NEWS RELEASE

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

11/14/2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES -Northwestern State University Associate Professor of English Julie Kane is one of five judges for the 2005 National Book Award in Poetry, which will be awarded Wednesday in New York. The National Book Awards are the preeminent literary prize in the U.S. The awards were created to enhance the public's awareness of exceptional books written by fellow Americans, and to increase the popularity of reading in general.

Kane is the author of Rhythm & Booze, a winner of the National Poetry Series Open Competition. She was also a finalist for a major book prize, the 2005 Poets' Prize, earlier this year.

"When I got the phone call asking me to be one of the judges of the 2005 National Book Award in Poetry, I could not believe it." Said Kane. "My fellow judges have published numerous books and received many accolades for their poetry, and I am deeply honored to be in their company. I am definitely the junior member of the team."

The National Book Awards Dinner and Ceremony will be a black-tie gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, hosted by Garrison Keillor. In addition to the 20 distinguished writers who are finalists for the awards in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and children's literature, literary celebrities including Toni Morrison, Norman Mailer and Lawrence Ferlinghetti will be in attendance to receive special recognition.

Kane and her fellow judges each read several hundred books of poetry that were published or being published in 2005. Some of the works were in pre-publication galley form. Throughout the summer, the poetry judges discussed the books via conference call and arrived at a list of five finalists using a voting process. The judges will meet at a New York City restaurant Wednesday to vote for the winner, who will remain secret until being announced that night.

Kane, who was the 2004 recipient of the Mildred Hart Bailey Research Award at NSU, will teach contemporary American poetry, English 4440/5450, next semester and will use her judging experience in the classroom.

"Reading several hundred of the best poetry books being published this year has enabled me to get a rare "snapshot" of the state of contemporary American poetry," said Kane. Even though I normally read a lot of literary magazines and new books of poetry, the experience of reading so many in such a short period of time introduced me to some fine new writers I wouldn't ordinarily have come across and enabled me to spot new trends and themes in poetry as a whole."

Kane said the judging process challenged her to define and articulate her standards for evaluating poetry and forced her to consider differing points of view about the books under discussion.

"I hope that I can bring that sense of excitement and vitality regarding contemporary poetry into the classroom with me this spring," she said.

Kane is also participating in a reading at Vassar College this week, "Artists Responding to the War in Iraq." The event is to honor those who have been killed in the war.

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