Past Winners

Honor Roll of Past Winners

Established in 2002

THE BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY MILT KESSLER
POETRY BOOK AWARD

THE BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY JOHN GARDNER
FICTION BOOK AWARD

Denise Duhamel for
Two and Two
from University of Pittsburgh Press
Judge: Laura Boss

Finalists:
Judith Ortiz Cofer for
A Love Story Beginning in Spanish (U of Georgia Press)
Martin Espada for
The Republic of Poetry (W.W Norton)
Alicia Suskin Ostriker for
No Heaven (University of Pittsburgh Press)
Rochelle Ratner for
Balancing Acts (Marsh Hawk Press)
David Ray for
Music of Time: Selected and New Poems (Backwaters Press)
Anele Rubin for
Trying to Speak (Kent State University Press)

Rachel Kadish for
Tolstoy Lied
from Houghton Mifflin
Judge: Grace Cavalieri

Finalists:
Gonzolo Barr for
The Last Flight of José Luis Balboa (Houghton Mifflin Co)
Cary Holladay for
The Quick-Change Artist (Swallow Press)
Todd James Pierce for
Newsworld (University of Pittsburg Press)
Terese Svoboda for
Tin God (University of Nebraska Press)
Robert Vivian for
The Mover of Bones (University of Nebraska Press)
Katharine Weber for
Triangle (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux)
Allen Wier for
Tehano (Southern Methodist University Press)

Christopher Bursk for
The Improbable Swerving of Atoms
from University of Pittsburgh Press
Judge: Leslie Heywood

Finalists:
Vivian Shipley
Hardboot (Louisiana Literature Press)
Luis J. Rodriguez
My Nature Is Hunger: New & Selected Poems (Curbstone Press)
Virgil Suárez
90 Miles (University of Pittsburgh Press)
Judith McCombs
The Habit of Fire: Poems Selected & New (Word Works)
Eleanor Lerman
Our Post-Soviet History Unfolds (Sarabande Books)
Jacqueline Berger
Things That Burn (The Univerity of Utah Press)

Toni Graham for
Waiting for Elvis
from Leapfrog Press
Judge: Maria Gillan

Finalists:
Richard McCann
Mother of Sorrows (Pantheon Books)
Laila Lalami
Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill)
Chantel Acevedo
Love and Ghost Letters (St. Martin's Press)
Paul Shepherd
More Like Not Running Away (Sarabande Books)
Joe Benevento
The Odd Squad (Behler Publications)
Paola Corso
Giovanna's 86 Circles & Other Stories (The Univ of Wisconsin Press)

Ted Kooser for Delights & Shadows
from Copper Canyon Press
Judge: Jack Bedell

Finalists:
Kim Addonizio
What Is This Thing Called Love (W.W.Norton)
David Bottoms
Waltzing Through the Endtime (Copper Canyon Press)
Alice Fulton
Cascade Experiment (W.W. Norton)
Lorna Goodison
Controlling the Silver (University of Illinois Press)
Barbara Hamby
Babel (University of Pittsburgh Press)
David Huddle
Grayscale (Louisiana State University Press)
Mark Jarman
To the Green Man (Sarabande Books)

Mary Helen Stefaniak for
The Turk and My Mother
from W.W.Norton
Judge: Judith Kitchen

Finalists:
Gary Gildner
Somewhere Geese Are Flying (Michigan State University Press)
Judson Mitcham
Sabbath Creek (University of Georgia Press)
Janet Desaulniers
What You've Been Missing (University of Iowa Press)
Catherine Brady
Curled in the Bed of Love (University of Georgia Press)
Gilbert Sorrentino
The Moon in Its Flight (Coffee House Press)
Lan Samantha Chang
Inheritance (W.W. Norton)
Darrell Spencer
Bring Your Legs with You (University of Pittsburgh Press)

John E. Smelcer for Without Reservation
from Truman State University Press
Judge: Marilyn Chin

Finalists:
Jan Beatty
Bone Shaker (University of Pittsburgh Press)
Peg Boyers
Hard Bread (University of Chicago Press)
Suzanne Cleary
Keeping Time (Carnegie Mellon University Press)
Sarah Kennedy
Flow Blue (Elixir Press)
Vivian Shipley
Where There Is No Shore (Word Press)
Gloria Vando
Shadows & Supposes (Arte Publico Press)

