Richard Wilbur Award

The Richard Wilbur Award is an American poetry award and publishing prize given by University of Evansville in Indiana. It is named in honor of the American poet Richard Wilbur[upper-alpha 1] and was established by William Baer, a professor at the University of Evansville. This biennial competition (awarded in even-numbered years) amongst all American poets awards publication of the winning manuscript by the University of Evansville Press and a small monetary prize.[6]

Not to be confused with Religion Communicators Council § Wilbur Awards.

Open to all American poets, except previous Wilbur Award winners, the contest is "[n]amed in honor of the distinguished American poet Richard Wilbur, and welcomes submissions of unpublished, original poetry collections (public domain or permission-secured translations may comprise up to one-third of the manuscript). ... Winning manuscripts will reflect the thoughtful humanity and careful metrical craftsmanship of Richard Wilbur's poetry." The 2019 contest is being judged by Ned Balbo.[6] The award has an entry fee of $25 per manuscript, and the prize is $1000 plus publication.[7] After the retirement of Dr. William Baer in 2015, Professor Rob Griffith became of the director of the competition.

The submissions are judged without knowing the identity of the contributors.[6]

NPR journalist Michel Martin called it a "prestigious award".[8] Journalist Julie Gunter in National Catholic Reporter considered the award to be "coveted".[9]

The annual competition is conducted by The University of Evansville, is considered "prestigious", and attracts top shelf poets as judges.[10]

Winners

Source 1998-2007:[11]

Year	Winner	Collection/Work	Ref(s)
1998	Robert Daseler	Levering Avenue	[12][13]
1999	A. E. Stallings	Archaic Smile	[14][15][16]
2000	Len Krisak	Even As We Speak	[17][18][19][20][21][22]
2001	Rhina Espaillat	Rehearsing Absence	[23][24]
2002	A. M. Juster	The Secret Language of Women	[8][25][26]
2003	Thomas Carper	Distant Blue	[27][28]
2004	Alfred Nicol	Winter Light	[29][30]
2005	Chelsea Rathburn	The Shifting Line	[31]
2006	Richard Wakefield	East of Early Winters	[9][32][33]
2007	David Stephenson	Rhythm and Blues	[34]
2008	Deborah Warren	Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit	[35]
2009	Susan McLean	The Best Disguise	[36][37]
2010	Marion Shore	Sand Castle	[38]
2011	Robert W. Crawford	The Empty Chair	[39][40]
2012	William Bell	The Picnic in the Rain	[41]
2013	Paul Lake	The Republic of Virtue	[42]
2014	Maryann Corbett	Mid Evil	[44]
2015	Midge Goldberg	Snowman's Code	[45][46]
2016	Catherine Chandler	The Frangible Hour	[47]
2017	Adam Tavel	Catafalque	[48]
2018	Ned Balbo	3 Nights of the Perseids	[49][50][51]
2019	Jehanne Dubrow	Simple Machines	[52]
2020	Aaron Poochigian	American Divine	[52]

