Published on January 6, 2012  

Samford University English alumna Brit Blalock `08 has been nominated for one of the nation's most prestigious literary awards for her poetry.

The editors of Blood Orange Review nominated Blalock's "Epigraph for this Poem" for the 2012 Pushcart Prize, awarded by U.S. small literary presses each year since 1976.

After studying English and Psychology at Samford--especially under the mentorship of English professors Bryan Johnson and Julie Steward--the Orange Beach, Ala., native continued her education at New York University, where she eventually served as Adjunct Professor of Creative Writing while completing her Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing.

"Brit Blalock is In the early stages of a promising career as an American poet," Johnson said. "Her work is intellectually challenging without thwarting a reader's ability to learn from her work".

Currently, Blalock is editing a collection of non-fiction essays by LGBT southerners, working on a book-length collection of her poetry and preparing to begin a Ph.D. program in creative writing in the fall. 

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.