Exceptional Poetry
"Lighthead," a book of poetry written by Carnegie Mellon University English Professor Terrance Hayes, has been selected as a finalist for the 2010 National Book Awards.
In the collection, Hayes combines different poetry styles, including the Japanese presentation format Pecha Kucha, to tell personal, political and historical stories.
"Every year the National Book Award finalist announcement has been an occasion for me to discover writers whose work I admire deeply," said Hayes. "This year, it's exciting to be among their number, and I look forward to meeting them at the award ceremony."
Hayes, who teaches in Carnegie Mellon's Creative Writing Program, has published four poetry books. His previous collection, "Wind in a Box," was named one of the Best 100 Books of 2006 by Publishers Weekly.
His other books of poetry are "Hip Logic," which won the National Poetry Series Open Competition and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award, and "Muscular Music," which won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. Other honors include two Pushcart Prizes, four "Best American Poetry" selections, a Whiting Writers Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
"We're very proud of our exceptional faculty," said Chris Neuwirth, head of the Department of English. "Our students benefit from having teachers who bring those talents to the classroom and can show them the ropes for successful careers of their own."
National Book Award winners in the categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and young people's literature will be announced on Wed., Nov. 17, at a benefit ceremony in New York City hosted by comedian and writer Andy Borowitz.
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