Hollins MFA

Gertrude Claytor Poetry Prize of the Academy of American Poets

Given to a graduate or undergraduate student for the best poem or group of poems.

2021 – Judged by Nancy Naomi Carlson

• Tyler Starks MFA ’21 – winner
• Madeleine Gallo MFA ’21 – runner-up
• Makenzie Hampton ’22 – runner-up

2020 – Judged by Rebecca Morgan Frank

• Margot Rieth ’20 – winner
• Jennifer Sutherland MFA ’20 – honorable mention

2019 – Judged by Dan Vera

• Adriana Rewald MFA ’19 – winner
• Jonathan Pyner MFA ’20 – honorable mention
• Madison Harr ’22 – honorable mention

2018 – Judged by Jim McKean

• Adriana Rewald MFA ’19 – winner
• Reilly Cundiff MFA ’18 – runner-up
• Margot Rieth ’20 – runner-up

2017 – Judged by Rose McLarney

• Brooke McKinney MFA ’18 – winner
• Heather Loudermilk ’17 – runner-up

2016 – Judged by Ansel Elkins

• Shelley Whitaker ’16 – winner
• Mike Good MFA ’16 – runner-up

2015 – Judged by David Roderick

• William Repass MFA ’16 – winner
• Amanda Williams MFA ’16 – winner

2013 – Judged by Andrea Hollander

• Michael Loruss MFA ’13 – winner
• Eve Strillacci MFA ’13 – winner

2012 – Judged by Stacey Brown

• Matthew Bishop MFA ’12 – winner
• Brandon Courtney MFA ’12 – winner
• Elisabeth Aroneau MFA ’13 – honorable mention

2011 – Judged by Tim Seibles

• S.H. Lohmann MFA ’12 – winner
• Jess Quinlan MFA ’11 – runner-up
• Matthew Bishop MFA ’12 – honorable mention
• Lauren Smith MFA ’12 – honorable mention

Andrew James Purdy Prize for Short Fiction

In memory of Andrew James Purdy, a member of the Hollins English faculty from 1968 to 1977, this award is given to a graduate student in the creative writing program who has written a body of fiction of outstanding quality.

2021 – Judged by Louise Marburg

• Laura Schmitt MFA ’22 – winner
• Griffin Plaag MFA ’22 – runner-up

2020 – Judged by Susan Land

• Alexis Collins MFA ’21 – winner
• Lena Fultz MFA ’21 – runner-up
• Nicholas Shahbaz MFA ’20 – runner-up

2019 – Judged by Anne Sanow

• Amy Tomasso MFA ’19 – winner
• Jordan Humphrey MFA ’19 – runner-up

2018 – Judged by Anne Sanow

• Lucy Marcus MFA ’19 – winner
• Victoria Garayalde MFA ’18 – runner-up

2017 – Judged by Mark Powell

• Julie Upshur MFA ’17 – winner
• Ellie Paolini MFA ’17 – runner-up

2016 – Judged by Matthew Vollmer

• Whitney Watson MFA ’16 – winner
• Taylor Kobran MFA ’16 – runner-up

2015 – Judged by Mariflo Stephens

• Elisabeth Booze MFA ’16 – winner
• Ellen Ray MFA ’16 – runner-up

2014 – Judged by Elizabeth Denton

• Colin Lee MFA ’14 – winner
• Elise Burke MFA ’15 – runner-up

2013 – Judged by Daniel Mueller

• Eric Thompson MFA ’13 – winner
• Annie Mountcastle MFA ’13 – runner-up
• Amanda Pauley MFA ’14 – runner-up

2012 – Judged by R.T. Smith

• David Gauly MFA ’12 – winner

2011 – Judged by Jean McGarry

• David Gauly MFA ’12 – winner
• Meighan Sharp MFA ’11 – runner-up
• Lauren Smith MFA ’11 – runner-up

Melanie Hook Rice Award in Creative Nonfiction

In memory of Melanie Hook Rice, Class of 1975, this award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student in the creative writing program who has demonstrated considerable writing skills and has either completed or made substantial progress toward writing a book-length work of nonfiction.

