Description: Established in 1978, it has been the express purpose of the National Poetry Series to involve poets of national renown in the identification and publication of emerging, new talents in poetry. The 2000 Open Competition marks HarperCollins's return as a participating publisher, and we are proud to join the National Poetry Series in their important mission. Our judge Billy Collins is the author of six books of poetry including Picnic, Lightning (1997), The Art of Drowning (1995), The Apple That Astonished Paris (1988), and Questions About Angels (1991), which, itself, was selected for the National Poetry Series and was published by William Morrow. The National Poetry Series has been instrumental in launching the careers of poets and writers such as Denis Johnson, Thylias Moss, and Mark Doty. Spencer Short is a young, exciting, new voice on the American scene: "Try & convince me the world's not full / of possibility. I'm Spencer. I'm three fingers gin, / one finger tonic. I'm one stiff drink".

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