Poetry ContestHilda Simmons Levitt
2021 Contest Winners
Congratulations to the following poets, whose work was selected by this year's judge, Nayelly Barrios. Thank you to all students who entered the contest!
Grand Prize
Aileen Castaneda, “Grey House” & “Empty Crib”
Second Prize
Richard Frost, “Mama”
Third Prize
Richard Osuamkpe, “Anchor of Sorrows” & “Beginnings”
Fourth Prize
Alecia Gothan, “Coming Out”
Honorable Mentions
Jennifer Maduabuchuku, “Sestina Poem: Ode to Natural Hair”
Kairi Montanez, “Him“
Allyson Murillo-Rankin, “A Thousand Faces on a Shelf”
Camila Justus, “Social Dilemma”
Due to ongoing COVID concerns, we were unable to hold a live awards event this year. To share the work of the outstanding student poets featured in this year's contest and that of our judge, we hope you will enjoy these recordings of their prize-winning pieces (presented in the order they're listed above).
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A word from contest judge
Nayelly Barrios, who also shares poems of her own ... |
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The Hilda Simmons Levitt Poetry Contest, with more than $1,000 in prize money going to the winning poets, has been called one of the most prestigious in the state.
History
It was established in 1988 by the late Stanley Levitt to honor his wife’s memory, and her love of poetry and Midland College. Hilda Simmons Levitt graduated with honors in journalism from Louisiana State University where she also studied under poet Robert Penn Warren. In 1979, at the age of 62, Mrs. Levitt decided to pursue writing again. For the next seven years, until her death in 1986, she studied creative writing at Midland College.
The contest is now underwritten by Mrs. Levitt’s daughter Carol Schwartz, who lives in Washington, D.C.
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Eligibility
Any full-time or part-time student registered in English classes at Midland College
at any time in the past year is eligible to compete. Eligible students may submit
as many as five entries, but no contestant will be awarded more than one prize. Prior
Grand Award winners are not eligible.
Format Requirements
Your entry may be disqualified if you fail to follow format requirements listed below
on this page.
Entry Deadline
The entry deadline is March 26, 2021
Awards
- Grand Award: $600 and Award Plaque
- Second Place Award: $400 and Award Plaque
- Third Place Award: $200 and Award Plaque
- Fourth Place Award: $100 and Award Plaque
Note: Midland College reserves the right to withhold awards if entries are lacking in quality.
JUDGE
Nayelly Barrios is a Rio Grande borderlands native. She earned a BA in English from
the University of Texas-Pan American, in Edinburg, Texas. While at McNeese State University
in Lake Charles, Louisiana, she earned an MA in English and an MFA in Poetry. She
is a CantoMundo Fellow. Her poetry has appeared in Beloit Poetry Journal, Puerto del Sol, Notre Dame Review, and others.
She is a co-founder of Angry Tias and Abuelas of the Rio Grande Valley, an organization that advocates for immigrant rights and has received the 2019 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. When she is not writing, you will find her caring for her house plants, cooking, reading, and fighting the patriarchy."
Awards Celebration
The Awards Celebration is held each year to recognize contest winners. This year, the awards will be announced electronically by May 8th.
Publication
Selected writings from the Hilda Simmons Levitt Contest will be published in Tableau,
an annual student publication produced through cooperation of the Departments of English
and Journalism and may also appear on the Midland College website. The material published
will be selected by the Hilda Simmons Levitt Poetry Contest Committee and approved
by the President of Midland College.
Formatting Requirements
Each poem should be submitted on a separate page in a Microsoft Word (doc,docx) document using the following guidelines:
- Use 1” margins on all sides.
- Center the title, capitalizing important letters (follow standard MLA guidelines for titles) one inch from the top of the first page. Do not include your name or any other identifying information.
- Double-space after the title and between stanzas. Otherwise, single-space throughout.
- Place the title and the page number in a header in the top right corner every page.
- Do not include your name anywhere in the entry.
- Your filename should be the title of the entry.
ENTRIES
Contestants may enter a maximum of five poems written in any form and any length.
The entry deadline was March 26, 2021.
Questions?
Brendan Egan
(432) 685-4638
began@midland.edu
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