Tuesday, October 18, 2011

I Won the Ekphrasis Prize!

Usually I am a finalist, not the prizewinner, "always a bridesmaid, never a bride," but in this case I actually won the Ekphrasis Prize for Poetry for 2011 from Ekphrasis, a literary magazine devoted to poems in response to visual art.

I won for "Repose," based on a painting by John White Alexander, pictured here (click link!) published in the Spring/Summer issue. The poem begins:

There is no repose in the woman
     draped across the divan
          like milk spilling, or a white wave
               crashing on a red velvet rock.

So why am I showing you a picture of limoncello tiramisu? Well, I think there is some sensual connection, but also because I don't think I have the rights to show the painting, but the lemon tiramisu can be found here, at The LoveBite, with a recipe you can "totally cheat on," and also here, at epicurious. Limoncello is a lemon liqueur. And it's Fat Tuesday in the blog.

And we had limoncello tiramisu at my poetry workshop on Sunday afternoon in little glasses similar to the ones shown above (actually candle holders, as revealed by Ginny, the poet/cook, as anything cooked by me would not have been as delicious as this was, oh, my God!)

Also, she brought some for my family, and I had a 2" x 2" square of it for breakfast on Monday morning, to prove my decadence, and I might do the same today, to celebrate Fat Tuesday, since I can't believe my husband didn't eat it all up last night after volleyball.

I still await the fall issue of Ekphrasis, which, I think, will announce my award, but I think it is safe to announce it here, as not only was the check in the mail, it is also already in the bank, and I have silver-edged certificate. This was a total surprise, and editors Laverne Frith and Carol Frith just called me up out of the blue one day, September 10, to give me the good news.

I am excited just remembering it, and I think I need some cake, lemon curd, limoncello, Mascarpone, and whipped cream.

21 comments:

Karen J. Weyant said...

Yay! Big Congrats!

Kathleen said...

Thanks, Karen, fellow poet!

Dale said...

:-)

Congratulations! xo

Erin at Being Poetry said...

Congratulations! How wonderful - recognition and money and yumminess. Yay.

Kristin Berkey-Abbott said...

Wow! Congrats on the award--and thanks for the limoncello inspirations!

seana graham said...

Congratulations, Kathleen! It's a beautiful painting and I'm very curious where the poem goes from that first stanza (if it is a stanza).

ADELE KENNY said...

Congrats, Kathleen!

Hannah Stephenson said...

Dude! You rock!! Congratulations!!

Dessert can always sub in for breakfast. I've eaten coffee ice cream for breakfast before...that tiramisu sounds AMAZING!

Kathleen said...

Hey, thanks, everybody! I feel loved and delighted all over again. And there is even a little limoncello tiramisu left in the fridge, but I am eating a sandwich now because dinner might be popcorn at the volleyball game tonight!

Sandy Longhorn said...

Wahoo! This is great news.

JulieK said...

Beautiful picture, beautiful (beginning of) poem... Congratulations on the award!

Kathleen said...

Thanks some more! Tiramisu for all!

Collagemama said...

Congratulations! Now I need something yellow and decadent...

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! Can't wait to read your whole piece - I love ekphrastic work - and your work - so the two together must be amazing!

Kathleen said...

Thanks, dears!

Kim said...

Congratulations! I look forward to reading the entire poem.

Kathleen said...

Thanks, Kim Kimmel and all who congratulated me! If you want to read the entire poem, you can get a copy for $6 straight from the magazine, here:

Ekphrasis
Frith Press
P.O. Box 161236
Sacramento, CA 95816-1236

Ask for Vol. 5, No. 5, Spring/Summer 2011, or just say you want the issue with "Repose" by Kathleen Kirk in it. Make check payable to Laverne E. Frith.

It is good to support literary magazines! If you are a poet yourself, send work with SASE, identifying the painting or artwork to which you are responding.

Nancy Devine said...

congrats!!!

Kathleen said...

Thanks, Nancy! A piece of virtual tiramisu for you!

Stacia said...

Good for you, Kathleen!

Kathleen said...

Thanks, Stacia. It's fun to share good news! And the limoncello tiramisu is good with raspberries!