A major congratulations to fellow Melissa Lanitis Gregory Poetry Prize winner Lexa Hillyer, whose first book of poems, Acquainted with the Cold, is now available from Bona Fide Books. Jeanne Marie Beaumont says the “greatest gift of this book is that it makes me feel more alive as I read, like a crisp, clear winter day.” This is precisely what I like about Hillyer’s collection. These poems, which are bound together by images of ice and rain and snow, feel physically sharp. Hillyer is a master craftsman. Her poems feel raw and spontaneous, but they are finely tuned pieces of art.
Lexa Hillyer received her BA in English from Vassar College and her MFA in Poetry from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine. She was the recipient of the Inaugural Poetry Prize from Tusculum Review and the First Prize in Poetry from Brick & Mortar Review, and was named one of the “Best New Poets of 2012” by Matthew Dickman. Hillyer worked as an editor at both Harper Collins and Penguin, and is co-founder of boutique literary incubator Paper Lantern Lit. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and a very skinny orange tree.
Acquainted with the Cold is available online through Bona Fide Books and Amazon, and in select bookstores.
The Melissa Lanitis Gregory Poetry Prize was created in memory of Lake Tahoe artist Melissa Gregory, the inspiration for Bona Fide Books. The prize is awarded annually for an unpublished collection of poetry. The winner receives a cash prize, publication, and a reading at Lake Tahoe.