The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best “poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot” published in the small presses over the previous year.
Every year, The Poetry Box proudly nominates up to 6 talented poets with a selected poem from one of our publications for this prestigious prize. Our current & past nominees, with link to their poems, are below:
2022
- “Examination” by Annie Lighthart, published in The Poeming Pigeon: A Journal of Poetry & Art (#12), released in October 2022, by The Poetry Box.
- “Have You Ever Had Kugel?” by Marilyn Johnston, published in The Poeming Pigeon: A Journal of Poetry & Art (#12), released in October 2022, by The Poetry Box.
- “El Barrio” by David Gonzalez, published in Soundings, released in October 2022, by The Poetry Box.
- “Life Is a Small Family Farm Going Out of Business or Maybe It’s Just the Auction” by Peter Kaufmann, published in The Round Whisper of No Moon, released in November 2022, by The Poetry Box.
- “They Thought They Were Angels” by Juan Pablo Mobili, published in Contraband, released in April 2022, by The Poetry Box.
- “Venus Comb” by Kristin Berger, published in Earthwork, released in August 2022, by The Poetry Box Select.
2021
- “Traveling with the Speed of Light” by Zeina Azzam, published in her chapbook, Bayna Bayna: In-Between, released in May 2021, by The Poetry Box.
- “Clearing Out” by Marilyn Johnston, published in The Poeming Pigeon: From Pandemic to Protest, released in October 2021, by The Poetry Box.
- “House” by Michelle Lerner, published in her chapbook, Protection, released in July 2021, by The Poetry Box.
- “My Mother Never Died Before” by Marcia B. Loughran, published in her prizewinning chapbook, My Mother Never Died Before & Other Poems, released in January 2021, by The Poetry Box. (Second place winner of The Poetry Box Chapbook Prize)
- “1969” by Tiel Aisha Ansari, published in her prizewinning chapbook, The Day of My First Driving Lesson, released in January 2021, by The Poetry Box. (First place winner of The Poetry Box Chapbook Prize)
- “My Mother’s Satchel Whispers” by Carolyn Martin, published in her chapbook, Nothing More to Lose, released in January 2021, by The Poetry Box.
2020
- “Poem to My Unborn Child” by Doug Stone, published in his book, Sitting in Powell’s Watching Burnside Dissolve in Rain, released in August 2020 by The Poetry Box.
- “An Annotated Facebook Acrostic” by Linda Ferguson, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Pop Culture, released in December 2020 by The Poetry Box.
- “Mouth Quill” by Kaja Weeks, published in her chapbook, Mouth Quill: Poems with Ancestral Roots, released in September 2020 by The Poetry Box.
- “Soused Sestina” by Lauren Tivey, published in her chapbook, Moroccan Holiday, released in January 2020 (first place winner of The Poetry Box Chapbook Prize)
- “Black Dot” by Julia Paul, published in her chapbook, Staring Down the Tracks, released in March 2020 by The Poetry Box.
- “XIV” by Joanne Godley, published in her chapbook, Picking Scabs from the Body History, released in July 2020 by The Poetry Box.
2019
- “The Cup is Half Full” by Judith Terzi, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Sports, released in May 2019 by The Poetry Box.
- “A” by Scott M. Bade, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Sports, released in May 2019 by The Poetry Box.
- “Surreal Expulsion” by D.R. James, published in his chapbook, Surreal Expulsion, released in March 2019 by The Poetry Box.
- “O. Awaken” by Jeanne Julian, published in her book, Like the O in Hope, released in August 2019 by The Poetry Box (Select).
- “Boy” by Ahrend Torrey, published in his book, Small Blue Harbor, to be released in March 2019 by The Poetry Box (Select).
- “Requiem for a Nobody” by Sally Zakariya, published in her chapbook, The Unknowable Mystery of Other People, released in March 2019 by The Poetry Box.
