Nimrod Literary Awards

The editors of Nimrod International Journal are delighted to announce the winners, honorable mentions, finalists, and semi-finalists of the 44th Nimrod Literary Awards.

The Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction

First Prize: Treena Thibodeau, NY, “My Mother Says Our House Is Haunted”
Second Prize: Ellen Rhudy, OH, “You Women in the Mountains”

Honorable Mention
James Janko, NM, “The Wire-Walker”

Finalist
Marguerite Alley, NC, “Water Diviners”

Semi-Finalists
Amber Blaeser-Wardzala, AZ, “Deer Women”
Amber Fenik, Canada, “Dollhouse”
Summer Hammond, NC, “The Dangers of Dishwater”
Daniel Reiss, TN, “What’s of the Soul Is Not Forgotten”
Megan Staffel, NY, “Last Days of the Matriarch”

 

The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

First Prize: Lory Bedikian, CA, “Ode to Their Leaving” and other poems
Second Prize: Angela Kirby, NC, “Pareidolia 175: Requiem | Rest”

Honorable Mentions
Janée J. Baugher, WA, “Andrew Wyeth’s Footnotes to Self-Portrait, 1938” and other poems
Teresa Scollon, MI, “Asthma Attack” and other poems
Kyoko Uchida. NY, ““Hiroshima, 7:21 AM” and other poems

Finalists
Laura Apol, MI, “Afterlife” and other poems
Joanna Currey, VA, “Coming Out Vigil” and other poems
Emily Kingery, IA, “Snapdragons” and other poems
A.D. Lauren-Abunassar, NY, “Supplies for a Quick Migration” and other poems
Julia McDaniel, MI, “A Charted Territory”
Greg Nicholl, MA, “Sage” and other poems
Catherine Stearns, MA, “Desiderium” and other poems

Semi-Finalists
M. Soledad Caballero, PA, “The Mirage”
Anne Casey, Australia, “Season of Samhain”
Lauren Coggins, SC, “Reminders”
Donte Collins, MN, “Ombrophobia”
Jonathan Fink, FL, “Leonardo’s Mistake”
Jana-Lee Germaine, MA, “Distance”
Mara Lee Grayson, CA, “May We All Emerge One Day as Butterflies in Poems.”
Andrew Hemmert, CO, “Like the Points of Compass Needle” and other poems
Anna Claire Hodge, FL, “Sephora During the Cancer Scare”
Justin Hunt, NC, “At the Missouri Pacific Depot, where, in 1931, You Holed up for Three Days and Drank”
Leah Claire Kaminski, IL, “Red” and other poems
Susan Landgraf, WA, “Bindweed”
Rosa Lane, CA, “Dear Master (No. 7)”
Wen Lim, UK, “2006, the Year Mom Learnt to Bake Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Bread”
Jessica Pierce, OR, “I want to speak all of the springtime”
Ivy Raff, MI, “You Learned to Wait”
Susan Rich, WA, “The Blind Ones”
Anna Scotti, CA, “Kanawha Street”
Darius Simpson, CA, “Lessons Learned on a Slow Drive East”
Kelly Grace Thomas, CA, “Female Lobsters Grow More Fertile with Age”
Hannah Whiteman, FL, “The Law of Conservation of Energy Says Not a Bit of You Is Gone”
Amelia L. Williams, VA, “Beautiful Death” and other poems
Melody Wilson, OR, “Tightrope”

Nimrod extends deep appreciation to all who submitted. Selecting the poetry and fiction finalists was a task that dominated the lives of Nimrod’s editors all spring. They approached their mission with dedication and discretion, reading and rereading the final group, comparing notes, and speaking for favorites. The finalists’ manuscripts were sent to the judges for 2022. Toni Jensen served as fiction judge, and Kaveh Bassiri served as poetry judge. They chose the winners and honorable mentions from the finalist groups.

The 45th Nimrod Literary Awards competition begins January 1, 2023; the deadline is April 1st, 2023. We welcome your submissions, knowing that each year brings new discoveries, often from those who have submitted to the competition before.

All entrants not previously contacted by Nimrod about their work may consider their work released at this time.

The editors of Nimrod International Journal are delighted to announce the winners, honorable mentions, finalists, and semi-finalists of the 43rd Nimrod Literary Awards.

The Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction

First Prize: Celine Aenlle-Rocha, NY, “White Black People”
Second Prize: Paula Closson Buck, PA, “The Inventories”

Honorable Mentions
Rachel Furey, CT, “A Dolphin in Pain”
Rachel Reeher, AZ, “God Is In Your Body”

Finalists
Jennifer Blackman, NY, “Wife Of; or, What Does It Mean to Be Haunted?”
Teresa Milbrodt, VA, “The Southern Part of the State”
Edvin Subašić, ID, “Thug”

Semi-Finalists
Alexa T. Dodd, TX, “Mother’s Milk”
Peter Kazon, DC, “Productive Aging”
Lisa Leyenda, OH, “The Healing Properties of Green Chile Tamales”

The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

First Prize: Emily Rose Cole, OH, “Spell for Patience” and other poems
Second Prize: Julie Marie Wade, FL, “Now”

Honorable Mentions
Laura Apol, MI, “Vanishing Point” and other poems
Francesca Bell, CA, “Like a Friend” and other poems
Angela Sucich, WA, “Everything I Love I Want to Consume” and other poems

Finalists
Dan Albergotti, SC, “Inscription in the Wake”
Harley Anastasia Chapman, IL, “The Shape of Animal” and other poems
Caroline Earleywine, AR, “When I Think of Parenthood” and other poems
Christina Hutchins, CA, “String Theory” and other poems
Anthony Thomas Lombardi, NY, “Ruinenlust”
John McCarthy, IL, “The Little Egypt Dive Bar Elegy”
Carolyn Oliver, MA, “Night Ocean” and other poems
Jessica Pierce, OR, “Some comfort” and other poems
Richard Robbins, MN, “The Oratory of All Souls”
Adrie Rose, MA, “Separation” and other poems
Mara Adamitz Scrupe, VA, “Jump” and other poems
Kyoko Uchida, NY, “And Love” and other poems
Connor Yeck, OH, “Hold For Release Till End of the World Confirmed” and other poems

Semi-Finalists
Danielle Badra, VA, “The Phillips Collection”
John Blair, TX, “Eclogue 18: The House That’s Not the End of the World” and other poems
Sunu P. Chandy, DC, “Practice raking leaves or sweeping to remind oneself of the feeling of engaging in work that knows no end.”
Gail Entrekin, CA, “Wind” and other poems
Sally Lipton Derringer, NY, “Target”
Rachel Edelman, WA, “No matter, my treads are lined with Kevlar.”
Sandra Fees, PA, “On the Consolatory Pleasure of Jigsaws When the World Is in Bits”
Corrinne Clegg Hales, CA, “Silent Stroke”
Siew David Hii, AL, “help—my brother is a fascist”
Kathleen Holliday, “In a Monastery Garden”
Kate Kingston, CO, “Whiteout” and other poems
Zack Lesmeister, WI, “Birds of Prey” and other poems
Liz Marlow, TN, “Thunderstorm” and other poems
Amy Miller, OR, “Linda Vista” and other poems
William Snyder, MN, “Mas at Saintes Maries De La Mer”
Cynthia White, CA, “Tongue” and other poems

Nimrod extends deep appreciation to all who submitted. Selecting the poetry and fiction finalists was a task that dominated the lives of Nimrod’s editors all spring. They approached their mission with dedication and discretion, reading and rereading the final group, comparing notes, and speaking for favorites. The finalists’ manuscripts were sent to the judges for 2021. Rilla Askewserved as fiction judge, and Geffrey Davis served as poetry judge. They chose the winners and honorable mentions from the finalist groups.

The editors of Nimrod International Journal are delighted to announce the winners, honorable mentions, finalists, and semi-finalists of the 42nd Nimrod Literary Awards.

