The Poetry Center Book Award has been presented annually since 1980 by The Poetry Center, San Francisco State University, to a single outstanding book of poetry published in the previous year. The award carries a cash prize and an invitation to read, along with the award judge, at The Poetry Center in San Francisco.
PLEASE NOTE: The Poetry Center Book Award, for any books published after 2022, has been discontinued until further notice (details below).
Announcement
The Poetry Center at San Francisco State University is pleased to announce the latest winning book, and award judge.
- Lynn Xu's book And Those Ashen Heaps That Cantilevered Vase of Moonlight (Wave Books, 2022) has been selected by Jacob Kahn to receive the most recent Poetry Center Book Award.
Lynn Xu and Jacob Kahn each read their work and join in conversation, Thursday May 2, 2024 at 6:00 pm Pacific (online event).
Please note
The Poetry Center Book Award, for any books published after 2022, has been discontinued until further notice. On request, we can return any 2023 books submitted. Thanks for your understanding.
Recipients
Recipients of the Poetry Center Book Award, 1980–2022 (award discontinued):
- 2022: Lynn Xu for And Those Ashen Heaps That Cantilevered Vase of Moonlight (Wave Books); Judge: Jacob Kahn
- 2021: Michael Kleber-Diggs for Worldly Things (Milkweed Editions); Judge: Cynthia Parker Ohene
- 2020: Kiki Petrosino for White Blood: a Lyric of Virginia (Sarabande Books); Judge: Tongo Eisen-Martin
- 2019: jayy dodd for The Black Condition Ft. Narcissus (Nightboat Books); Judge: Lourdes Figueroa
- 2018: Ashley Toliver for Spectra (Coffee House Press); Judge: Jason Bayani
- 2017: Bao Phi for Thousand Star Hotel (Coffee House Press); Judge: Sarah Menefee
- 2016: Lauren Levin for The Braid (Krupskaya); Judge: Melissa Mack
- 2015: Orlando White for LETTERRS (Nightboat Books); Judge: Patrick James Dunagan
- 2014: Hollie Hardy for How to Take a Bullet and Other Survival Poems (Punk Hostage); Judge: Mukta Sambrani
- 2013: Alli Warren for Here Come the Warm Jets (City Lights Books); Judge: Laura Moriarty
- 2012: Stephen Ratcliffe for Selected Days (Counterpath); Judge: anonymous
- 2011: Wanda Coleman for The World Falls Away (University of Pittsburgh Press); Judge: Brenda Coultas
- 2010: Khaled Mattawa for Toqueville (New Issues/University of Michigan); Judge: Ravi Shankar
- 2009: Joseph Stroud for Of This World: New and Selected Poems (Copper Canyon); Judge: Peter Weltner
- 2008: Barbara Guest (awarded posthumously) for The Collected Poems of Barbara Guest (ed. Hadley Haden Guest, Wesleyan University Press); Judge: Eileen Tabios
- 2007: Noah Eli Gordon for Novel Pictorial Noise (Harper Books); Judge: Sesshu Foster
- 2006: Rigoberto Gonzalez for Other Fugitives and Other Strangers (Tupelo Press); Judge: Bhanu Kapil
- 2005: Dara Wier for Reverse Rapture (Verse Press); Judge: Stephen Rodefer
- 2004: Adrienne Rich for The School Among the Ruins (W.W. Norton); Judge: Mark McMorris
- 2003: Fanny Howe for Gone (University of California Press); Judge: Larry Kearney
- 2002: Truong Tran for dust and conscience (Apogee Press); Judge: Juan Felipe Herrera
- 2001: Anselm Hollo for Notes on the Attractions and Possibilites of Existence: Selected Poems 1965-2000 (Coffee House Press); Judge: Joanne Kyger
- 2000: Kevin Davies for Comp. (Edge Books); Judge: Kevin Killian
- 1999: Cole Swensen for Try (University of Iowa Press); Judge: Elizabeth Robinson
- 1998: Elaine Equi for Voice Over (Coffee House Press); Judge: Thom Gunn
- 1997: Belle Waring for Dark Blonde (Sarabande Books); Judge: Mark Doty
- 1996: Alicia Suskin Ostriker for The Crack in Everything (University of Pittsburgh Press); Judge: Toi Derricotte
- 1995: Robert Wrigley for In the Bank of Beautiful Sins (Penguin Books); Judge: James Tate
- 1994: Jane Hirschfield for The October Palace (HarperCollins); Judge: Alison Deming
- 1993: Barbara Guest for Defensive Rapture (Sun & Moon); Judge: Ann Lauterbach
- 1992: Julia Randall for The Path to Fairview: New and Selected Poems (Louisiana State University Press); Judge: Marilyn Hacker
- 1991: C.D. Wright for String Light (University of Georgia Press); Judge: Arthur Sze
- 1990: Carol Snow for Artist and Model (Atlantic Monthly Press); Judge: Nathaniel Mackey
- 1989: Luis J. Rodriguez for Poems Across the Pavement (Tía Chucha Press) and Adrian C. Louis for Fire Water World (West End Press); Judge: Jimmy Santiago Baca
- 1988: Leslie Scalapino for way (North Point Press); Judge: Alice Notley
- 1987: Lyn Hejinian for My Life (Sun & Moon); Judge: Michael Palmer
- 1986: Yusef Komunyakaa for I Apologize for the Eyes in My Head (Wesleyan University Press); Judge: David Henderson
