The City of Albuquerque's Department of Arts & Culture's poetry anthology, "One Albuquerque, One Hundred Poets," has been recognized as the Top Poetry Anthology at the 2023 NM-AZ Book Awards. The award was presented by the New Mexico Book Co-Op, and the publication was a collaboration with the Albuquerque Public Library Foundation.
According to a press release, the anthology is dedicated to the Albuquerque poets who participated in the Poets in the Libraries project and the librarians who championed free speech. The collection was edited by Mary Oishi, the former Albuquerque Poet Laureate.
"The Poets in the Libraries project was sown by Albuquerque Poet Laureate, Mary Oishi, who served during 2020-2022 and thus will always be affectionately known as our 'pandemic poet laureate'," said Dr. Shelle Sanchez, director of Arts & Culture, in the press release. The project brought together hundreds of local poets to read their work from home or at their neighborhood library, delivering it virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"One Albuquerque, One Hundred Poets" can be purchased at local bookstores, on Amazon, and checked out from the Public Library, as announced by the City of Albuquerque.
Mary Oishi expressed her gratitude for the award, stating, "This award is a great honor for the scores of Albuquerque poets who participated in the Poets in the Libraries project, as well as for the City's Arts & Culture Department, Albuquerque's amazing public library system, and the Albuquerque Poet Laureate Program. My deep appreciation to everyone involved in this project. Today I am floating."
In addition to the poetry anthology, other Albuquerque publications were recognized at the NM-AZ Book Awards. "City at the Crossroads: The Pandemic, Protests, and Public Service in Albuquerque" by Joline Gutierrez Krueger, from Arts & Culture, was a finalist in the History category. The Albuquerque Museum's "Journey West: Danny Lyon" catalog was also a finalist in the same category.
The proceeds from "One Albuquerque, One Hundred Poets" will support the initiatives of the Albuquerque Public Library Foundation, as stated in the press release.