Gillian Conoley, professor and poet-in-residence at Sonoma State University in California, has been chosen as the recipient of the Shelley Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America. The award has been given to one poet annually since 1929.
Professor Conoley is being honored for her entire body of work. The three judges praised Professor Conoley writing as a “shockingly varied body of work comprising narrative, lyric, and fragmented forms. In the work, sound deepens our acquaintance with landscape, and enriches our encounter with human life.”
Professor Conoley’s most recent collection of poetry – Peace – was published by Omnidawn in 2014. It was her seventh published collection.
Professor Conoley has taught at Sonoma State University since 1994. There, she is the founder and editor of the literary magazine Volt. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas and earned a master of fine arts degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.