Tobias Wolff for Old School
from Alfred A. Knopf
Judge: Laura Boss
Finalists:
Jane Smiley
Good Faith (Alfred A. Knopf)
Susan Greenberg
Speed-walk and Other Stories (University of Pittsburgh Press)
Frederick Busch
A Memory of War (Norton)
Catherine Brady
Curled in the Bed of Love (University of Georgia Press)
Cristina Garcia
Monkey Hunting (Alfred A. Knopf)
Jonis Agee
Acts of Love on Indigo Road (Coffee House Press)

Quincy Troupe for Transcircularities
from Coffee House Press
Judge: Laura Boss

Jan Beatty
Bone Shaker (University of Pittsburgh Press)
Peg Boyers
Hard Bread (University of Chicago Press)
Suzanne Cleary
Keeping Time (Carnegie Mellon University Press)
Sarah Kennedy
Flow Blue (Elixir Press)
Vivian Shipley
Where There Is No Shore (Word Press)
Gloria Vando
Shadows & Supposes (Arte Publico Press)

Laura Valeri for The Kind of Things Saints Do
from University of Iowa Press
Judge: Enid Shomer

Finalists:
James McBride
Miracle at St. Anna (Riverhead Books)
John Salter
Alberta Clipper (Livingston Press)
Andrew Geyer
Whispers in Dust and Bone (Texas Tech Univ. Press)
Martin Pousson
No Place, Louisiana (Riverhead Books)

Lilla Lyon for Hello Mongolia
from Ten Pell Press
Judge: Dorianne Laux

Finalists:
Anjail Rashida Ahmad
Necessary Kindling (Louisiana State University Press)
Nin Andrews
Why They Have Wings (Silverfish Review Press)
James Harms
Quarters (Carnegie Mellon Press)
Suzanne Rhodenbaugh
Lick of Sense (Helicon Nine Editions)
Catie Rosemurgy
My Favorite Apocalypse (Graywolf Press)
Frazier Russel
Lush (Four Way Books)

David Schmahmann for Empire Settings
from Ten Pell Press
Judge: Rhoda Lerman

Finalists:
Daniel Coshnear
Jobs & Other Preoccupations (Helicon Nine Editions)
Ruth Hamel
My Favorite Lies, (University of Missouri Press)
Emily Hammond
Milk, (The Permanent Press)
Susan Hudson
Opposable Thumbs, (Livingston Press)
Nicholas Montemarano
A Fine Place, (Context Books)
Debra Spark
The Ghost of Bridgetown, (Graywolf Press)
Frederick Su
An American Sin, (Bytewrite LLC)

