Robert Krut, a Continuing Lecturer in the UCSB Writing Program, has been awarded The Melissa Lanitis Gregory Poetry Prize by Bona Fide Books. The national award is for a new collection; Krut’s book This is the Ocean will be published by the press in October 2013.
Krut’s previous book, The Spider Sermons, was published in 2009. That collection received praise from national literary journals like Hayden’s Ferry Review (“It’s zesty, utterly earnest at points, but world wise and worthwhile”) and Rattle (“…crafts a magical underlying hopefulness, a set of eyes which grope and pull from all reaches of the universe…”).
His poetry has appeared widely in print (The Cimarron Review, Smartish Pace, The Mid-American Review, The American Literary Review, and more), and online (Blackbird, Tarpaulin Sky, Poetry Vinyl, The Bakery, and more). In addition to his own work, he serves as an Associate Editor for the independent poetry press and journal H_ngm_n.
In discussing This is the Ocean, acclaimed writer (and longtime UCSB College of Creative Studies faculty member) Barry Spacks states:
“Each finger bursts into a comet,” writes Robert Krut with characteristic dazzle. Poem after poem in this welcome new collection gleams with invention and heart as it integrates mainstream and avant garde commitments, combining tenderly realistic, domestic focus (“I’ve got sugar and cream to buy’’ with a constant surrealist drive toward fresh experiment (“the woman sharpening / her nails into actual nails”). It's a book that seeks “a new language” for brooding over affectionate days on this mad and touching planet of ours.
A relatively young press, Bona Fide Press has quickly established itself with a national presence. Publishing both poetry and literary essay collections, its authors have received notice through prestigious awards such as “The Best New Poets” series and the Paterson Poetry Prize; in addition, its authors have been selected for textbook inclusion.
For more information, please visit http://www.bonafidebooks.com/melissa-lanitis-gregory-poetry/ or the author’s web site at www.robertkrut.com/homepage.
