[Susan McLean]

Actually, I feel a lot of sympathy for the people who choose the winners, knowing that they will be second-guessed and wrong more often than right. In some ways, it is laudable to seek out the young person on the way up, who really needs the funds. But in other ways it is really hard to tell the young prodigy from the flash in the pan, and time will tell its tale of whether that person will have lasting significance or implode under the pressure of expectations. If the choosers reward the people who already have a lifetime of achievement and awards under their belt, those are known quantities. But many onlookers will cavil that the ones at the height of their fame need the prize least. I think Alicia Stallings was a wonderful choice and has continued to demonstrate that she has the kind of talent that outlasts awards. I don't know Ocean Vuong's work well enough to venture a guess about its staying power.

Susan

[Rick Mullin]

I was basically calling Quincy in when I posted this. ~,:^)

Oh, I went off. I wasn't going to. As I said, I don't begrudge the guy, but I was disappointed to hear that he received such a high-profile honor on top of all the high-profile journal publications and attention he's received in the media.

[John Isbell]

Well, this year the Foundation does seem to have found the flavor of the month to bestow honors on. They didn't have to look very hard to come up with Vuong, would I think be my conclusion. And who knows, maybe he'll surprise the world, as they evidently want.

Cheers,
John

[R. Nemo Hill]

I think they made a decent bet.

Nemo

[Jim Moonan]

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You know... I was trying my best to refrain from chiming in about a poet I knew nothing about and an award that others more well-read than I might think others are more deserving of...
But I spent the better part of an hour reading his poems on Poetryfoundation.org and -- though an hour is a blink of an eye -- I think he's got something inside of him worth betting on, too.
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