I was very happy to get the news that both Unearthing Paradise: Montana Writers in Defense of Greater Yellowstone and Poems Across the Big Sky, Volume II: An Anthology of Montana Poets have been named as finalists for this year’s High Plains Book Awards.

Unearthing Paradise was edited by Seabring Davis, Max Hjortsberg and myself, and includes my poem “HeartStones.” Poems Across the Big Sky was edited by Lowell Jaeger and Hannah Bissell and includes my poems “Golden Gate Bison” and “After the Storm.”

Congratulations to everyone who contributed to these two books, as well as all the finalists in all the categories.

The winners will be announced at the awards banquet during the High Plains Book Festival on October 21. Stay tuned.