Sarah Ansani, a sophomore at Sweet Briar College, was recently awarded an Academy of American Poets Prize, a literary award sponsored by colleges and universities from all over the United States at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Ansani, a double major in English and creative writing and philosophy, was Sweet Briar’s recipient of the coveted award.

SBC English professor Janet Sylvester announced the prize winner on Thursday, March 23, at the Thomas Sayers Ellis poetry reading – part of Sweet Briar’s Writers Series – in the Wailes Lounge of the Florence Elston Inn and Conference Center.

Sarah Ansani.
After the announcement, Ellis took the podium, saying he was impressed, having never won the award himself despite repeated attempts. He dedicated that evening’s poetry reading to Ansani.

Ansani submitted three poems to the competition: “The Check Out,” “Apartment” and “One Last Time.” Of Ansani’s work, judge and poet Teresa Cader said, “[Her] poems are notable for their sensuous language, bold imagination, playfulness and sense of form…Ansani’s pleasure in writing communicates to the reader in these inventive poems.”

In addition, Ansani was notified recently that her poem, “Apartment” will be featured in the May edition of “The North Central Review,” a biannual literary magazine published by North Central College in Naperville, Ill. The magazine features writers and artists from all over the world.

“Apartment” – in which each stanza represents a different floor – is not Ansani’s first published piece. Her work has appeared in the 2005 edition of “Red Clay,” the Sweet Briar literary magazine, and her short story “Let the Roses Crumble” was featured recently on cerebralcatalyst.com, a literary Web site that posts a few submissions each week.

— By Suzanne Ramsey, SBC staff writer