I”m just about a month late with the announcement – but it”s been a crazy-busy month. I only happened across it through this story in the Norwich bulletin about William Meredith”s attendance at the National Book Award ceremony held Nov 16 of this year. The story was a lovely one, about Meredith being seated with the nominee who”d requested his presence at the award because he was such an influence. That poet was H.L. Hix, and his book Chromatic did not win that night. Instead, the National Book Award for Poetry 2006 was awarded to Nathaniel Mackey for his book Splay Anthem.

Mackey is a well-known writer in many genres. His other books of poetry include umboulou: 18-20 (1994); School of Udhra (1993); Outlantish (1992); Eroding Witness (1985), which was selected for the National Poetry Series; Septet for the End of Time (1983); and Four for Trane (1978).

He is also the author of an ongoing prose work, From A Broken Bottle Traces of Perfume Still Emanate, of which three volumes have been published: Atet A. D. (2001), Djbot Baghostus”s Run (1993), and Bedouin Hornbook (1986). He published a book of literary criticism, Discrepant Engagement: Dissonance, Cross-Culturality, and Experimental Writing (1993), and is editor of American Poetry: The Twentieth Centur and Moment”s Notice: Jazz in Poetry and Prose, and the magazine Hambone.

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