2018
- “Columbine” by Linda Ferguson, published in The Poeming Pigeon: In The News, released in August 2018 by The Poetry Box.
- “Misha” by Gudrun Bortman published in Fireweed, released in Oct 2018 by The Poetry Box.
- “Abraham Morales Hernandez” by Christopher Bogart, published in 14: Antologia del Sonoran, released in October 2018 by The Poetry Box.
- “Libretto” by Ed Mabrey, published inThe Poeming Pigeon: In The News, released in August 2018 by The Poetry Box.
- “The Inheritance” by donnarkevic, published in Many Sparrows, to be released in December 2018 by The Poetry Box.
- “Swept Under the Rug” by Julene Tripp Weaver, published inThe Poeming Pigeon: In The News, released in August 2018 by The Poetry Box.
2017
- “Crossing” by Lynn M. Knapp, published in Giving Ground, released in February 2017 by The Poetry Box.
- “Lilith” by Brittney Corrigan published in The Poeming Pigeon: Poems from the Garden, released in May 2017 by The Poetry Box.
- “Chamomile for the Molokans” by Katy Brown, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Poems from the Garden, released in May 2017 by The Poetry Box.
- “The Chubby Buddhist Monk of Trout Lake Abbey” by Tricia Knoll, published in Broadfork Farm, released in July 2017 by The Poetry Box.
- “Even Death” by Jane Yolen, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Love Poems, released December 1, 2017 by The Poetry Box.
- “Sheet Bend” by Jonathan Glenn Travelstead, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Love Poems, released December 1, 2017 by The Poetry Box.
2016
- “What But the Music” by Kenneth Salzmann published in The Poeming Pigeon: Poems about Music, released November 12, 2016 by The Poetry Box.
- “Moonwalker” by Mark Kerstetter published in The Poeming Pigeon:Poems about Music, released November 12, 2016 by The Poetry Box.
- “Luciano Pavarotti” by Connie Post, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Poems about Music, released November 12, 2016 by The Poetry Box.
- “Ashokan Farewell” by Amy Miller, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Poems about Music, released November 12, 2016 by The Poetry Box.
- “Sax Axis” by Josh Gaines, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Poems about Music, released November 12, 2016 by The Poetry Box.
- “Edward Albee Knew the Score” by Christopher Luna, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Doobie or Not Doobie?, released April 20, 2016 by The Poetry Box
2015
- “On Pompano Beach after My Father’s Funeral” by Carolyn Martin, published in The Way a Woman Knows, released February, 2015 by The Poetry Box.
- “Learning Abandon” by Claudia F. Savage, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Poems about Food, released November, 2015 by The Poetry Box.
- “The Coffin of Emmett Till” by Carter McKenzie, published in Of Course, I’m a Feminist!, released July, 2015 by The Poetry Box.
- “The Language of Birds” by Linda Strever, published in Poeming Pigeons: Poems about Birds, released April, 2015 by The Poetry Box.
- “The Family Legacy” by Jane Simpson, published in The Poeming Pigeon: Poems about Food, released November, 2015 by The Poetry Box.
- “Decoding Sparrows” by Mariano Zaro published in Poeming Pigeons: Poems about Birds, released April, 2015 by The Poetry Box.
2014
- “Bowline” by Michael Shay, published in Keeping it Weird – Stories & Poems of Portland, Oregon, released on Oct 30, 2014 by The Poetry Box
- “The Helper in the Capitol Hill Library” by Tricia Knoll, published in Keeping it Weird – Stories & Poems of Portland, Oregon, released on Oct 30, 2014 by The Poetry Box
- “T-Shirts” by Steve Williams, published in Keeping it Weird – Stories & Poems of Portland, Oregon, released on Oct 30, 2014 by The Poetry Box
- “Average Afternoon, Portland” by M, published in Keeping it Weird – Stories & Poems of Portland, Oregon, released on Oct 30, 2014 by The Poetry Box
