The 2012 Levis Prize from VCU announced

The Department of English andthe MFA Program in Creative Writing at Virginia Commonwealth Universityare pleased to announce that
 Radial Symmetry by Katherine Larson
has been selected as the winner of the 2012 Levis ReadingPrize for the best first or second book of poetry published in thecalendar year 2011. The award is named in memory of the late Larry Levis,the poet who taught at VCU. Larson will receive an honorarium of $2000 and will be brought to Richmond, expenses paid, for a reception and publicreading on September 20th, 2012.

Katherine Larson’s Radial Symmetry (Yale University Press, 2011)was also selected by Louise Glück as the winner of the Yale Series of YoungerPoets. Larsen’s work has appeared in AGNI, Boulevard, TheKenyon Review, The Massachusetts Review, Poetry, andPoetry Northwest, among other publications. She is the recipientof a Ruth Lilly Fellowship, the Union League Civic and Arts FoundationPoetry Prize and the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. In addition to her literarycareer, Larson has worked as a molecular biologist and field ecologist.She lives in Arizona with her husband and daughter.
This year the Prize Committee would also like to recognize the outstandingbooks of two additional finalists, Anthony Carelli for his collection Carnations(Princeton University Press, 2011) and Brian Barker for TheBlack Ocean (Southern Illinois University Press, 2011).

The Levis Reading Prize is presented on behalf of VCU's MFA in CreativeWriting Program. Sponsors include the VCU Department of English, JamesBranch Cabell Library Associates, VCU Friends of the Library, the VCU Libraries,the VCU Honors College, Barnes & Noble @ VCU, and the VCU College ofHumanities and Sciences, with primary funding provided by the family ofLarry Levis.
We would like to express our sincere thanks to all who entered and thushelped to make this annual contest such a success.

For further information aboutthe Levis Reading Prize, see http://www.has.vcu.edu/eng/resources/levis_prize/levis_prize.htm,call 804.828.1329,or contact Katelyn Kiley, Levis Fellow, at kileyk@vcu.edu

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my first reaction is - oh joy, another inexplicable book about nature all metaphored to shit. Ifit has big words (SCIENCE words) it must be good.

Nominations for Virginia Poet Laureate 2012

Congratulations to Henry Hart, Sofia Starnes, and Patsy Anne Bickerstaff,

who were selected by PSV members as finalists for Poet Laureate

of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 2012-2014.  

Samples of their poetry and biographical notes have been sent

to Governor McDonnell, who will make the final selection

for the position this summer.

Stuff Going On for Poets

Local poets! Take note!!


River City Secrets
art6, 6 E. Broad St.
June 8, 7pm
The second Friday of every month we bring you a dose of poetry & rock n roll. Talented local wordsmiths kick off the night with featured readings, and the evening progresses with an open mic where all of the poetic persuasion are welcome to share a piece or two of their own. The night wouldn't be complete without the lyrical riffs of our rockstar-in-residence. Light refreshments are served for the whole, and your $5 at the door goes to support the gallery & our ongoing events there. Come out and get heard!

Poetry & Jazz Tasting
C'est Le Vin, 15 N. 17th St.
June 14, 6pm
On Thursday, June 14, we'll be back at local gallery and wine shop C'est Le Vin to sample the best of both new and established regional poets amidst the backdrop of live jazz and enticing wines. Randy Burton & co. of Super64 will be on hand to play some sets & lend their musical talents to the verses of any wordsmith so desiring. The whole is set off by C'est le Vin's enticing wine selection, gourmet delectables & gorgeous art exhibits. We "mini-feature" a wide array of wordsmiths from all experience & publication levels, giving them each 5 minutes to present a "taste" of what they do as poets, so shoot me an email (dottoressa.joanna@hotmail.com) if you'd like to be added to the list!
Workshop & Critique
Urban Farmhouse Market & Cafe, 1217 E. Cary St.
6:30-8pm
Small group critique and workshops continue! Thanks to all who came out get their inspiration on at the UF last month. As always, all of these sessions are open to everyone, completely free and held at the Urban Farmhouse Market and Cafe in Shockoe. June dates are listed below and specific details/assignments forthcoming on Facebook.
June 11-- small group critique
June 18-- small group critique
June 25-- performance workshop (Lance Kelley)

PROSE, POETRY, PIZZA!!