Vern Rutsala American Academy of Poetry Prize

The American Academy of Poets is a national nonprofit organization devoted to stimulating interest in American Poetry through fellowships and public programs. The Poetry Prize Contest is held at 177 undergraduate institutions annually. The results are also reported to the Academy and all the winners will be listed in the summer issue of the Academy’s journal, American Poet.

Winners

2024

Ashly Flores, “reciting Ginsberg in the shower”

Sage Braziel, “Pantoum for Annabell” (Honorable Mention)

2023

Ali Keiser, “On the phone with my sister (and her directory of childhood memories)”

 

2022

Sheyla Dorantes, “My Recent Search History”

Marc-Anthony Valle, “In the Dream” (Honorable Mention)

 

2021

Devin Poleyumptewa, “There is no word ‘Ahwatukee in the Crow language” (Prize Winner)

Ailish Duff, “Chicken Stewards” (Honorable Mention)

 

2020

Ben Virgin, “Cow” (Prize Winner)

Skyler Pia, “A Plaster Cast” (Honorable Mention)

Lucas Martinez, “Duerme Negrito” (Honorable Mention)

 

2019

Yumi Wilson, “Ghost, Flower, Fish” (Prize Winner)

Virginia Swenson, “In Spring” (Honorable Mention)

 

2018

Eva Gellman, “I Wish I had One Hundred Eves” (Prize Winner)

Emily Reynolds. “A Terminus” (Honorable Mention)

 

2017

Shannon Williams, “Palliative” (Prize Winner)

Vincent Singer, “With Kathryn and Helen” (Honorable Mention)

 

2016

Nathaniel Lammers, “Eighteen” (Prize Winner)

Morgan Jones, “These Blackberry Thickets”; “The Pear”; “The article is about the impression of red lozenges” (Honorable Mention)

 

2015

Kaiya Gordon, “Self Portrait (So Much Depends)”; “Checking in with Kaiya”; and “City of 10,000 Buddhas” (Prize Winner)

Annabel Carroll, “To an Icon”; “Annabel Lee”; “Not a Very Bad Mistake” (Honorable Mention)

 

2014

Talal Gedeon Achi, “Scrutiny and Resistentialism at a Supermarket in the West Hills of Portland” (Prize Winner)

Sara Balsom, “The Ash Tree Brings You a Sister” (Prize Winner)

Laura Blum, “To My Medication” (Honorable Mention)

Laura Houlberg, “Thoughts from the Pink Lake in Esperance, Australia” (Honorable Mention)

 

2013 

Malinee Smith, “Seventeen in the Sierra Nevadas” (Prize Winner)

Heather Spurling, “On a Train to Cinque Terre” (Honorable Mention)

 

2012

Molly Dickinson, “Great Blue Heron, Dance With Me” (Prize Winner)

Garrett Chavis, (Honorable Mention)

Claire Burdick, “Tops and Pots” (Honorable Mention)

 

2011

Emma Towne, “Discourse” (Prize Winner)

Sophia Diaz, “Fifteen minutes left of soccer practice and I find the viewmaster on the backseat of the car” (Prize Winner)

Kelsi Villarreal, “Finding My Prince Charming, Age 15” (Honorable Mention)

Catherine Polityllo,” Fifth Grade Teacher” (Honorable Mention)

 

2010

Patrick Phillips, “Blue Hawaii” (Prize Winner)

 

2009

Lewis George Feuer, “I’ll Start this Way” (Prize Winner)

Ben Bateman, “Putting the THE Back in Theopolis” (Honorable Mention)

Isobel Crittenden, “A Short History of Enlightenment” (Honorable Mention)

Michale Rae, “All Things You Can’t Touch” (Honorable Mention)

 

2008    

Stephanie Elliott, “What the Tattoo Artist Said” (Prize Winner)

Corey van Landingham, “Sturgeon” (Honorable Mention)

 

2007 

Caleb Seppala, “At the Far End of the Beach in Menemsha” (Prize Winner)

Crystal Willer (Honorable Mention)

Nicole O’Bryant, “Among the Plants” (Honorable Mention)

 

2006

Ryan Bruno, “Cypress Trees” (Prize Winner)

Caitlyn Tyler, “Last November, Standing Out Back With My Brother” (Prize Winner)

James Lindsay (Honorable Mention)

Rob Hopkinson, “An Elegy for Three Towns” (Honorable Mention)