Called the "single best measure of the state of affairs in American literature today" by the New York Review of Books, the PUSHCART PRIZE plays a critical role in fostering the vitality of contemporary literature. In honor of the diversity of remarkable, original work we published in 2005, Facets made the following six nominations for the Pushcart Prize:

“Silvia and Alfredo,” short story by Maura Greene (April 2005)
“In Kansas:,” short story by Aaron Hellem (October 2005)
“Road Work,” memoir of Iraq war by Jack Lewis (October 2005)
“’Shut Up,’ He Explained,” prose poem by Susan Rawlins (October 2005)
“Mercies Found in Light,” poem by Tom F. Sheehan (October 2005)
“Cicadas,” poem by Donna Spector (April 2005)

The volume containing the winning entries, The Pushcart Prize XXXI—The Best of the Small Presses, will be available in December in bookstores and online.

Frequent contributor MARION COHEN has a new Web site: http://marioncohen.com which contains four books for which she is seeking publishers: CRUEL AND UNUSUAL, her new well spouse prose book; PROGRESSIVE, her last well-spouse book; CROSSING THE EQUAL SIGN, math poems written in the throes of working on an original math poem; and OAKTAG AND EYEBALLS: THOUGHTS ON CHILDREN, EDUCATION, AND SOCIETY, which grew out her experience of eight years of home-schooling.

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Target Kiss   Light Jet Print 2004-05 by Ilene Segalove

DOUG HOLDER's poetry collection, Wrestling With My Father in the Nude, was released in the Fall of 2005 by the Yellow Pepper Press of Pittsburg and reviewed in Pen Himalaya. For more reviews and order information, see the Yellow Pepper Press Web site: http://timonsesaias.com/yppr.html

DANNY RENDLEMAN's new book, Stepping Into the River Once (Universe Press, 2005), is now available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. In this his seventh collection of poetry, the poet and former creative writing professor takes inspiration from Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who said, “"One can't step into the same river twice, since the river never remains the same."” Often subtle and complex, Rendleman's poems address implacable issues of change and mortality. Many of the poems in this book originally appeared in Facets.

LYNN STRONGIN's anthology, The Sorrow Psalms: A Book of Twentieth Century Elegy, will be published by the University of Iowa Press, June 2006. A descriptive flyer including information about ordering this book can be downloaded here.