The Worcester County Poetry Association recently announced that Jeff Walt of San Diego, Calif., won The Frank O’Hara Prize in this year’s WCPA Poetry Contest for his poem “The World is Ending on the East Coast.”

Judged by established literary performer and educator Regie Gibson, the contest received 138 poems from 50 entrants.

The Second Place winner was Nicole DiCello, of Worcester, for “Electra 101;” Third Place winner was Sam Capradae, of Worcester, for “This Rage Dies with Me” and Honorable Mention winner was Michael Morlock, of Belrin, for “Speak of the Moment.”

Already having some notoriety, Walt’s work has appeared in various journals, including the Los Angeles Review, New Millennium Writings, America’s Review and more; his work has also appeared in a variety of anthologies. Walt’s chapbook, SOOT, was co-winner of the 2009 Keystone Chapbook Prize and published in 2010 by Seven Kitchens Press. His poem “After a Fight” was published as a broadside by Broadsided in August 2016.

The winning poems will be published in the next edition of The Worcester Review. Winners will also read their work at the Winners’ Ceremony and Reading this fall, when Gibson will additionally read some of his own work and meet the poets.

WCPA is an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff. For more information, visit worcestercountypoetry.org 

Pictured above is Regie Gibson