Poetry Foundation Celebrates 30 Years of the Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships, Announces the 2019 Winners

CHICAGO, August 27, 2019— The Poetry Foundation and Poetry magazine announce the winners of the 2019 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships: Franny Choi, Jane Huffman, José Olivarez, Justin Phillip Reed, and Michael Wasson. The fellowship program, now celebrating its 30th year of uplifting the voices of young poets, has honored 89 writers since it began in 1989.

Each poet receives a $25,800 prize, making the fellowships among the largest and most prestigious awards available for young poets in the United States. The fellows will make their first joint appearance at Poetry Day on October 3 in Chicago in honor of the anniversary, and a forthcoming issue of Poetry will feature a sampling of their work.

The winners were selected from 1,573 submissions, including 2019 finalists Noah Baldino, Mia Kang, Alan Pelaez Lopez, Julian Randall, Monica Sok, and Noah Warren.

Emerging Poets, Expanding Opportunities

Ruth Lilly established the fellowship program in 1989 to annually honor one student recipient nominated by a university writing program; the program expanded to two poets in 1996, then five in 2008. Thanks to a generous gift from the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Memorial Fund in 2013, the program developed into the Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships, which are open to any U.S. poets between the ages of 21 and 31, regardless of whether or not they are affiliated with academic institutions. Each evolution of the fellowship program has furthered the “Open Door” policy that Poetry magazine founder Harriet Monroe instituted in the publication’s first volume in 1912.

“The fellowship program recognizes poets who are already creating wonderful work, and exists in order to encourage them to further their craft,” said Poetry magazine editor Don Share. “It is a pleasure to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the program with this outstanding group of poets. Educators, organizers, editors, and much more besides—all of them are as committed to making room for other poets as they are to their own writing.”

Previous recipients include luminaries in contemporary poetry such as Reginald Dwayne Betts (2012), Jos Charles (2016), Saskia Hamilton (1989), Ilya Kaminsky (2001), Kathleen Rooney (2003), and Jamila Woods (2015).

Five Exceptional Poets

The 2019 fellows include a Rhode Island State Council on the Arts Fellowship recipient, a University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop MFA recipient, an Artist & Author in Justice Award winner, a Kate Tufts Discovery Award winner, and a Native Arts & Cultures Foundation National Artist in Literature fellow.

This is the third time that Franny Choi, who cohosts the VS podcast with 2014 fellow Danez Smith, has been a finalist for the honor. Of winning, she said, “It's very moving to receive this fellowship now, at 30, five years after I was first named as a finalist. More than anything, I feel grateful to the friends and chosen kin who believed in my work on the days when I couldn't."

Jane Huffman considered her position in the literary landscape saying, “To be taken seriously as a young female writer—and by a fellowship and foundation with such a longstanding legacy in the arts—is a rare and momentous gift.” She continued, “I’m overjoyed to be recognized among such a peerless class of fellows.”

Fellow José Olivarez looks to a future full of poetry, saying, “I never imagined that I would receive one of these fellowships, so now that I have I guess I have to imagine more boldly. I know I’m going to be writing poems for the rest of my life.”

Focusing on self-reflection in the wake of the news, Justin Phillip Reed said, “It’s strange—though I’ve desired this recognition for a few years now, it means that my hardest work is ahead of me.” He continued, “I see this fellowship as an opportunity to contribute to efforts that otherwise I don’t have the finances to support.”

When asked what winning the fellowship means to him, Michael Wasson said, “As an indigenous boy from the sticks: [it means] the world, despite it still overwhelming me daily.”

The Poetry Foundation and Poetry magazine are proud to honor the 2019 Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellows, and 30 years of bold minds and brilliant poetry.

MEDIA NOTE: Photos and/or interviews with select fellows available upon request.

About the Poetry Foundation
The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine, is an independent literary organization committed to a vigorous presence for poetry in American culture. It exists to discover and celebrate the best poetry and to place it before the largest possible audience. The Poetry Foundation seeks to be a leader in shaping a receptive climate for poetry by developing new audiences, creating new avenues for delivery, and encouraging new kinds of poetry through innovative literary prizes and programs.

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Media Contacts:
Liz O’Connell-Thompson, Media Associate, eoconnellthompson@poetryfoundation.org, 312.799.8065
Sarah Whitcher, Marketing and Media Director, swhitcher@poetryfoundation.org, 312.799.8016