Nimrod Literary Awards: The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

FIRST PRIZE: Rebecca Foust, CA, “Blackout” and other poems
SECOND PRIZE: Janine Certo, MI, “Home Altar in the Year of a Pandemic” and other poems

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
A.D. Lauren-Abunassar, PA, “Victim Impact Statement” and other poems
Richard Michelson, MA, “A Horse-Cure” and other poems

Nimrod Literary Awards: The Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction

FIRST PRIZE: Mohit Manohar, DC, “This Has Not Been Enough”
SECOND PRIZE: Gage Saylor, OK, “Jailbird”

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Carol Dines, MN, “Grace’s Mask”
Hayley Lynch, KY, “The Tremendous Machine”
Grace Newman, NY, “Initial Consultations”

Nimrod extends deep appreciation to all who submitted and would like to congratulate all winners, honorable mentions, finalists, and semi-finalists. Selecting the poetry and fiction finalists was a task that dominated the lives of Nimrod’s editors all spring. They approached their mission with dedication and discretion, reading and rereading the final group, comparing notes, and speaking for favorites. The finalists’ manuscripts, without cover letters or names, were sent to the judges for 2020. Kaveh Akbar served as poetry judge, and Joy Castro served as fiction judge. They chose the winners and honorable mentions from the finalist groups.

All entrants not previously contacted by Nimrod about their work may consider their work released at this time.

Fiction Finalists
Jean Ferruzola, WA, “Burn Brightly and Rise”
Jessi Phillips, MI, “Anything You Ask Me To”

Fiction Semi-Finalists
Kristyn Childres, IN, “The Northeast Kingdom”
Alice Hatcher, AZ, “Caesura”
Sasha Hom, CA, “Always, Peanut”
Alex Hughes, OK, “Crown”
Grace Spulak, NM, “More Than Bright”
Nicole VanderLinden, IA, “Fiddler”

Poetry Finalists
Jubi Arriola-Headley, FL, “Peacocking” and other poems
John Blair, TX, “Seeking Dr. Einstein” and other poems
Chuck Carlise, MI, “Solana” and other poems
Jehanne Dubrow, TX, “Metamorphoses”
Benjamin Gucciardi, CA, “I Ask My Sister’s Ghost to Write Her Own Elegy” and other poems
Youssef Helmi, FL, “Scarf” and other poems
Caroline Mei-Len Mar, CA, “Dream of the Lake” and other poems
Jessica Pierce, OR, “We all have our work to do” and other poems
Sean Reynolds, IL, “The Year My Voice Began to Crack” and other poems
Frances Richey, NY, “Bloody Mingo County” and other poems
Darius Simpson, CA, “Yea I Did It” and other poems
Alice Templeton, CA, “Youth Sermon” and other poems
Theresa Q. Tran, OR, “Mercy” and other poems
Jeanne Wagner, CA, “Speaking in Tongues” and other poems
James Wyshynski, GA, “Counting Out the Cost” and other poems

Poetry Semi-Finalists
Yasmine Ameli, MA, “History Lesson” and other poems
Yvonne Amey, FL, “Bad Brains, a Woke Mosh Pit, and a D.C. Haiku” and other poems
Shannon Austin, MD, “Dollhood”
Diane Beck, CO, “History of Winter” and other poems
Imani Cezanne, CA, “No Crowns Allowed Through TSA” and other poems
Lauren Coggins, SC, “Eating Light” and other poems
Marsha Truman Cooper, CA, “The Rapture of Bees” and other poems
Marissa Davis, NY, “When the Blood Came” and other poems
Tyler Dunston, NY, “8 lines in the Grace Church garden” and other poems
Bernard Ferguson, FL, “juxtaposition with death” and other poems
Jana-Lee Germaine, MA, “Learning Curve” and other poems
W.J. Herbert, NY, “The Latin Lesson” and other poems
Anthony Immergluck, WI, “Madre Matryoshka” and other poems
Karen Kovacik, IN, “Farsickness” and other poems
Susan Landgraf, WA, “Out of the Roase Garden” and other poems
Kathleen Michael, VA, “Cowbird” and other poems
Amy Miller, OR, “The Church of the Hair Salon” and other poems
Oak Morse, TX, “Sashay” and other poems
Gail Newman, CA, “Two Men Talking” and other poems
Wendy Scott, PA, “Two Body Problem” and other poems
Emily Van Kley, WA, “Affidavit for Self-Care & Other Questionable Ephemera” and other poems
John Walser, WI, “Give yourself over to the trees, to the sun” and other poems
Amie Whittemore, TN, “First Self-Portrait with the Artist” and other poems

The editors of Nimrod International Journal are delighted to announce the winners, honorable mentions, finalists, and semi-finalists of the 41^stNimrod Literary Awards.

