Rusty Morrison has been the co-founder, co-publisher of Omnidawn (www.omnidawn.com) since 2001. Her five books include After Urgency (won Tupelo’s Dorset Prize), the true keeps calm biding its story (won Ahsahta’s Sawtooth Prize, James Laughlin Award, N.California Book Award, & DiCastagnola Award from PSA), and most recently: Beyond the Chainlink (Ahsahta; finalist for the NCIB Award & NCB Award). Her new book, Risk, will be published by Black Ocean on Spring 2024. She was awarded a fellowship by UC Berkeley Art Research Center’s Poetry & the Senses Program (in the program’s inaugural year of 2020). Her poems have appeared on the Poetry Foundation website, on their podcast series Poetry Now, in Colorado Review, Fence, Iowa Review, Poetry Daily, and elsewhere. Her creative nonfiction & poetry has appeared in Entropy; and her nonfiction at Harriet. Her critical essays appeared at Kenyon Review and Pleiades among other places. She is a recipient of fellowships from UC Berkeley’s Arts and Research Center, Civitella Ranieri, Djerassi, and other artist residencies. She has taught in MFA programs, been a visiting poet at colleges, and teaches workshops through Omnidawn and elsewhere. She offers private consultations. For more info, see her website: www.rustymorrison.com
Honors and Awards
- 2019: Fellowship Award from UC Berkeley’s Arts and Research Center and the Engaging the Senses Foundation
- 2017: Residency Awarded by Civitella Ranieri Artist Residency Foundation in Umbria, Italy.
- Three starred reviews in Publishers Weekly (the true keeps calm biding its story, After Urgency, Beyond the Chainlink)
- 2013: Finalist, Fifth Annual Poetry Contest, Narrative
- 2012: Fellowship Award for a four-week Residency at the Vermont Studio Center
- 2010: Dorset Prize, Tupelo Press, selected by Jane Hirshfield (2012: After Urgency)
- 2009: Poet in Residence, MFA in Creative Writing Program, Saint Mary’s College, Spring 2009
- 2009: George Bogin Memorial Award, Poetry Society of America, selected by John Yau
- 2009: Northern California Book Award for Poetry (for the true keeps calm biding its story)
- 2008: James Laughlin Award, Academy of American Poets, selected by Rae Armantrout, Claudia Rankine, and Bruce Smith (for the true keeps calm biding its story)
- 2007: Sawtooth Poetry Prize, Ahsahta Press, Boise State University, Idaho, selected by Peter Gizzi (for the true keeps calm biding its story)
- 2007: Alice Di Castagnola Memorial Award, Poetry Society of America, selected by Susan Howe (for manuscript in progress: the true keeps calm biding its story)
- 2006: Cecil Hemley Memorial Award, Poetry Society of America, selected by Cal Bedient
- 2004: Colorado Prize for Poetry, The Center for Literary Publishing, Colorado State University, selected by Forrest Gander (for Whethering)
- 2003: Robert H. Winner Award, Poetry Society of America, selected by Ron Padgett
- 2002: Lori & Deke Hunter Fellowship (five week residency) at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program