Pushing the Cart - Editor Lisa Vihos Nominated for Prize

At Stoneboat, I'm proud to have the opportunity to work with three brilliant writers. Their skills and creativity have been inspirational in moving our journal forward. The most prolific of our editorial staff, without a doubt, is Lisa Vihos. It seems every time I talk to her she has submitted a poem to yet another journal, has published a chapbook, or is leading a weekend workshop to share the art of poetry with others. Not only does she create a large volume of work, she creates a large volume of great work. This is evidenced by the inconsequential stack of rejection letters she has received.

With the amount of quality work that Lisa produces I knew it was only a matter of time before a small press would nominate her for a Pushcart Prize. I am proud to say that her time has come. Her poem "How I Got My Wings" was recently nominated for the Prize by Seems, a fine poetry magazine captained by Karl Elder, Fessler Professor of Creative Writing at Lakeland College.

In my mind, however, this nomination, while a great honor for Lisa, is a small reward for the work she has accomplished in the local writing community and beyond. Her contributions extend beyond mastery of the craft to tireless advocacy for the art. Whether setting up readings at local venues, organizing a day's worth of events for 100,000 Poets for Change, or contributing as a guest blogger to the Best American Poetry, Lisa tirelessly promotes poetry for the betterment of our society. A simple Google query of her name yields a seemingly endless list of her involvement in the writing world. Lisa is a true Wisconsin treasure.

On behalf of the editors at Stoneboat, I would like to congratulate Lisa not only on her nomination for a Pushcart Prize but also for the work that she does to promote the art of poetry. She is an outstanding representative for the craft, and we are proud to have her as both an editor and a friend.