The Lisa Brannan Prize is a $1,000 prize for emerging poets in honor of Lisa Brannan, a former Poetry Project intern and poet. In addition to the financial prize, the winning poet will have their submission published in the Poetry Project Newsletter. The generosity and dedication of our interns and volunteers—often emerging poets themselves—is invaluable to The Poetry Project, and we are so honored to offer this prize in the memory of our former intern.
This year’s judge, Laura Henriksen, has selected Robert Frost—no relation to the other one—as the winner of the 2025 Lisa Brannan Prize.
Robert Frost’s writing communicates a life on the furthermost edge of American society—and shows that it’s a lot closer than one might think. A debut collection, Robert Frost, edited by Stacy Skolnik, will be released in 2026 by Book Works.
Regarding Robert’s work, Laura had the following to share:
“Every time I read these poems I love them more. They give me that dizzy lurch feeling that happens when I sit on a stalled train and see another train move past, when movement and stillness collapse in my stomach. Their form propulsive and arresting, their emotion deep and righteous, their energy atomic. I’m so glad I got to read them, glad you get to read them, and I can’t wait for Robert Frost’s book. All love and praise to mosquitoes with broken noses, pharmacists who’ll sell syringes without prescriptions, and poets who testify to place, people, and experience in gentleness and rage.”
In addition to selecting Robert as this year's winner, Laura identified the following poets as finalists for this year's prize: Samira Abed, Isaiah Back-Gaal, Yuma Carpenter-New, Nica Horvitz, and Ayling Zulema Dominguez.
Ate at Lucky Star and got myself
the Curry Chicken. I didn’t know
that was Chinese. Well it was banging
at any rate. I got an egg roll with it
and it was so good.
After I got done
eating I was stuffed and I didn’t
get hungry again until way later.
I really don’t get that stereotype
about Chinese food.
I met a new friend Suzie while I was there
and we talked throughout the meal.
Then afterwards we spent the day
together at Wendy’s until I went to radioshack
for the adapter for my guitar to connect
to the speaker. She kept trying to convince me
it would be better if i put my clothes
in bags and carried them rather than use the buggy.
It would look better and be
less conspicuous she kept telling me.
Sheesh, you know how hard
it would be to walk 10-15
miles a day with that much
weight in your hands?
I love it when people who have never been homeless
try to give advice about being homeless,
they just don’t get it sometimes.
I met back up with Suzie before
she got picked up. I kept falling asleep
in the chair across from her
so after she left I found a place
to sleep behind some bushes
but around 2am I woke up
being eaten alive and found another
spot on a nearby path. There were streetlights
so it wasn’t completely dark
but there was a shadow that I laid within
so I wouldn’t be seen.
— at Lucky Star Chinese Fast Food.
Apparently this CVS promotes the spread of hepatitis, AIDS, and other bloodborne illnesses
they refuse to sell syringes to anyone unless they already have a prescription
and since I'm from out of town and don’t
and since im on foot and cant get to another pharmacy
easily, I guess
they’d prefer that I keep using these old dirty syringes
with the numbers almost completely rubbed off
with points so dull it’s like pushing a safety pin through your skin
there’s a Walgreens south of here that has sold to me in the past
and I may go there but it’s south
of here and I'm heading north on foot so back
tracking like that would set me back another day
or two and I’ve already been stuck here for too long
and I’d really like to move forward
I’ve spent days here hoping
to get the money together to make this purchase
while still having enough
to eat
and now that i finally have the $10 I needed
I find out this CVS won’t provide me
with the product I require
Waste more time heading in the wrong direction
or keep using what I have until I happen across
another pharmacy?
I just watched this poor little skeeter with a busted nose
try time after time to pierce my skin
I’d watch her try to stick her nose in and it just kept bending
on her as she tried to insert it, she’d realize it wasn’t in
and pull it back up, then I’d see her try to straighten it out or
possibly she was trying to sharpen it, her little arms frantically
pawing up and down the length of her nose just trying to set it right
make it work
as she desperately searched for the spot
I tried to direct her to a place with thinner skin but couldn’t figure out how
to do that without
scaring her away as I tried tilting my hand this way and that
pointing and praying she would break through but sometimes
nature can be cruel
Must’ve watched the poor girl for at least 15 minutes before
she flew off in frustration, made me wanna
draw some blood and set out a bowl
