Tallarita ’12 and Burnor ’14 Win Poetry Contests

Michele Tallarita ’12

ENGLISH MAJOR Michele Tallarita ’12 was named the winner of the H. MacKnight Black Poetry Competition. The contest, open to seniors, is named in honor of H. MacKnight Black, Class of 1916, who at the time of his death in 1931 was one of America’s most significant poets.

Author of All-American Poem and winner of the American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize, poet Matthew Dickman was the judge. Tallarita, who read her winning poem, “Hotel U,” was thrilled to share the stage with Dickman. “I have often imitated his style and drawn on his work for inspiration,” she says. “When I found out he had chosen my poem as the winner, I could hardly comprehend the idea that this poet I’ve looked up to for so long admired my work in return.”

Honorable mentions went to Ross Moretti ’12 and Jessica Frey ’12.

The winner of the Jean Corrie Poetry Competition, open to underclass students, was English major Elisabeth Burnor ’14. Honorable mention went to Ashli Austin ’14. The entries were judged by poet Joe Weil, who teaches creative writing at Binghamton University.

The competitions, sponsored by the English department, are part of the annual celebration of National Poetry Month.