I've been a fan of Sharon Olds's work for years, one of a small number of free verse poets whose work really hit me like a lightning bolt when I first encountered it. So I am glad to see the award go to someone I think is very talented. The incestuous nature of awards is troubling, and I personally think that giving prizes of lower amounts to more people might do more good than giving huge prizes to one. But, ironically, in America the size of the award is what gets people's attention, even if they have no interest otherwise in poetry.
Susan
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