The Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) chose two books by Boise State University’s Ahsahta Press as finalists in its Firecracker Awards for Poetry, announced April 3.
English professor Janet Holmes, Ahsahta’s director and editor, said “Exclosures,” by Emily Abendroth (published in May 2014) and “Beast Feast” by Cody-Rose Clevidence (published in September 2014) were two of the five books selected as finalists — more than any other press in its category.
According to the CLMP announcement, “The Firecrackers seek to celebrate and promote great literary works from independent literary publishers and self-published authors.”
“This is a remarkable distinction for Ahsahta Press,” Holmes said. “The Firecracker Awards in Poetry are directly in line with our mission to champion and promote surprising, relevant, and accessible experimental poetry that more commercially minded presses avoid. The books we publish are explicitly intended to further America’s literary and poetry culture.
“What is even more gratifying about these nominations,” she said, “is that both books are their authors’ first book publication, which means that Ahsahta essentially discovered these extraordinary writers.”
Winners of the Firecracker Awards in six categories will be announced at a celebration on May 27 at Powerhouse Arena in the DUMBO area of Manhattan in New York.
BY: RALPH POORE PUBLISHED 11:45 AM / APRIL 6, 2015