NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Fady Joudah, a Palestinian American poet who has said he writes for the future because 鈥渢he present is demolished,鈥� has received a $100,000 award from Poets & Writers.
Joudah is this year's winner of the Jackson Poetry Prize, given to an American writer of "exceptional talent. He was chosen by a panel of three poets: Natalie Diaz, Gregory Pardlo and Diane Seuss.
The judges' citation, released Thursday, noted Joudah's 鈥渟ignificant and evolving body of work, distinguished by his courage to speak in the face of the unspeakable, in poems of lyric concision and intensity.鈥�
Joudah's books include 鈥淭he Earth in the Attic鈥� and 鈥淭ethered to the Stars," along with English-language translations of the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish. His other honors include winning the Yale Series of Younger Poets competition, in 2007, and receiving a PEN USA Literary Award.
The Jackson prize was established in 2007, and has previously been given to Sonia Sanchez, Joy Harjo and Claudia Rankine among others.
The Associated Press
