The literary journal of Washington and Lee University, Shenandoah, is accepting entries for its second annual poetry contest, open to writers living in or born in Virginia. The winner of the Graybeal-Gowan Prize for Virginia Writers will receive five hundred dollars, publication in the magazine, and copies of a broadside of his or her poem.
The judge is National Book Award finalist Brendan Galvin, whose sixteen poetry collections include The Strength of a Named Thing (1999), Habitat: New and Selected Poems 1965-2005 (2005), and Whirl Is King: Poems From a Life List (2008), all published by Louisiana State University (LSU) Press. A review of Galvin's Ocean Effects (LSU Press, 2007) published in the Valparaiso Poetry Review describes him as being among "the ranks of poets to whom an acute understanding of the natural world—the wonders of its workings and of human interaction with it—are of first importance."
Last year's Graybeal-Gowan winner, selected by poet Betty Adcock, was University of Virginia professor Kevin Hart. He won for his poem "March," which was published in the journal's Spring/Summer 2009 issue.
Writers may submit up to three unpublished poems (two copies of each) and a brief bio that establishes eligibility by November 29. Shenandoah does not charge an entry fee for this contest.