To choose only six of the splendid pieces published in The Starlight SciFaiku Review and The Flying Saucer Poetry Review was exceedingly difficult. I would have much preferred to have nominated them all. It is an honor to receive such wonderful work from such talented and inspired poets.
This is our first year in operation and I found myself to be quite confused as to which year’s Pushcart Prize I was actually nominating the poetry and the poets for. The more I looked into it, the more confused I became. Finally, I had no choice but to pick up the phone and call Pushcart Press for clarification. Many things make me anxious and a phone call to explicate my confusion to a complete stranger is somewhere on that list. But I made the call. To my horror, it went to voicemail, my arch nemesis. Compounding my anxiety was that it went to none other than Bill Henderson’s voicemail. I left my message and figured I’d never hear back. But I was wrong. Bill called and left a message in turn. What a class act and I am now clear on the details.
These 2021 nominations are for the 2023 edition of the Pushcart Prize, with the preferred nomenclature being the Pushcart Prize XLVII, the 47th edition, but people will commonly refer to it as being the 2023 Pushcart Prize.
So, without further ado, for work published in calendar year 2021, the following are our nominations for the 2023 Pushcart Prize!
Pushcart Prize XLVII Nominations
The Starlight SciFaiku Review (ISSN 2770-9116)
“Close Approach” | Wendy Van Camp
The Flying Saucer Poetry Review (ISSN 2770-9817)
“Why I Don’t Regret Drawing so Many UFOs” | Matt Schumacher
“The Other Crusoe” | David Barber
“Swan Island” | Tracy Lyall
“Passport to Magonia” | Joshua St. Claire
“Ram Scoop Pilot” | Joshua Gage
Here’s the link: The Pushcart Prize Nomination Process.
Yours truly,
Justin T. O’Conor Sloane
Editor
