Hall Poem Among Year’s Best

Hall’s featured poem, "Inheritance at Corresponding Periods of Life, at Corresponding Seasons of the Year, as Limited by Sex," was originally published in The Adroit Journal.  The title is directly inspired by Charles Darwin's The Descent of Man, and the poem itself "vectors two kinds of materials at each other: zoological statements about mating rituals meet, play off of, and contrast with facts about my parents' married life," explained Hall.  

For Hall, the selection is particularly meaningful as this year marks the final volume of the anthology, which has been in publication for 38 years. The highly regarded annual anthology selects just 75 poems from the thousands published in literary journals across the United States each year. 

"It's an honor to be included, particularly because the series is ending with this volume," he said. "I remember discovering the 1990 volume as an undergraduate, just starting to study and write poetry, and that volume opened up my eyes and my aspirations about what a poem could be. It's surreal to be included in something that introduced me to my personal Pantheon of poets and literary journals. And I hope that perhaps this volume does the same thing for Washington's amazing student poets." 

This is not the first time Hall's poem has been recognized. It was also selected for inclusion in the Pushcart Prize Anthology and Best of the Net, an online anthology that highlights exceptional work published in online literary magazines. Additionally, Hall was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Poetry earlier this year to work on his new collection of poems, Inheritance. 

Kesey’s Manuscript to be Published as Award Winner

Kesey won the 2025 McCarthy Prize from Sarabande Books for his new manuscript, Lore. The prize is one of the most prestigious and competitive literary awards offered by an independent press in the United States. 

“Sarabande has published so many of my favorite authors over the years—Lydia Davis, Paul Yoon, Mary Reufle, Ander Monson, Louise Glück,” Kesey commented. “I’m thrilled to be part of that group and so glad to be working with Sarabande to publish my dark little love letter to the Eastern Shore.” 

Lore is a powerful story about an isolated, 76-year-old widow named Lore, who years ago chose seclusion to shield herself from a past filled with guilt and pain. The narrative finds Lore during the pandemic, which has only intensified her isolation. As her mind and body begin to fail, the importance of human connection becomes tragically clear, forcing her to confront a central question: who will she become once her protective armor of seclusion falls away?

Lore is scheduled for publication by Sarabande Books in May 2027. 

Provost and Dean of the College Kiho Kim congratulated both professors and noted the recognition emphasizes the quality of creative writing instruction Washington students receive.

"The Mary McCarthy Prize is a highly competitive and respected award, and Roy's win is a powerful testament to his exceptional talent and dedication,” said Provost Kiho Kim. "Roy’s success in fiction and the recent national honors received by Literary House Director James Allen Hall reaffirm that our students are learning from two of the nation's most accomplished working writers. Moreover, their excellence inspires our students to pursue their creative aspirations with passion and determination."

—Dominique Ellis-Falcon