Nimrod Literary Awards: The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

FIRST PRIZE: Robert Thomas, CA, “Negligee and Hatchet: A Sonnet Crown”

SECOND PRIZE: Matt Miller, NH, “The Adorned Fathomless Dark Creation” and other poems

HONORABLE MENTION: Pianta, CA, “Uchinanchu” and other poems

Nimrod Literary Awards: The Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction

FIRST PRIZE: Jonathan Wei, TX, “Capybara”

SECOND PRIZE: John Tait, TX, “This Might Hurt Some”

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Elinam Agbo, MI, “Schools of Longing”

C.C. Lewis, NC, “Tapeta Lucida”

Elsa Nekola, WI, “Meat Raffle”

Finalists Fiction 2019

Andrew Mangan, NY, “The Pioneer Spirit”

Kathleen McNamara, AZ, “Pyrosome”

Semi-Finalists Fiction 2019

JJ Byars, NY, “The Sifter”

Leslie Campbell, CA, “Overture”

Jennifer Chianese, PA, “The Crazy Ones”

Celine Fitzpatrick, IL, “Crossing the Swamp”

Linnie Greene, NJ, “What Was Left Was Ours”

Brenda Liebling-Goldberg, TX, “Edelweiss”

Grace Newman, NY, “Kontan, Always”

Maureen McGranaghan, PA, “The Heart Flashes”

Reena Shah, NY, “Bears”

Rachel Talbot, NY, “Lucuma”

Finalists Poetry 2019

Lauren Abunassar, PA, “Cryptid Poem” and other poems

Laura Apol, MI, “But Winter” and other poems

Pam Bernard, NH, “Turtle” and other poems

Hannah Dow, CA, “Realizations While Staying in Other People’s Apartments” and other poems

Christina Hutchins, CA, “Sleeping with the Melvini Sisters” and other poems

Ae Hee Lee, WI, “Inside a Mogyoktang in Chicago” and other poems

Joel Peckham, WV, “Locomotive of the Lord”

Osel Plante, FL, “When the Mississippi Speaks with its Wet, Pretty Mouth” and other poems

Faith Shearin, MA, “Mittens” and other poems

Semi-Finalists Poetry 2019

Roy Bentley, OH, “The Fighting Lady” and other poems

Eleanor Berry, OR, “Not Burning the Chrsitmas Greens” and other poems

Janine Certo, MI, “Diagram of the Four Chambers of the Heart”

Lauren Coggins, SC, “Precedent” and other poems

Lisa Compo, MD, “Elegy Prelude”

Catherine Freeling, “The Glove”

Matthew Gellman, NY, “Not Music” and other poems

Amanda Gomez, VA, “Autopsy of My Mother”

Kathryn Haemmerle, CA, “Aubade Ending With a View of a River” and other poems

Karen Harryman, CA, “Southern Funeral with Hairbrush”

W.J. Herbert, NY, “Northern Cardinal” and other poems

Catherine Hodges, CA, “Late Afternoon Meditation on an Open Egg Carton”

George Looney, PA, “A Falling Piano is a Classic”

Anne McDonnell, NJ, “Ash and Metal”

Gail Newman, CA, “Blood Memory”

Adam Penna, NY, “The Love Poems That Are Now”

Peter H. Michaels, MD, “Our First Love”

Jo Pitkin, NY, “Village: Bag of Babkas”

Michele Randall, FL, “Tea Hot Tea Iced” and other poems

C.C. Reid, DC, “Indelible”

Mary Rummel, MN, “Illuminator Dreams”

Tori Sharpe, AR, “The Move” and other poems

Jeremy Voigt, WA, “Lunar Eclipse”

The editors of Nimrod International Journal are delighted to announce the winners, honorable mentions, finalists, and semi-finalists of the 40th Nimrod Literary Awards.