THE BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY MILT KESSLER POETRY BOOK AWARD	THE BINGHAMTON UNIVERSITY JOHN GARDNER FICTION BOOK AWARD
2007	2007
Denise Duhamel for Two and Two from University of Pittsburgh Press Judge: Laura Boss Finalists: Judith Ortiz Cofer for A Love Story Beginning in Spanish (U of Georgia Press) Martin Espada for The Republic of Poetry (W.W Norton) Alicia Suskin Ostriker for No Heaven (University of Pittsburgh Press) Rochelle Ratner for Balancing Acts (Marsh Hawk Press) David Ray for Music of Time: Selected and New Poems (Backwaters Press) Anele Rubin for Trying to Speak (Kent State University Press)	Rachel Kadish for Tolstoy Lied from Houghton Mifflin Judge: Grace Cavalieri Finalists: Gonzolo Barr for The Last Flight of José Luis Balboa (Houghton Mifflin Co) Cary Holladay for The Quick-Change Artist (Swallow Press) Todd James Pierce for Newsworld (University of Pittsburg Press) Terese Svoboda for Tin God (University of Nebraska Press) Robert Vivian for The Mover of Bones (University of Nebraska Press) Katharine Weber for Triangle (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux) Allen Wier for Tehano (Southern Methodist University Press)
2006	2006
Christopher Bursk for The Improbable Swerving of Atoms from University of Pittsburgh Press Judge: Leslie Heywood Finalists: Vivian Shipley Hardboot (Louisiana Literature Press) Luis J. Rodriguez My Nature Is Hunger: New & Selected Poems (Curbstone Press) Virgil Suárez 90 Miles (University of Pittsburgh Press) Judith McCombs The Habit of Fire: Poems Selected & New (Word Works) Eleanor Lerman Our Post-Soviet History Unfolds (Sarabande Books) Jacqueline Berger Things That Burn (The Univerity of Utah Press)	Toni Graham for Waiting for Elvis from Leapfrog Press Judge: Maria Gillan Finalists: Richard McCann Mother of Sorrows (Pantheon Books) Laila Lalami Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill) Chantel Acevedo Love and Ghost Letters (St. Martin's Press) Paul Shepherd More Like Not Running Away (Sarabande Books) Joe Benevento The Odd Squad (Behler Publications) Paola Corso Giovanna's 86 Circles & Other Stories (The Univ of Wisconsin Press)
2005	2005
Ted Kooser for Delights & Shadows from Copper Canyon Press Judge: Jack Bedell Finalists: Kim Addonizio *What Is This Thing Called Love* (W.W.Norton) David Bottoms Waltzing Through the Endtime (Copper Canyon Press) Alice Fulton Cascade Experiment (W.W. Norton) Lorna Goodison Controlling the Silver (University of Illinois Press) Barbara Hamby Babel (University of Pittsburgh Press) David Huddle Grayscale (Louisiana State University Press) Mark Jarman *To the Green Man* (Sarabande Books)	Mary Helen Stefaniak for The Turk and My Mother from W.W.Norton Judge: Judith Kitchen Finalists: Gary Gildner Somewhere Geese Are Flying (Michigan State University Press) Judson Mitcham Sabbath Creek (University of Georgia Press) Janet Desaulniers What You've Been Missing (University of Iowa Press) Catherine Brady Curled in the Bed of Love (University of Georgia Press) Gilbert Sorrentino The Moon in Its Flight (Coffee House Press) Lan Samantha Chang Inheritance (W.W. Norton) Darrell Spencer Bring Your Legs with You (University of Pittsburgh Press)
2004	2004
John E. Smelcer for Without Reservation from Truman State University Press Judge: Marilyn Chin Finalists: Jan Beatty Bone Shaker (University of Pittsburgh Press) Peg Boyers Hard Bread (University of Chicago Press) Suzanne Cleary Keeping Time (Carnegie Mellon University Press) Sarah Kennedy Flow Blue (Elixir Press) Vivian Shipley Where There Is No Shore (Word Press) Gloria Vando Shadows & Supposes (Arte Publico Press)	Tobias Wolff for Old School from Alfred A. Knopf Judge: Laura Boss Finalists: Jane Smiley Good Faith (Alfred A. Knopf) Susan Greenberg Speed-walk and Other Stories (University of Pittsburgh Press) Frederick Busch A Memory of War (Norton) Catherine Brady Curled in the Bed of Love (University of Georgia Press) Cristina Garcia Monkey Hunting (Alfred A. Knopf) Jonis Agee Acts of Love on Indigo Road (Coffee House Press)
2003	2003
Quincy Troupe for Transcircularities from Coffee House Press Judge: Laura Boss Jan Beatty Bone Shaker (University of Pittsburgh Press) Peg Boyers Hard Bread (University of Chicago Press) Suzanne Cleary Keeping Time (Carnegie Mellon University Press) Sarah Kennedy Flow Blue (Elixir Press) Vivian Shipley Where There Is No Shore (Word Press) Gloria Vando Shadows & Supposes (Arte Publico Press)	Laura Valeri for The Kind of Things Saints Do from University of Iowa Press Judge: Enid Shomer Finalists: James McBride Miracle at St. Anna (Riverhead Books) John Salter Alberta Clipper (Livingston Press) Andrew Geyer Whispers in Dust and Bone (Texas Tech Univ. Press) Martin Pousson No Place, Louisiana (Riverhead Books)
2002	2002
Lilla Lyon for Hello Mongolia from Ten Pell Press Judge: Dorianne Laux Finalists: Anjail Rashida Ahmad Necessary Kindling (Louisiana State University Press) Nin Andrews Why They Have Wings (Silverfish Review Press) James Harms Quarters (Carnegie Mellon Press) Suzanne Rhodenbaugh Lick of Sense (Helicon Nine Editions) Catie Rosemurgy My Favorite Apocalypse (Graywolf Press) Frazier Russel Lush (Four Way Books)	David Schmahmann for Empire Settings from Ten Pell Press Judge: Rhoda Lerman Finalists: Daniel Coshnear Jobs & Other Preoccupations (Helicon Nine Editions) Ruth Hamel My Favorite Lies, (University of Missouri Press) Emily Hammond Milk, (The Permanent Press) Susan Hudson *Opposable Thumbs, (Livingston Press) Nicholas Montemarano A Fine Place, (Context Books) Debra Spark The Ghost of Bridgetown, (Graywolf Press) Frederick Su An American Sin*, (Bytewrite LLC)