FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Library of Virginia and the Library of Virginia Foundation awarded their poetry prize to a University of Arkansas Press author for the second year in a row. At their 11^th annual book awards, the Library of Virginia announced that Virginia poet R.T. Smith had won the poetry prize for his collection Outlaw Style, published by the University of Arkansas Press (paper, $16.00). Smith was presented his $3,500 award and a crystal replica of a book at a gala ceremony in Richmond that honored Virginia authors. Last year’s poetry winner was Elizabeth Hadaway for her collection, Fire Baton, also published by the Press.

The independent panel of judges hailed Smith’s Outlaw Style as “offering a brooding understanding of both the riches and horrors of Southern culture.” Smith is the editor of the respected literary journal Shenandoah: The Washington and Lee Review. One of his earlier collections, Messenger, won the prize in 2002. Noted poet Steve Scafidi said Outlaw Style “reminds me why Southern poetry matters — it is a shining chunk of the American soul. If you want a masterpiece, here it is.”

The Library of Virginia’s annual literary awards were inaugurated in 1997 to recognize the best books published the previous year by a Virginia author. Previous winners of the poetry award include such distinguished poets as Charles Wright, Claudia Emerson, Eric Pankey, Eleanor Ross Taylor and Gregory Orr.

The Press also learned that Garrison Keillor will read two poems from Jo McDougall’s collection Towns Facing Railroads on The Writer’s Almanac. The Press published McDougall’s book in 1991. The poems are “On Catalpa Street” and “I’ll Be Seeing You” and will be read on successive days, Oct. 30 and 31. Reading poems from the same poet two days in a row is something Keillor doesn’t do very often. On the initial publication of Towns Facing Railroads, the novelist, short story writer and poet George Garrett described it as “a first-rate book of poems, full of sad knowledge, but richer with wisdom and the earned refinement of art."

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