Poet Michael McGriff wins VCU’s Levis Reading Prize

By Cheryle Rodriguez

Michael McGriff’s poetry collection “Home Burial” has won the 16th annual Levis Reading Prize from Virginia Commonwealth University for the best first or second book of poetry published in 2012.

The Levis Reading Prize will honor McGriff on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 8 p.m. in the Grace Street Theater, 934 W. Grace St. McGriff will present a public reading at the event and a reception and book signing will follow. The event is free and open to the public.

McGriff, who will receive an honorarium of $2,000, has written two books of poetry: “Home Burial,” which was published by Copper Canyon Press in 2012, and “Dismantling the Hills,” which was published by University of Pittsburgh Press in 2008. His other books include an edition of David Wevill’s essential writings, called “To Build My Shadow a Fire,” and a co-translation of Tomas Transtromer’s, “The Sorrow Gandola.” McGriff’s poetry, translations and essays have appeared in numerous publications, including American Poetry Review, Bookforum, Slate, Narrative and The Believer.  

McGriff has received fellowships from the Lannan Literary Foundation, Stanford University and the National Endowment for the Arts. He lives in Portland, Ore., where he edits Tavern Books, a publishing house devoted to poetry in translation and the revival of out-of-print books.  

The Levis Reading Prize is presented each year in honor of Larry Levis, the distinguished poet and teacher who was a VCU professor until his death in 1996. The award was created to encourage new poets and to recognize their first or second published book of poetry.

Finalists for the 2013 Levis Reading Prize are Catherine Barnett for her collection “The Game of Boxes,” Traci Brimhall for “Our Lady of the Ruins,” Eduardo C. Corral for “Slow Lightning” and Matthew Dickman for “Mayakovsky’s Revolver.”

The Levis Reading Prize is presented on behalf of VCU’s MFA in Creative Writing Program in the Department of English.  Other sponsors include the VCU Libraries, the VCU Honors College, Barnes & Noble @ VCU Bookstore and the VCU College of Humanities & Sciences, with additional funding provided by the family of Larry Levis.

For additional information about the Levis Reading Prize, visit http://www.has.vcu.edu/eng/resources/levis_prize/levis_prize.htm, or contact Lena Moses-Schmitt, Levis Fellow: mosesschmitl@vcu.edu.