New York, NY (March 28, 2023)—Eduardo C. Corral has selected Sara Daniele Rivera’s manuscript The Blue Mimes as the recipient of the 2023 Academy of American Poets’ First Book Award, the nation’s most generous first-book prize for a poet. Rivera’s manuscript will be published by Graywolf Press in April 2024.
In addition, Rivera will receive $5,000 and a six-week, all-expenses-paid residency at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Umbria, Italy. The Academy of American Poets will also purchase thousands of copies of The Blue Mimes to send to its members, making it one of the most widely distributed poetry books of the year. Rivera will also be featured on Poets.org and in American Poets magazine.