News release Public Information Office   SLU 10880   Hammond, LA 70402   phone: 985-549-2341   fax: 985-549-2061 publicinfo@selu.edu     www.selu.edu/news Contact: Christina Chapple Date: 11/6/03   POETRY PUBLISHED BY SLU’S LOUISIANA LITERATURE PRESS NOMINATED FOR PULITZER       HAMMOND -- “Gleanings,” a collection of award-winning poems by Vivian Shipley published by Southeastern Louisiana University’s Louisiana Literature Press, has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.       Shipley, editor of “The Connecticut Review” and Connecticut State University Distinguished Professor, teaches at Southern Connecticut State University. She is the author of more than 10 books of poems, including “When There Is No Shore,” winner of the Word Press Poetry Prize in 2002, and “Fair Haven,” which was also nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 2000, said Southeastern English professor Jack Bedell, editor of Louisiana Literature Press and the university’s literary magazine, “Louisiana Literature.”       Bedell said Louisiana Literature Press nominated “Gleanings” for the prestigious literary prize, “at the urging of members of the (Pulitzer) committee, writers that I respect.”       “It was an honor to publish this book, which is a capstone for Shipley’s career,” Bedell said. In addition to new works, “Gleanings,” published by the Southeastern press last July, includes many poems that have been individual award winners, Bedell said.       The poet’s work previously appeared in “Louisiana Literature,” and Louisiana Literature Press published her “Echo & Anger, Still” as part of its series of poetry chapbooks. The series also has included Darrell Bourque’s “The Doors Between Us,” David Middleton’s  “The Language of the Heart,” and Albert Davis’ “Virginia Patout's Parish.”        Bedell said Louisiana Literature Press’s first novel, “Pompeii Man,” a mystery-thriller by Paul Ruffin, was listed as one of the top five novels of 2002 in last year’s annual of the “Dictionary of Literary Biography.” Established in 1998, Louisiana Literature Press has also published a book of Ruffin’s poems, and this fall will issue the poems of Cuban-born writer Virgil Saurez.       Southeastern has published “Louisiana Literature” since 1984. The literary magazine spotlights both local talent and nationally-recognized authors. Works first published in “Louisiana Literature” have regularly been reprinted in collections and nominated for prizes from the National Book Award to the Pulitzer. The magazine has been honored for its design by the Council of Editors of Learned Journals, the nationwide organization of scholarly and literary journals.       Bedell said Pulitzer Prizes winners are announced in the spring. Return to News Releases