Nimrod Literary Awards: The Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry

FIRST PRIZE: Emma DePanise, MD, “Dry Season” and other poems

SECOND PRIZE: Megan Merchant, AZ, “Marrow” and other poems

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Anna Scotti, CA, “When I could still be seen” and other poems

Jeanne Wagner, CA, “Dogs That Look Like Wolves” and other poems

Josephine Yu, FL, “Women Grieving” and other poems

Nimrod Literary Awards: The Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction

FIRST PRIZE: Sharon Solwitz, IL, “Tremblement”

SECOND PRIZE: Ellen Rhudy, PA, “Would You Know Me”

HONORABLE MENTION:

Liz Ziemska, CA, “Hunt Relic”

Nimrod extends deep appreciation to all who submitted. Selecting the poetry and

fiction finalists was a task that dominated the lives of Nimrod’s editors all spring.

They approached their mission with dedication and discretion, reading and

rereading the final group, comparing notes, and speaking for favorites. The

finalists’ manuscripts, without cover letters or names, were sent to the judges for

2018. Patricia Smith served as poetry judge, and Rilla Askew served as

fiction judge. They chose the winners and honorable mentions from the finalist

groups.

Finalists Fiction 2018

Ellen Furman, CA, “Things”

Mimi Lok, CA, “Last of Her Name”

Reena Shah, NY, “The Jains’ Annual Beach House Picnic”

Amy Shearn, NY, “Some Fun”

Semi-Finalists Fiction 2018

April Alvarez, TN, “Tatau”

Judith Dancoff, CA, “Roman Glass”

Richard Hermes, TN, “Here, Where We Can Be Honest”

Alex Hughes, OK, “Dutzow”

Sandra Hunter, CA, “Meanwhile The Forests Continue To Die”

Aaron Landsman, NY, “Love Story”

Kristie Letter, CO, “Göttingen Seven”

Karin Lin-Greenberg, NY, “A Small Enemy”

Elizabeth Moller, NY, “Alice’s Tea Cup”

Barbara Morrison, VT, “Nebula”

S. Gale Pace, WA, “Jenny – My Life As Subject Matter”

Darryl Pebbles, IN, “Apotheosis”

Ann Russell, MA, “Conversational French”

Jessica Tumio, CT, “Don’t Look Up”

Namrata Verghese, TX, “God’s Intern”

Kirk Wilson, TX, “The Meteor”

Finalists Poetry 2018

Caroline Berblinger, OK, “Interviewing My Grandfather” and other poems

Ayokunle Falomo, TX, “The World’s Loudest Sound”

Matty Layne Glasgow, TX, “Plumage” and other poems

Darrel Alejandro Holnes, NY, “The land is made a stepmother” and other poems

J. Bailey Hutchinson, AR, “Became My Body, Too”

Chrissy Kolaya, MN, “The House Sitters”

Matthew MacFarland, VA, “Singing Saw” and other poems

Susan Nguyen, AZ, “Beast Angel” and other poems

Liz Rees, MD, “Elegy for Good Health” and other poems

Semi-Finalists Poetry 2018

Cynthia Amoah, NY, “Handrails”

Roger Camp, CA, “Ascension”

Don Colburn, OR, “Ginkgo on 19th” and other poems

Caroline Earleywine, AR, “Lipstick” and other poems

Mel Elberger, NJ, “Recipe”

Melanie Figg, MD, “Psyche’s History of Houses”

Rebecca Foust, CA, “Spring Is”

Katherine Gaffney, IL, “With Ghost”

Benjamin Garcia, NY, “Gay Epithalamium”

Emily Harman, WA, “Cairn”

W.J. Herbert, NY, “The Smell of Almost Rain”

Don Hogle, NY, “Mother”

Luke J. Johnson, CA, “Song of the Stillborn”

Susan Landgraf, WA, “What’s Left”

Freesia McKee, FL, “Peeling an Orange”

Ryan Meyer, NY, “Estuary” and other poems

Kelly Michels, NC, “What I mean when I say he went peacefully”

Adela Najarro, CA, “Chantico Swings”

Lee Sharkey, ME, “To Look Out Is to See; to Look In, to Turn Wholly White”

Mark Smith-Soto, NC, “Let It Spill”

Christie Towers, MA, “Sugar Water in Winter”

Cornelia Veenendaal, NH, “Rehearsal”

Namrata Verghese, TX, “Kathakali”

John Walser, WI, “Heaven” and other poems

Michael Warr, CA, “What Not To Do . . .( an unfinished poem after Michael Harriot at The Root)”

Arne Weingart, IL, “The Painting of the Barn without the Barn”