Two Poets tie at the Julie Suk Contest for Best Poetry Book 2015

We have a tie this year for the winner of the Julie Suk Contest for best poetry book published by an independent press.

Noel Crook, Salt Moon, Southern Illinois University Press
Rickey Laurentiis, Boy with Thorn, University of Pittsburgh Press

Final judge Julie Suk says –
There are times language springs out of poems so strong
and perfectly attuned to subject it knocks us to our knees.
So it goes with Noel Crook‘s astonishing first book, Salt Moon.
Deep tenderness and love compete with the “crush of small
bones” in “a world that could take you in an instant.”
Buzzards wheel, crows on the lawn “bark a raucous code,” and
a “fisted black widow” appears in the sandbox. 

Relishing these images, the reader is compelled to return again
and again to her work.

And there, equally sinuous and authentic, are the poems in
Boy With Thorn by Rickey Laurentiis. His is a brutal world,
yet the rich, emotive language is ever in control.  Who else
has written so eloquently of a lynching as he does in the chilling
poem, “Of Leaves That Have Fallen”?

There is a wild elegance ever present in these wanton
yet deeply intimate poems. One does not question the awards
he has received.

Please buy these two books.  Buy all 5 finalists.  Buy all 16 on the long list.
You won’t regret it.

The 5 finalists are –

Abdul Ali, Trouble Sleeping, New Issues Press
Tara Bray, Small Mothers of Fright, LSU Press
Nickole Brown, Fanny Says, Boa Editions Ltd
Noel Crook, Salt Moon, Southern Illinois University Press
Rickey Laurentiis, Boy with Thorn, University of Pittsburgh Press

Congratulations to these 16 poets who made the long list of finalists for the Julie Suk Award for the best book of poetry published by an independent or university press in 2015.

It was difficult to narrow it to 16, there were so many good books published. Special thanks to my two women readers for their thoughtful deliberations and careful reading of all submissions. They shall remain anonymous, although I will say both are published poets.

Now for the difficult task of narrowing this list down to 4 or 5 for final judging. I would recommend these books without hesitation to all readers.

Abdul Ali, Trouble Sleeping, New Issues Press
Tara Bray, Small Mothers of Fright, LSU Press
Nickole Brown, Fanny Says, Boa Editions Ltd
Laura Bylenok, Warp, Truman State University Press
Noel Crook, Salt Moon, Southern Illinois University Press
Gregory Donovan, Torn from the Sun, Red Hen Press
Veronica Golos, Rootwork, Three: A Taos Press
John Hoppenthaler, Domestic Garden, Carnegie Mellon University Press
Jessica Jacobs, Pelvis with Distance,White Pine Press
Kirun Kapur, Visiting Indira Gandhi’s Palmist, Elixir Press
Rickey Laurentiis, Boy with Thorn, University of Pittsburgh Press
Angie Macri, Underwater Panther, Southeast Missouri State University Press
Nate Marshalll, Wild Hundreds, University of Pittsburgh Press
Kathleen McGookeyy, Stay, Press 53
Catriona O’Reilly, Geis, Wake Forest University Press
Marci Vogel, At the Border of Wilshire & Nobody, Howling Bird Press

2014 Julie Suk Award Winner

In our first 2 years, finalists have been published by presses in the U.S., Ireland, and Canada.

The 2014 winner –
David Roderick – The Americans – University of Pittsburgh Press

Runner ups –
Kelli Russell Agodon – Hourglass Museum – White Pine Press
Zeina Hashem Beck – To Live in Autumn – The Backwaters Press
Chloe Honum– The Tulip-Flame – Cleveland State University Press
Garth Martens – Prologue for the Age of Consequence – Anansi 
Susan Rich – Cloud Pharmacy – White Pine Press

Culled from http://www.jacarpress.com/readers/