- 1985: Ron Silliman for Paradise (Burning Deck); Judge: C.D. Wright
- 1984: Jackson Mac Low for Bloomsday (Station Hill Press) and Diane Ward for Never Without One (Roof Books); Judge: Barrett Watten
- 1983: Larry Eigner for Water/Places/A Time (Black Sparrow Press) and Laura Moriarty for Persia (Chance Additions); Judge: Beverly Dahlen
- 1982: Stephen Rodefer for Four Lectures (The Figures) and Gloria Frym for Back to Forth (The Figures); Judge: Anselm Hollo
- 1981: Alice Notley for How Spring Comes (Toothpaste Press) and John Hildebidle for The Old Chore (Alice James Books); Judges: Kathleen Fraser and Jack Marshall
- 1980: Sharon Olds for Satan Says (University of Pittsburgh Press); Judges: Sandra Gilbert and Mark Linenthal
The Poetry Center has presented, since 2021, the annual New Voice Series — featuring a poet alum of the SF State MFA Creative Writing program, a current SF State graduate student poet in Creative Writing, and a current undergraduate student poet at SF State (any major), to each read their work and engage in conversation in a public event, as part of The Poetry Center Reading Series. The undergraduate poet is selected by Poetry Center student staff based on an open call for manuscripts. Video from readings in the New Voice Series.
Call for poetry submissions from SF State undergraduates (any major) to join The Poetry Center's in-person New Voice reading and conversation, with a poet alumnus and an SF State graduate student poet, tba. There will be a $250 prize awarded for the poet whose poems are selected by Poetry Center student staff. Submissions will be accepted starting February 1, 2024.
Deadline: March 1, 2024.
SF State undergraduate applicants
- Must not have a published book of poetry
- Submit 3 poems, 10 pages max, to poetry@sfsu.edu
- Email subject line: New Voice
- In body of email: Name, student ID number, and short bio
- Include poems in a single document attachment; do not put your name in/on the document
Announcement of poet selected will be made by April 1.
SF State undergraduate poets selected for the New Voice Series:
• 2024: Evelyn Jo
• 2023: Hilary Cruz Mejía
• 2022: Alexiz Angel Romero and Bianca White
• 2021: Carlos Osoria
The Poetry Center is pleased to sponsor The Academy of American Poets Harold P. Taylor Prize at San Francisco State University. Founded in 1955 with ten schools, the University & College Poetry Prize Program now includes more than 175 annual prizes across the country. Many prominent American poets won their first recognition with an Academy College Prize, including Toi Derricotte, Mark Doty, Tess Gallagher, Louise Gluck, Allen Grossman, Jorie Graham, Kimiko Hahn, Joy Harjo, Robert Hass, Li-Young Lee, Charles Wright, and Sylvia Plath, among others.
Guidelines
SF State students may submit to The Poetry Center up to 10 pages of poetry, constituted by any number of poems. (Example: One ten page manuscript would constitute an entire single submission.) Manuscripts must be clearly typed and legible. Manuscripts will not be returned. Names should not appear on manuscript pages. The writer's name, address, telephone number and social security number should be included in a cover letter accompanying the manuscript. The Winner will receive a $100 check from the Academy of American Poets. Results are announced in late April. Submissions will be accepted starting March 1, 2024.
Deadline: April 1, 2024.
Recipients
- 2024: No award given
- 2023: Karla Myn Khine (Honorable Mention: Alder Dvan Hurley)
- 2022: No award given
- 2021: Edward Gunawan
- 2020: Ana Cielito Fuentes (Honorable Mention: J. Arquimides)
- 2019: No award given
- 2018: Kimberly Reyes
- 2017: Sophie Eden (Honorable Mention: Nathan Truong)
- 2016: Brooke Harries
- 2015: Ryan Nash (Honorable Mention: Phillip Baron)
- 2014: No award given
- 2013: Jennifer Cheng and Jackson Meazle (shared award)
(Honorable Mention: Luke Dani Blue) - 2012: Amy McNeely (Honorable Mention: Matthew Keuter)
- 2011: Monica Regan (Honorable Mention: Susan Calvillo and Carolyn Ho)
- 2007: Tina Petrakis (Honorable Mention: Lorena Santos)
- 2006: Paul Dertien
- 2005: Zaid Shlah and Kathryn Pringle (shared award)
(Honorable Mention: Lauren Shufran and James Brook) - 2004: Elise Ficarra
- 2003: Brandon Brown
- 2002: Megan Pruiett
The Piri Thomas Poetry Prize was initiated in 2009 by Friends and Family of Piri Thomas (September 30, 1928 – October 17, 2011), and is given annually by The Poetry Center to an undergraduate student enrolled at SF State in creative writing. The prize is administered by the Academy of American Poets.