References

Notes

1. U.S. Poet Laureate and two time Pulitzer Prize winner.[1][2][3][4][5]

Citations

1. Gordon, Jane (October 16, 2005), "The University of Verse", The New York Times, retrieved July 18, 2011
2. "Richard Wilbur, Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Winner, Dies at 96". The New York Times. October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2017.
3. Ferney, Mark (October 15, 2017). "Richard Wilbur, Pulitzer-winning poet, dies at 96". Boston Globe. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
4. Aizenman, Hannah (October 16, 2017). "Richard Wilbur in the New Yorker". The New Yorker.
5. "Richard Wilbur, Who Twice Won Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, Dies at 96". Los Angeles Times. October 16, 2017. Retrieved September 28, 2019. The U.S. poet laureate in 1987-88, Wilbur was often cited as an heir to Robert Frost and other New England writers and was the rare versifier to enjoy a following beyond the poetry community. He was regarded — not always favorably — as a leading “formalist,” a master of old-fashioned meter and language who resisted contemporary trends. Wilbur was also known for his translations, especially of Moliere, Racine and other French playwrights.
6. "THE RICHARD WILBUR AWARD: COMPLETE GUIDELINES FOR 2019 Award $1,000 Prize & Book Publication – Deadline: December 1, 2018 Final Judge: Ned Balbo" (PDF). University of Evansville. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
7. "Richard Wilbur Award". Poets & Writers. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
8. Martin, Michel (February 21, 2013). "Former Social Security Boss On The Real Problem". Tell Me More. Retrieved October 12, 2018 – via NPR.
9. Gunter, Julie (January 24, 2015). "Poet attuned to the daily miracles in life". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
10. "Creative Writing". University of Evansville. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
11. "Richard Wilbur Award". University of Evansville Press. Archived from the original on 2009-08-13.
12. Daseler 1998.
13. "Review: Levering Avenue Poems". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Associates, LP. (0-930982–51-7). 1999. Wyatt Prunty picked West Coast playwright and state library executive Daseler for this years Richard Wilbur Award: a first book of 60 sonnets that does manage to find richness and diversity within the repetition of form. ... Daselers volume builds to... its final argument: his wife's love was all, and the immediately necessary struggle is to triumph over grief. A strong debut that finds its emotional balance: sentimental but not mopey.
14. "MacArthur 'Genius' Grants Announced". AWP Writer. September 21, 2011. Retrieved October 12, 2018. A. E. Stallings, 43, is author of two collections of poetry, Hapax and Archaic Smile, winner of the Richard Wilbur Award.
15. Stallings 1999.
16. The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-century American Poetry edited by Rita Dove. Penguin books. p. 561.
17. Krisak 2000.
18. "Len Krisak". Pow Wow River Poets. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
19. Espaillat, Rhina P. (May 2001). "Featured Poet (Interviewed): Len Krisak". Able Muse. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
20. "Len Krisak to Read His Poetry on Wednesday". Mount Holyoke College. September 24, 2002. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
21. "Newburyport Literary Festival: Poetry". Archived from the original on 2014-04-14.
22. Lombardy, Anthony. "ERRORS IN THE SCRIPT by Greg Williamson; EVEN AS WE SPEAK by Len Krisak; INTERROGATIONS AT NOON by Dana Gioia". The New Formalist. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
23. Espaillat, Rhina Polonia (2001). Rehearsing Absence: Poems. Richard Wilbur Award 4. University of Evansville Press. ISBN 9780930982546.
24. Blackwood, Nicole (January 13, 2017). "Rhina Espaillat poet and translator". Mythos. Retrieved October 22, 2018.
25. Espaillat 2001. sfn error: multiple targets (3×): CITEREFEspaillat2001 (help)
26. Micah Mattix (January 9, 2016). "Verse Riddles. Review: Saint Aldhelm's Riddles". The Washington Free Beacon. Retrieved October 12, 2018. Winner of the 2002 Richard Wilbur Award for his first collection of original poems, The Secret Language of Women
27. Carper 2003.
28. Carper, Thomas; Attridge, Derek (October 17, 2003). Meter and Meaning: An Introduction to Rhythm in Poetry. New York: Routledge. p. i. ISBN 9780415311748.
29. Nicol 2004.
30. Holder, Doug (March 11, 2007). "Alfred Nicol: From Printer to Award-Winning Poet". Retrieved October 22, 2018.
31. Rathburn 2005.
32. Wakefield 2006.
33. Wilson, James Matthew. "For Craft and Country.(East of Early Winters)(Book review)". Archived from the original on 2018-10-23 – via HighBeam Research.(subscription required)
34. Stephenson 2008.
35. Warren 2008.
36. McLean 2009.
37. Pepple, Alexander; Coyle, Bill; Dobrown, Mitch (Winter 2016). "A review of poetry, prose & art". Able Muse (No. 22 - print edition)): 136. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
38. Shore 2011.
39. Crawford 2012.
40. Hartig, Jean (November 2011). "Robert Crawford won Richard Wilbur Award". Poets & Writers. 39 (6).
41. Bell 2012.
42. Lake 2013.
43. Corbett 2015.
44. Corbett, Maryann. "Maryann Corbett". Retrieved October 28, 2018.
45. Goldberg 2016.
46. Goldberg, Midge. "Midge Goldberg". Retrieved October 22, 2018.
47. Chandler 2016.
48. Tavel 2018.
49. Balbo 2018. sfn error: no target: CITEREFBalbo2018 (help)
50. Balbo, Ned. "About Ned Balbo". Retrieved October 22, 2018.
51. Balbo, Ned. "Ned Balbo Books". Retrieved October 22, 2018.
52. https://arts.columbia.edu/news/alumnus-aaron-poochigian-16-winner-2020-richard-wilbur-award

Bibliography, Richard Wilbur Series Award books in Chronological order

• Daseler, Robert (November 1, 1998). Levering Avenue Poems. Richard Wilbur Award, 1 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982509.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Stallings, Alicia Elsbeth (1999). Archaic Smile: Poems. Richard Wilbur Award, 2 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982525.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Krisak, Len (2000). Even As We Speak. Richard Wilbur Award, 3 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982533.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Espaillat, Rhina Polonia (2001). Rehearsing Absence: Poems. Richard Wilbur Award 4 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982541.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Juster, A. M. (2001). The secret language of women: poems. Richard Wilbur Award 5 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 093098255X.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Carper, Thomas (2003). Distant Blue (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 6 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 9780930982577.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Nicol, Alfred (August 2004). Winter Light (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 7 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982584.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Rathburn, Chelsea (August 2005). The shifting line: poems (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 8 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982606.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Wakefield, Richard (December 5, 2006). East of Early Winters (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 9 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982630.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Stephenson, David (January 1, 2008). Rhythm and Blues (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 10 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982657.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Warren, Deborah (December 10, 2008). Dream With Flowers and Bowl of Fruit (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 11 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982665.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• McLean, Susan (November 20, 2009). The Best Disguise (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 12 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982681.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Shore, Marion (January 1, 2011). Sand Castle (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 13 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 093098269X.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Crawford, Robert W. (March 23, 2012). The Empty Chair (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 14 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982703.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Bell, William F. (December 3, 2012). The Picnic in the Rain (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 15 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982711.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Lake, Paul (December 31, 2013). The Republic of Virtue (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 16 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982738.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Corbett, Maryann (January 1, 2015). Mid Evil (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 17 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982746.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Chandler, Catherine (2016). The Frangible Hour: Poems (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 18 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982762.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Goldberg, Midge (March 1, 2016). Snowman's Code (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 19 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982754.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Tavel, Adam (June 30, 2018). Catafalque (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 20 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 9780930982775.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Balbo, Ned (January 31, 2019). 3 Nights of the Perseids (Hardcover). Richard Wilbur Award, 21 (1st ed.). University of Evansville Press. ISBN 0930982789.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)