Gunpowder Press proudly nominated six poems for Pushcart Prizes this year. These represent four different Gunpowder Press books published in 2017. Thank you to all the poets who create such extraordinary work! The six selected are:
- Laure-Anne Bosselaar’s “From Her Favorite Bench in Ménérbes, Provence, Dora Maar, Aged 87, Feeds & Talks to the Pigeons at Her Feet” from To Give Life a Shape: Poems Inspired by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (edited by David Starkey and Chryss Yost)
- Mary Brown’s “Triolet for Carp Ascending a Waterfall” from To Give Life a Shape: Poems Inspired by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art
- Nan Cohen’s “The Fear of the Dark” from Unfinished City, winner of the Michael Dryden Poetry Prize
- Catherine Abbey Hodges’ “One Violet in February” from Raft of Days
- Kurt Olsson’s “Blackout Drinking” from Burning Down Disneyland, winner of the 2016 Barry Spacks Poetry Prize
- Emma Trelles’ “Winter Memoir” from To Give Life a Shape: Poems Inspired by the Santa Barbara Museum of Art




The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses has been published every year since 1976. From their website:
Since 1976, hundreds of presses and thousands of writers of short stories, poetry and essays have been represented in our annual collections. Each year most of the writers and many of the presses are new to the series. Every volume contains an index of past selections, plus lists of outstanding presses with addresses.
Gunpowder appreciates the Pushcart Press for giving us an opportunity to bring more recognition to these fine poems.