...
EDIT: They've already posted the winners on their website!
Here's the winning poem, and here are the honorable mentions.
Wow, the other poems are really good! "Pear" (one of the other honorable mentions) just made my toes curl up a bit.
17 comments:
Congrats! I adored Ahab's Wife. I read it during a really dark winter.
Congratulations to you on your honorable mention.
A more heartfelt congratulations to you on writing such a lovely, resonant poem.
The winning poem, and yours--actually all of these poems--are the kind of poems that make me glad to be a reader of poetry.
The winning poem really knocked my socks off. But then, each poem did in its own way. I can't imagine how anyone judges any of these contests and establishes which poem is positioned first, second, third.
Bravo, Anne!
You and Rebecca both recmmend Ahab's Wife then? I had a friend try to press it into my hands a few years back and I didn't take him up on his suggestion.
Ahab's Wife is brilliant, and SO ARE YOU. Congratulations and thanks for the link.
Mucho Congrats!
Thanks, all! Laurel, yes, do pick up Ahab's Wife -- it was one of those books that made me sad when it ended, because I liked spending time with those characters. I didn't think I'd like it, but someone gave it to me so I dutifully started reading it, and was absolutely drawn in.
Congratulations, Anne!
Congratulations, Anne! Before this semester, I'd never heard of Thomas Merton, but by now I've read a good bit of his work in my theology class. Though I'm not terribly spiritual myself, I was really moved by his social commentary. What a treat it must be to have your work out there in such a context!
Congratulations!!
Wonderful news! Yay!!
Anne, huge congrats. I remember seeing that contest announced, thinking it looked really good and being excited to read the winners when they were chosen. Little did I know I'd "know" one of the winners! And yes, a wonderfully talented judge in Naslund--that must feel very good. Great news.
Thanks, folks! Ginger, I actually wasn't terribly familiar with Merton until recently either. I don't consider myself at all religious, but what little I know of him is pretty intriguing -- especially, like you, the social commentary. Apparently he got in a fair amount of trouble for being against the Vietnam war.
It was indeed a lovely contest -- all the more so because there was no entry fee. :)
Anne--thank you so much for your kind words on my blog. Your poem is gorgeous; such a pleasure. It gave me chills. What a treat and honor to be featured on the same page as you! I look forward to seeing more of your work...
xo
gayle
CONGRATULATIONS!!
Gayle and Trista, thanks! :) Gayle, I will certainly be on the lookout for more of yours, as well. "Pear" just wrecks me, in a good way.
Wonderful news! many congrats!
Big congrats to you! by the way, I should be about #5 or 6 on this celebration list, but I kept getting an error message when I first read this. So, officially I'm late, but unofficially, I've been raising my glass to you for quite some time.
by the way, Gayle B had a great book called Fruitflesh which is a great book on writing poems.
Jenni & Kelli, thanks! (K, I am all in favor of providing an excuse to continue raising one's glass for an extended period. Especially if there are refills involved. *grin*)
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