Announcing the Winners of the 2025 Marvin Bell Memorial Poetry Prize

We are delighted to announce the winners of this year’s Marvin Bell Memorial Poetry Prize. Our heartfelt thanks go to our distinguished judge, Maggie Smith, for her insightful selections and dedication to the art of poetry.

Winner:

On the Thrid Anniversary of My Brother’s Death by Gibson Fay-LeBlanc

This poignant poem masterfully employs metaphor and exhibits impeccable pacing, creating a twelve-line gem that resonates deeply. As Maggie Smith notes, “There is nothing I would change… This poem is a twelve-line gem: a diamond, compressed and shining.”

Honorable Mention:

The Leaving by Susan Antolin

This evocative piece stands out for its rich specificity and seamless transitions across time and place. Maggie Smith remarks, “The magic of this poem lies in its amount of specificity and its deft toggling between different places and times.”

Finalists:

B’Shalom by Beth Aviv
The Bombing of Art School No. 12 by James D’Agostino
I Knew It Was Safe Enough (And Not Too Far) by Laura Foley
Squaring the Fall by Dagne Forrest
How to Die by Cynthia Marie Hoffman
Lot’s Wife by Melissa LaCross
There’s a Pool Shaped Like a Cowboy Boot by Lexi Pelle
If I Am a Tree, You Are the Sky by Amanda Rabaduex

Each of these exceptional poems will be featured in our upcoming Spring/Summer 2025 Awards issue. We extend our gratitude to all participants for sharing their profound and inspiring work.