THIBODAUX, La. — 杏吧传媒 assistant professor of English and poet-in-residence, Jay Udall, received the 2017 X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize for his upcoming book, “Because a Fire in Our Heads,” which will be published this spring.
Started in 1998 and sponsored by the Texas Review Press at Sam Houston State University, the X.J. Kennedy Poetry Prize is named for the American poet, translator and editor, and is awarded annually for a full-length collection of poetry.
David M. Parsons, former poet laureate of Texas, served as this year鈥檚 judge.
Because a Fire in Our Heads, Udall鈥檚 sixth book, explores 鈥渄esire in its many forms鈥攕ensual, emotional, intellectual, aesthetic, and spiritual鈥攃onfronting an infinite cosmos, existential separateness and vulnerability, violence, injustice, and death,鈥� he says, with influences from music, theology, history and time spent in New Mexico, Nevada, Louisiana and Virginia.
鈥淚鈥檓 deeply satisfied that the book won this prize and found a home,鈥� Udall said. 鈥淭his is my best work, I think, and with each book, I keep trying to push the work further, taking on new challenges and risks, and I鈥檓 pleased with the outcome.鈥�
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 15, 2017
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