In the summer of 2009, Frank and Helene Crohn generously provided the National Poetry Foundation (now the Center for Poetry and Poetics) at the University of Maine with the means to establish an Edna St. Vincent Millay Prize for Poetry.
The Millay Prize seeks to reward achievement in poetry at a crucial, early stage in a writer’s development while commemorating the legacy of one of Maine’s best known and most loved poets, Edna St. Vincent Millay, who herself received the gift of an education at Vassar College in part through the generosity of Caroline B. Dow.
The external judge for the 2019 Millay Prize was Kathleen Ossip (NWS F’2011), who reviewed manuscripts blindly (in anonymous form). Ossip awarded first prize to Katherine Dubois for her manuscript “Signaling.” Second prize went to Paul Eaton for his manuscript “Submerged Narratives” (excerpts).
On Thursday, October 14, 2021, the New Writing Series reaches back for one of two Millay Prize events that were disrupted by the pandemic (the celebration was originally planned for April 2020). Kathleen Ossip and Kat Dubois will read via Zoom before a live audience in Fernald APPE Space (Stewart Commons 104), and Paul Eaton will be present in person.
The event, which is free and open to the public, starts at 4:30pm. Visitors from off-campus can view the relevant university policy here. Masks are mandatory in all indoor spaces, including the performance venue.
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The UMaine New Writing Series was founded in 1999 and is sponsored by the English Department and the Center for Poetry and Poetics (formerly the National Poetry Foundation), with support from the Eaton Family New Writing Series Fund, the Lloyd H. Elliott Fund, the Milton Ellis Memorial Fund, and the Honors College. Grateful acknowledgment is made to the IMRC, and to donors Allen and Sally Fernald, for use of the Fernald APPE space.
If you have a disability that requires accommodation for a NWS event, please contact the office of Student Accessibility Services, 121 East Annex, 581-2319 (Voice) or 581-2311 (TDD).
The authors who appear in the NWS write for adult audiences and make use of a wide spectrum of language and subject matter. We are happy to advise parents and secondary school teachers about the suitability of specific events for their children or students. Just contact Series coordinator Steve Evans at steven dot evans at maine dot edu or at 207-581-3822 a few days in advance.
New Writing Series events are videotaped, photographed, and audio recorded for archival and educational purposes.
The University of Maine does not discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, including transgender status and gender expression, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, genetic information or veteran’s status in employment, education, and all other programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: Director, Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 North Stevens Hall, 207-581-1226.
