Northern Arizona Book Festival

The Jim Simmerman Poetry Prize for Poets of Flagstaff District High Schools is made possible by a generous donation to the Northern Arizona Book Festival, Inc. (NABF) from Kim Holland and the Authors In Schools program she founded.

Jim Simmerman was a nationally renowned poet and Regents Professor at Northern Arizona University. He often times volunteered to teach poetry workshops in local high schools over the course of his long career.

First Place: "Platform 19" by Rachael Prickett
Second Place: "Morning In La Casa Bautista" by Tara Taylor
Third Place: "Original poetry thing poem Narrative poem Reporting Upon What Never Happened" by Howard Riley IV

Honorable Mentions in no particular order go to the following poets: Maddison Savage (Tingle), Shannon Carscallen (In Two Hours), Randall Whitehead (Mortality), Scott Hancock (The Bird and The Worm), Jeffrey Keene Short (The Oboe and the Flute), Amelia Blake (Imagery: Woman)

Thank you to this year's judge Jean Rukkila and to all of the outstanding poetry teachers in Flagstaff High Schools.

First Place: "The Dream Man" by Kalynn Gunderson
Second Place: "Memories Not Worth Remembering" by Rosa Ramirez
Third Place: "Who Am I?" by Chris Whitlock

Honorable Mentions in no particular order go to the following poets: Olivia Smith (No Longer); Mariah Williams (Speak, Then Listen); Briana Olivia Valdez (One Voice); Anthony Bowen (A Bright Shadow); and Jeff Short (Ode to an Autopsy)

Thank you to our 2009 judge Mark Gibbons, and thank you to teachers Tim Aydelott, Priscilla Aydelott, Michelle Knotts, Doug McGlothlin, and all of the Flagstaff educators who spread the word about the contest and who teach our talented entrants. Thank you to all of the students who sent in their poems. Keep up the good work!