We are excited to announce that the winner of the 2017 Poetry Prize is Kristen Steenbeeke for her poem “Apocalypse Dream Again.” Many thanks to everyone who submitted their work and made this year’s prize possible. “Apocalypse Dream Again” will appear in our Winter 2017 issue.

2017 Poetry Prize Winner:

“Apocalypse Dream Again” by Kristen Steenbeeke

Ross Gay says about the winning piece: “What a strange, unpredictable, veering, gale-tossed, silly, grave, many-registered, yearning, rackety poem this is.  And the phrase, “the sadness of a moonpie”!  I love that.  This is one of those poems that feels like a well-caffeinated friend who knocked on the door having picked some flowers for you on the way. “

Finalists

“Stand-In for a Ghost at a Séance” by Jessica Hincapie

“kindness” by Marlin M. Jenkins

“Offering to Azazel” by Alisha Kaplan

“A Mouth with Nothing to Say” by Peter LaBerge

“Diagram of the Human Ear” by Matthew Minicucci

“Inheritance” by Kirk Schlueter

“How to Marry the Land” by Nicole Stockburger

“The Funeral” by Jessica Lynn Suchon

“A family recipe that cannot be followed written down” by Tianru Wang