SFUAD Creative Writing and Literature Department Chair to Judge National Book Awards in Poetry
Dana Levin selected as one of 20 writers to judge the prestigious literary competition
06.14.2012
Media Contact:
Lauren Eichmann
1-505-473-6440
lauren.eichmann@santafeuniversity.edu
For Immediate Release
Santa Fe, N.M.—June 14, 2012—Dana Levin, chair of the Creative Writing and Literature Department at Santa Fe University of Art and Design (SFUAD), has been invited to be part of the jury pool for the prestigious 2012 National Book Awards (NBAs) in poetry. Levin joins fellow poets and academics from Princeton University, University of Michigan, Rutgers–Camden and Transylvania University.
"This is an extremely well-deserved honor, as Dana has been and continues to be a tremendous asset to Santa Fe University of Art and Design," said Gerry Snyder, vice president for academic affairs at SFUAD. "Her career achievements are highlighted by her esteemed participation as part of the judges' panel, which is composed of published writers acknowledged for doing great work in their respective fields."
Established in 1951, the NBA has become one of the most prominent literary awards in the country. It recognizes the best of American literature, raises the cultural appreciation of great writing in the country and helps to advance the careers of both established and emerging writers such as Jonathan Franzen, Richard Powers, and Lily Tuck. Each year, the NBA Foundation names 20 judges in total, five in each of the four award categories—fiction, nonfiction, poetry and young people's literature—who in turn bestow the winners with this celebrated literary prize given to writers, by writers.
Levin's first book, In the Surgical Theatre, was awarded the 1999 American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize and went on to receive several other awards for first books and emerging poets. Copper Canyon Press released her third and most recent book, Sky Burial, in 2011. Her poetry and essays have appeared in many anthologies and magazines, including The American Poetry Review, Poetry, and the Paris Review. She has received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, PEN, The Witter Bynner Foundation for Poetry, the Library of Congress, the Rona Jaffe Foundation and the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation. She is also a 2007 Guggenheim Fellow.
She has taught poetry for more than 20 years, most recently as the Russo Endowed Professor in Creative Writing at the University of New Mexico (UNM). Prior to joining UNM, Levin served as associate professor and chair of the Creative Writing and Literature Department at the former College of Santa Fe (now Santa Fe University of Art and Design). Levin is a graduate of Pitzer College and of New York University's graduate Creative Writing Program.
Entries for this year's awards are due June 15. The National Book Awards ceremony will take place at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City Nov. 14.
About the SFUAD Creative Writing and Literature Department
The Creative Writing and Literature Department at Santa Fe University of Art and Design enables students to learn from and grow along with a core of published, award-winning authors. Dedicated students polish their literary skills and discover the right forms for their unique voice, while taking advantage of numerous opportunities to conduct public readings, work collaboratively, and inspire and be inspired by their peers. Annually, the Creative Writing and Literature Department publishes a student-edited and student-produced literary journal, Glyph, featuring some of the university's best writing in creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry and screenwriting.
About Santa Fe University of Art and Design
Santa Fe University of Art and Design is an accredited institution located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, one of the world's leading centers for art and design. The university offers degrees in arts management, contemporary music, creative writing, digital arts, graphic design, moving image arts (filmmaking and video production), performing arts, photography and studio art. Faculty members are practicing artists who teach students in small groups, following a unique interdisciplinary curriculum that combines hands-on experience with core theory and prepares graduates to become well-rounded, creative, problem-solving professionals. As a Laureate International Universities Center of Excellence in Art, Architecture and Design, the university boasts an international student body and opportunities to study abroad, encouraging students to develop a global perspective on the arts. Santa Fe University of Art and Design (formerly the College of Santa Fe) is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org.