Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

10/04/2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES-Northwestern State University Assistant Professor of English Dr. Julie Kane has been named a winner of the National Poetry Series Open Competition. Kane is one of five winners of the award. More than 1,300 poets submitted entries.

Kane was selected for the honor by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Maxine Kumin. The winning manuscript by Kane, "Rhythm & Booze," will be published by the University of Illinois Press.

Receiving the award was emotional for Kane.

"When I found out, I cried. I got choked up," she said. "It was my dream since college to be nationally recognized as a poet. I have a good regional reputation and have appeared in some national journals and anthologies. This is a step to the next level I thought would not happen. I had resigned myself to write because I have to write and that I would be remembered as a Louisiana poet."

"Rhythm & Booze" is set in Louisiana. The book has four sections focusing on New Orleans, Baton Rouge, St. Gabriel and Natchitoches.

"It is about the process of growing up and maturing," said Kane. "It is about growing up in an Irish family that has been hurt a lot by alcoholism."

Kane says the section on New Orleans has images of the glittery nightclub life the city is known for. The book also contains poetry about Everette Maddox, a poet who died tragically because of alcoholism.

"He went from someone who was well known professionally to dying a homeless alcoholic," said Kane. "It follows his sad career. He is mourned and then I talk about the process of putting that behind and focusing on important things in life such as relating to others.

"Life is an educational process. It is a process in which you acquire wisdom through experience."

Kane began writing her section on Natchitoches just over three years ago when she moved to the community about six weeks before the start of the fall semester.

"At the time, I had a house on the Cane River and would sit on the back porch and look at the river," she said. "I didn't know anyone then. I would watch the fog rise in the morning. It is a peaceful, reflective, meditative piece.

"At that time, I thought of Chinese and Japanese poetry where a middle aged scholar would be sent to the provinces to live a bookish life. Occasionally, a friend would come on horseback to relive old times."

Kane's manuscript had been with a literary agent in New York for a couple of years. She wondered if it would ever be published.

"We hand picked a couple of presses to send it to and were turned down," said Kane. "Then last year, we began doing multiple submissions to major book contests."

Kane learned that she was a finalist for the award last spring while she was in Lithuania on a Fulbright Lectureship. Her sister Cindy and niece Dale, who live in New Jersey, helped her print and send the extra copies of the manuscript needed for the contest. Getting this award is a major step for Kane, who hopes it will lead to future publications.

"If you're a poet, publication is priceless because it is so difficult," said Kane. "You are better off buying lottery tickets than trying to get a book of poetry published. It is very difficult."

Kane says her students have shown great interest in her success.

"My students are very excited about it," she said. "This allows them to participate in contemporary creative writing."

The National Poetry Series was established in 1978 to recognize and promote excellence in contemporary poetry by ensuring the publication of five books of poetry a year through a series of participating publishers. Five distinguished poets will each select one winning manuscript for publication from entries to the Open Competition. Each winner received $1,000.

Additional information on the competition is available at www.nationalpoetryseries.org.

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