MAGNOLIA —The work of Donika Ross, a 2005 graduate of Southern Arkansas University with a bachelor’s degree in English, has been selected to appear in “Best New Poets 2007.”
“Best New Poets 2007” is the final result of a national competition where nominations are made by writing programs, literary magazines and an open internet competition. Only 50 poets are selected each year, said Ross, who was notified about the honor in August. Ross is now studying creative writing at the James A. Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin. She will graduate in May 2008 and is applying to several universities now, one of which she will attend to complete her doctoral work.
The poem Ross is honored for in the book is entitled “Ceremony,” and deals with a man’s coping skills in the aftermath of his wife’s death. Although the man’s ritual of burying chicken in the backyard in the poem might not make sense to people, they can identify with how he is feeling, Ross said.
“I think the sense of loss resonates across the board. We can all understand grief and coping with loss,” Ross said.
This is the second time “Ceremony” has been published. It was also published in the “Ellipsis” literary magazine produced by Westminster College in spring 2007.
Ross has called Magnolia home since her family moved when she was 13 from Los Angeles. At SAU, Ross was a member of Sigma Tau Delta and served as president of the international English honor society from 2004 to 2005.
“Best New Poets 2007” will be available in stores on November 1 for $11.95. Major online sellers such as amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, booksamillion.com and walmart.com will have the books in stock. Local book stores can order copies through the University of Virginia Press.