Piri Thomas's autobiography, Down These Mean Streets, was published in 1967 to wide acclaim, and chronicled his early life on the rough streets of El Barrio in Spanish Harlem, New York City. He worked for many years as an educator and advocate for young writers and readers, with a PBS film produced in 2003, titled Every Child is Born a Poet. A stellar recording for American Clavé shares the same title, and features the poet in performance with an outstanding array of artists from the jazz and Latin music world.
The Piri Thomas Poetry Prize carries a $100 cash reward. Candidates for the prize are nominated by SF State faculty.
Recent Winner
Jess Carranza Montoya was chosen to receive the Piri Thomas Poetry Prize for 2024.
Recipients
- 2024: Jess Carranza Montoya
- 2023: No award given
- 2022: Albert Lee Feaster
- 2021: No award given
- 2020: Adaku Nneka Okeke
- 2019: No award given
- 2018: Brittany Nguyen
- 2017: DeMareon Gipson
- 2016: Vanessa Hamill
- 2015: Joshua Gill-Sutton
- 2014: Branden Balenzuela
- 2013: Jenna Littlejohn
- 2012: Eliza Dzulkafli
- 2011: Jillian Claire Graves
- 2010: Robert Ellis Lee
The dramatic monologue as evolved by Robert Browning is a poem written in the first person singular in which the speaker expresses his or her own character (as well as the character of a person spoken about in the poem) through a discourse with a silent listener, who may or may not be the subject of the poem.
Other interesting features of a dramatic monologue include: 1) The reader takes the part of the silent listener. 2) The speaker uses a case-making, argumentative tone. 3) We complete the dramatic scene from within, by means of inference and imagination. While the heart of the form relies on a first-person speaker, note that previous winners have taken some artistic liberties.
See the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics for a fuller description of the dramatic monologue. Students are encouraged to read Robert Browning's My Last Duchess, Porphyria's Lover, or The Laboratory to become familiar with the dramatic monologue form.
Guidelines
- Open to SF State Creative Writing students.
- All entries must be original, unpublished dramatic monologues.
- Any SF State Creative Writing student may submit up to 3 poems of not more than 5 pages each.
- Attach a cover letter to your manuscript with your name, address, phone number and social security number.
- The poems will be judged anonymously, so please do not put your name on the poems!
- Use a separate cover sheet for each entry. All entries must be original, unpublished DRAMATIC MONOLOGUES.
- Submit by hand an original and 2 copies of your work (that's 3 copies total) to: THE POETRY CENTER, HUM 511
- Or by mail (receipt date November 1): The Poetry Center, Browning Award, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco CA 94132
- No email submissions.
- Poets retain full rights to their work, but manuscripts will NOT be returned.
- All winners will be invited to attend the Spring meeting of the Browning Society, usually the second Friday in March. Winners will be announced by mid-February.
Prizes
- First Place $300.00
- Second Place $200.00
- Third Place $100.00
- Three Honorable Mentions $50.00 each
The Poetry Center's Audre Lorde Creative Writing Award was revived in 2020, having been originally initiated by then director Jewelle Gomez during the late 1990s. The Audre Lorde Award was presented in September 2020, in recognition of an original, outstanding work of poetry (hybrid work welcome) by a continuing SF State student, that in its artistry expresses a social conscience.
Recipients
- 2020: Elizabeth Rosas (Honorable Mention: Samantha Constantino Baker, Lillian Giles, Bradley Penner)
The Frances Jaffer Poetry Prize was initiated in 1999 in memory of the late poet Frances Jaffer and was given annually to an undergraduate student in Creative Writing at SF State on the basis of the student’s outstanding innovative work.
Note: funds for the prize were exhausted in 2017, and the award has been discontinued until further notice.
Ms. Jaffer was prominent as a poet and editor in the Bay Area literary community, and was influential particularly on a younger generation of women writers. Author of two books of poetry, She Talks to Herself in the Language of An Educated Woman (Kelsey St. Press, 1981) and Alternate Endings (HOW(ever), 1985), Frances Jaffer was a founding coeditor of HOW(ever), the San Francisco-based literary journal devoted to exploring historical and contemporary innovative writing by women. A volume of the poetry of Frances Jaffer is being prepared for publication, edited by Kathleen Fraser and Rob Halpern.
The Frances Jaffer Poetry Prize was funded through donations from friends of Frances Jaffer, and carried a cash prize. Candidates for the Jaffer Prize were nominated by SF State faculty.
Recipients
(This award has been discontinued)
- 2017: Chiara Maria Phillips
- 2016: Phillip Chavez
- 2015: Nicole McKeon
- 2014: Denise Massingill
- 2013: Chelsea Turowsky
- 2012: Marissa Carter
- 2011: Benjamin Lopez
- 2010: Alexander West
- 2009: Nicole Escobar
- 2008: Diana Ybarra
- 2007: Leslie Patron
- 2006: Christopher Girard
- 2005: Jose Antonio Villarán
- 2004: Unju Chi
- 2003: Hongyu Min
- 2002: John Sakkis
- 2001: Mary DeNardo
- 2000: Cynthia Sailers