The Reginald Shepherd
Memorial Prize in Poetry
The Reginald Shepherd Memorial Prize in Poetry supports work that reflects classical and modern sensibilities in language of precision and beauty. The competition is open to all UO undergraduates; the winner receives $150 and one of Shepherds' books; three Judge's Choices receive $50 each and a Shepherd volume. The contest is judged by faculty with expertise in poetry from across campus; three judges agree on a winner and also each judge recognizes his or her own "choice."
I write because I would like to live forever. . . .
I seek to immortalize the world I have found and made for myself,
even knowing that I won’t be there to witness that immortality,
mine or my work’s, that by definition I will never know
whether my endeavor has been successful.
But when has impossibility ever deterred anyone from a cherished goal?
--“Why I Write”
Application Process
- Submission deadline in late Spring term.
Selection & Award
The prize is distributed in Spring term and is paid through Student Accounts (balances due may be subtracted from the award amount.)
 Alan Contreras |
This award is made possible by the generosity of Alan Contreras, a Eugene writer who had been working to bring Shepherd to the UO for a reading just before his death. Contreras says, "Shepherd is inspiring because he blends a classical sensibility with a modern outlook. He isn't afraid to use powerful language, but he never wastes it or throws it around for shock value." Contreras himself has published, among other books and articles, a memoir, Afield, as well as a volume of poetry entitled Night Crossing. |
 Night Crossing (2004) |