Poetry prize awarded

November 14, 2005 —

Poet Carl Phillips was awarded the Theodore Roethke Poetry Prize during a ceremony in the Rhea Miller Recital Hall Thursday, Nov. 3.

Phillips, an author of seven books of poetry, became the 10th winner of the award since its inception in 1968. The prize is given to a living American poet who authored an individual book of poems during a specific, predetermined time period. This year's period covered 2002, 2003 and 2004.

This year's prize was awarded to Phillips for his 2004 National Book Award finalist, The Rest of Love. His previous awards include the Samuel French Morse Poetry Prize, the Lambda Book Award and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Phillips has also translated Sophocles's Philoctetes and has written a book of essays, Coin of the Realm: Essays on the Life and Art of Poetry. A Harvard Graduate, Phillips currently teaches at Washington University in St. Louis.

Upon being awarded the prize, Phillips read several of his poems and afterwards headed to Groening Commons, where he answered questions and signed copies of his book. Phillips was joined in Groening by prize presenters and fellow poets Spencer Reece and David Baker, who also recited some of their work during the presentation ceremony. Earlier that day, Phillips, Baker and Reece visited Dr. Eric Gardner's English 312 class to speak to students.

In addition to reading and presenting, Baker also served as a prize judge. Baker was one of three highly recognized judges that also included Judith Kitchen and Leonard Nathan, both authors and poets.

This year's presentation was the fourth time SVSU has hosted the ceremony honoring Roethke, a Saginaw native. A University of Michigan and Arthur Hill High School graduate, Roethke won two National Book Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. At the time of his death, he had won more awards than any other American poet.