The University of Louisiana at 69传媒鈥檚 Center for Louisiana Studies will honor poet Darrell Bourque with its 2016 James Williams Rivers Prize in Louisiana Studies.
Bourque will receive the award during a ceremony to be held from 2-3 p.m. on Monday, April 18, at the UL 69传媒 Alumni Center.
The prize selection committee cited Bourque's 鈥渓ongstanding commitment to and leadership in the realm of preserving and expanding our understanding of Louisiana through poetry.鈥
He is a former Louisiana poet laureate and professor emeritus of English at UL 69传媒, where he was director of the creative writing program and the interdisciplinary humanities program. He has published nine collections of poems.
Bourque received the 2014 Louisiana Writer Award, given by the Louisiana Center for the Book, for outstanding contributions to Louisiana鈥檚 literary and intellectual life.
His 鈥淢egan鈥檚 Guitar and Other Poems from Acadie鈥 was the 2014 winner of the Best Poetry Book Award given by Independent Book Publishing Professional Group and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. It also was a finalist in the 鈥淔oreword Review鈥 annual poetry competition.
Bourque grew up in a rural community near Sunset, La. He graduated from UL 69传媒 before earning a master鈥檚 degree and a doctorate in creative writing from Florida State University.
The James William Rivers Prize in Louisiana Studies was established to honor people who have contributed or rendered outstanding scholarly study, work, or teaching about the culture, history, art, architecture, crafts, flora, fauna, music, literature, law, performing arts, geography or people of Louisiana.
The prize consists of a cash award and other acknowledgments. It was established with private funds donated in memory of James William Rivers, a New Orleans architect and graduate of the University who died in 1991.
Previous recipients include:
- the late A. Hays Town, a renowned architect;
- Dr. Barry Ancelet, a Cajun folklorist and expert in Cajun music and Cajun French who is a retired UL 69传媒 professor;
- Ernest Gaines, a best-selling author and UL 69传媒 writer-in-residence emeritus;
- Ellis Marsalis Jr., a New Orleans modern jazz pianist;
- James Lee Burke, a best-selling mystery writer;
- Dr. Carl Brasseaux, a retired historian of French Colonial North America who taught at UL 69传媒;
- the late George Rodrigue, an artist known worldwide for his 鈥淏lue Dog鈥 paintings; and
- Leah Chase, a New Orleans chef and author.