Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Irvine, California — June 30, 2026
River Paw Press is pleased to announce the Winner, Finalist, and Semi-Finalist of the 2026 Silent River Poetry Prize (Chapbook).
This year’s competition brought together a remarkable collection of poetry chapbooks, each offering a distinct voice, perspective, and artistic vision. After careful reading, multiple rounds of evaluation, and thoughtful deliberation, River Paw Press is honored to recognize three manuscripts whose literary excellence, poetic language, and lasting resonance most closely reflect the vision of the prize.
The Winner, Finalist, and Semi-Finalist chapbooks will each be considered for publication by River Paw Press.
The 2026 Silent River Poetry Prize (Chapbook) was judged by Kalpna Singh-Chitnis, Poet, Filmmaker, and Founder and Publisher of River Paw Press.
Recognition
Winner: The Language of Wind Over Water — Ed Ruzicka
Finalist: The Staggering Sum — James Lilliefors
Semi-Finalist: Mute Gospel — Nancy Mohr
Citations by the Judge
The Language of Wind Over Water leaves a lasting impression through its contemplative vision, luminous poetic language, and profound exploration of the human spirit, consciousness, and impermanence. Through attentive observations of the lives and quiet world of egrets on water and in the marsh, the collection transforms moments of attention into meditations and reflections on our shared human experience, revealing the deep interconnectedness between the human spirit and the living world. Rich in quiet wisdom and emotional depth, it invites readers to experience life with greater awareness, compassion, and wonder.
The Staggering Sum distinguishes itself through its exceptional craftsmanship, poetic language, and emotional depth. With honesty, quiet courage, and a deep awareness of the world around us, the collection embraces vulnerability while reflecting on family, memory, our shared struggles, and the complexities of being human. Rich in insight and artistic precision, it transforms lived experience into poetry of lasting beauty and enduring resonance.
Mute Gospel carries a deeply rooted sense of place, lyrical exploration of inheritance, ecology, family, and the enduring spirit of rural America. With compassion, abiding hope, and emotional generosity, the collection embraces both the hardships and the simple joys of everyday life, reminding us that resilience often grows from our deepest connections to one another and to the land. Rich in humanity, warmth, and gentle wisdom, it celebrates the enduring strength of the human spirit while offering readers a work of lasting grace and affirmation.
2026 Shortlist
Pictures Never Taken
Zhu Xiao Di
Half Undone
David Goodrum
Knucklehead
Nick Godec
The Staggering Sum
James Lilliefors
Mute Gospel
Nancy Mohr
The Language of Wind Over Water
Ed Ruzicka
A Longer Word Than Sorrow
Karl Sherlock
The Underscore
Maurya Simon
Citations by the Judge
Pictures Never Taken — Zhu Xiao Di
Pictures Never Taken is a moving exploration of migration, family, memory, and identity through poems that carry quiet emotional power and lasting resonance. Rooted in the immigrant experience yet deeply universal in its themes, the collection speaks to anyone who has carried more than one home, one history, or one sense of belonging.
Half Undone — David Goodrum
Half Undone is a book of graceful poetic language and thoughtful reflections on aging, love, memory, and the unfinished nature of human experience. With understated elegance and emotional restraint, the collection transforms everyday moments into poems of lasting beauty and gentle wisdom.
Knucklehead — Nick Godec
Knucklehead is an honest portrayal of youth, struggle, recovery, and resilience. Through a voice that is both vulnerable and unflinching, the collection traces a deeply human journey toward self-understanding, transformation, hope, and renewal.
A Longer Word Than Sorrow — Karl Sherlock
A Longer Word Than Sorrow amazes with its richly textured poetic language and its ability to transform history, grief, love, and memory into poetry of enduring beauty. One must return to read and re-read this book. With remarkable artistic precision and emotional depth, the collection reveals how language itself can illuminate both personal and collective experience.
The Underscore — Maurya Simon
The Underscore leaves a lasting impression through its inventive use of language and symbols to explore communication, silence, memory, and the mysteries that lie beneath words themselves. Imaginative, intellectually engaging, and emotionally resonant, the collection reveals the hidden connections between language and the human experience.
2026 Longlist
River Paw Press congratulates this year’s Winner, Finalist, Semi-Finalist, Shortlisted and longlisted authors, and extends its sincere appreciation to every poet who entrusted us with their work.
About the Silent River Poetry Prize
The Silent River Poetry Prize is presented annually by River Paw Press (an imprint of SilentRiver) to recognize exceptional poetry chapbooks and full-length poetry collections.
About River Paw Press
River Paw Press is an independent literary publisher and proud member of the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP), dedicated to publishing poetry and literary works of artistic value that inspire, uplift, endure, and deepen our understanding of the human experience. Our editorial vision embraces literature that broadens perspective, celebrates the richness of life, and fosters meaningful dialogue across cultures and generations.
Media Contact
Nirvana
pr(at)silentriver(dot)us
riverpawpress.com
silentriver.us
