by Drew Webster, editorial assistant

Well, there’s really no other way to say it. It’s October again. There’s a chill in the evening air, knitted scarves and hats are becoming more prevalent, the aspen leaves are changing, the heady pong of pumpkin spice abounds, and to us here at the Center for Literary Publishing, it also means that The Colorado Prize for Poetry is open for submissions. Each year since 1995, the Colorado Prize for Poetry has had the distinct privilege of publishing poets such as Dean Young (Strike Anywhere, 1995), G. C. Waldrep (Goldbeater’s Skin, 2003), Endi Bogue Hartigan (One Sun Storm, 2008), and, most recently, Catherine Imbriglio and her book Intimacy (forthcoming, November 2013) and providing them with an honorarium (currently $2,000). Each year a different judge awards the prize. Dean Young’s manuscript was chosen by Charles Simic. Other judges have included Forrest Gander in 2004, Lyn Hejinian (2006), and Cole Swensen (2011). We couldn’t be happier to announce that this year’s judge is the Claudia Keelan. In 2009 Keelan judged the American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize. Needless to say, we’re excited to see what she chooses. That won’t be until May, unfortunately. There’s plenty else going on in the publishing world, though, to keep you busy in the meantime.

Speaking of Endi Bogue Hartigan, her book Pool [5 Choruses] was chosen as the winner of Omnidawn’s Open Poetry contest by none other than Cole Swensen. Keep your eyes open for that book in February. If you’re looking for something to read before then, on October 15, Subito Press will publish Renee Ashley’s Because I Am the Shore I Want to Be the Sea, which was their 2012 Open Book contest winner. Coincidentally, they also just announced the winners of their 2013 contest. Lastly, our own Dan Beachy-Quick, poetry book review editor, recently judged the Sawtooth Prize for Boise State’s Ahsahta press, selecting David Bartone’s Practice on Mountains for publication. Look for that sometime in January 2014.

For more information on the Center for Literary Publishing, including the online or mail submission guidelines for the Colorado Prize for Poetry, the Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction, the Colorado Review, or anything else you can think of, like updates from our awesome blog, head over to our website, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed.