Catamaran Poetry Prize 2020
The winner of the 2020 Catamaran Poetry Prize is
In the Time of Great Fires by Alison Luterman
Alison Luterman
Alison Luterman lives in Oakland, California. Her books include the poetry collections Desire Zoo (Tia Chucha Press), The Largest Possible Life (Cleveland State University Press) and See How We Almost Fly (Pearl Editions) and a collection of essays, Feral City (SheBooks). Her writings have been published in The Sun, The New York Times, The Boston Phoenix, Rattle, The Brooklyn Review, Oberon, and other journals and anthologies. Alison has taught at The Writing Salon in Berkeley, Esalen Institute, and the Omega Institute, as well as at high schools, juvenile halls, and poetry festivals.
Statement on this year’s Catamaran Poetry Prize
Many thanks to all the poets who entered their work for this year’s Catamaran Poetry Prize. The pool of manuscripts was the largest we have ever received. That number alone is testimony to the incredible vitality of the poetry community on the West Coast of the United States. The poetry collections submitted were remarkably varied in their styles, projects, and subject matter. The regions that inspired the poems ranged from the Pacific Northwest to Southern California. Many highly competitive manuscripts were entered, and to honor that, we have recognized, in addition to this year's winner, four finalists and three semifinalists. Congratulations to all the poets whose excellent work is celebrated here.
The entry anonymously chosen as the winner for the 2020 Catamaran Poetry Prize is Alison Luterman’s In the Time of Great Fires. These are poems brimming with life experience and deep with heart. The poems are spoken intimately to the reader with compassion, insight, and a squinty eye that doesn’t miss the details. The poet recounts both tragedies and joys, always in the context of a wish for more kindness in the world. In the world of In the Time of Great Fires, people are flawed but worthy of love. The poet reflects on a life lived with boldness and a willingness to open to the world in all its delicious confusion. In the Time of Great Fires embraces the present moment with all its difficulties, assuring us that as we face this most fearful time, we stand with other true seekers. —Zack Rogow
About the Catamaran Poetry Prize
for West Coast Poets
The Catamaran Poetry Prize encourages the submission of previously unpublished poetry manuscripts across a range of styles, themes, and forms. This contest is for a collection of poetry only. The prize is only open to West Coast poets living in California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawaii. A prize of $1,000 and publication in book form is awarded to the poetry collection selected by the judge. Submissions accepted Nov 15th through April 20th.
Congratulations to our 2020 Finalists and Semifinalists. Each will have a poem selected for publication in the Fall 2020 issue of Catamaran.
Finalists
Break Self: Feed by Gabrielle Myers, from Sacramento, California
Instructions between Takeoff and Landing by Charles Jensen, from Los Angeles, California
The Johnson Poems Heart Attack Geological Survey by John Whalen, from Spokane, Washington
Random Universe by Carolyn Miller, from San Francisco, California
SEMIFINALISTS
Bones of Flight by Charlotte O’Brien, from Portland, Oregon
Night Surgery by Julianna McCarthy, from Los Angeles, California
The Shadow Waters by John Struloeff, from Malibu, California
About Zack Rogow:
The judge for our 2020 Catamaran poetry prize is Zack Rogow. Zack Rogow is a poet, playwright, editor, and translator. Zack has published eight collections of poetry, and is the author, editor, or translator of twenty books or plays. His most recent book of poems, Irreverent Litanies, was published in 2019 by Regal House.