2021 – Judged by Inara Verzemnieks

• Winner: Jen Lazar MFA ’21 – winner
• Runner-up: Sharon Christner MFA ’21 – runner-up
• Runner-up: Meghana Mysore MFA ’22 – runner-up

2020 – Judged by Michaele Weissman

• Sharon Christner MFA ’21 – winner

2019 – Judged by Anne Valente

• Lucy Marcus MFA ’19 – winner
• Lisa Archer MFA ’19 – runner-up
• Hännah Ettinger MFA ’19 – runner-up

2018 – Judged by Colin Rafferty

• Sydney Tammarine MFA ’18 – winner
• Lucy Marcus MFA ’19 – runner-up
• Rachael Walker ’18 – runner-up

2017 – Judged by Peter Trachtenberg

• Sydney Tammarine MFA ’18 – winner
• Josalyn Knapic MFA ’17 – runner-up
• Abigail Tippin MFA ’17 – runner-up

2016 – Judged by Susan Fox Rogers

• Mallory Jones MFA ’16 – winner
• Miranda Jenkins MFA ’16 – runner-up
• Ericka Kelly ’16 – runner-up

2015 – Judged by Scott McClanahan

• Elizabeth Caldwell MFA ’15 – winner
• Mallory Jones MFA ’16 – runner-up
• Martha Park MFA ’15 – runner-up

2014 – Judged by Lia Purpura

• Martha Park MFA ’15 – winner

2012 – Judged by Paul Lisicky

• S.H. Lohmann MFA ’12 – winner
• Lorie Imsdahl MFA ’13 – runner-up

2011 – Judged by Jenny Boully, MFA ’99 

• Alys Sink ’11 – winner

Melanie Hook Rice Award in the Novel

In memory of Melanie Hook Rice, Class of 1975, this award is given to a graduate or undergraduate student in the creative writing program who has demonstrated considerable writing skills and has either completed or made substantial progress toward writing a novel.

2021 – Judged by Ellen Prentiss Campbell

• Cory Crouser MFA ’21 – winner
• Zoe Wright MFA ’21 – runner-up

2020 – Judged by Anne Sanow

• Brooke Shamblin ’20 – winner
• Celeste Leeds-Laliberte ’22 – runner-up
• Katherine Nuwayser ’20 – runner-up

2019 – Judged by Susan Coll

• Lucy Marcus ’19 – winner
• Kelly Stephenson MFA ’20 – runner-up
• Cassidy Trudeau ’19 – runner-up

2018 – Judged by Paula Whyman

• Lucy Marcus MFA ’19 – winner
• Victoria Garayalde MFA ’18 – runner-up

2017 – Judged by Robert Siegel

• Tessa Cheek MFA ’17 – winner
• Elizabeth Reitzell MFA ’17 – runner-up
• Ellie Paolini MFA ’17 – runner-up

2016 – Judged by Jon Pineda

• Ellen Ray MFA ’16 – winner
• Elizabeth Booze MFA ’16 – runner-up
• Tessa Cheek MFA ’17 – runner-up

2015 – Judged by Ravi Howard

• Elisabeth Booze MFA ’16 – winner
• Marissa Mazek MFA ’15 – runner-up

2014 – Judged by Drew Perry

• Virginia Wood MFA ’14 – winner
• Emma Bohmann MFA ’14 – runner-up
• Colin Lee MFA ’14 – runner-up

2013 – Judged by Adam Ross

• Colin Lee MFA ’14 – winner
• Annie Mountcastle MFA ’14 – runner-up

2012 – Judged by Jessica Anya Blau

• Courtney Cullinan Robb MFA ’12 – winner
• Mary Catherine Curley MFA ’12 – runner-up

2011 – Judged by Ed Falco

• Courtney Cullinan Robb MFA ’12 – winner