Jane Huffman’s poetry collection, Dilemma, has been awarded the 2026 Vanderbilt University Literary Prize. This prize is given to a single author of a full-length poetry collection and underscores Vanderbilt's commitment to fostering new artistic voices. The award includes the publication of Dilemma by Vanderbilt University Press in print, electronic, and audio formats, a $10,000 honorarium, an invitation to read at the Gertrude C. and Harold S. Vanderbilt Reading Series, and a one-week residency at the university to engage with students and the Nashville literary community.
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Gianna Mosser, director of VU Press, praised the collection, stating, "It is an incredible honor to publish Jane Huffman’s Dilemma. The judges were dazzled by the metalinguistic registers and the layers of meaning in everyday snippets of life.” The poems in Dilemma explore the relationship between thought and perspective, reflecting on experiences of respiratory illness and artistic creation in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Huffman is also the author of Public Abstract, which won the 2023 American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize. She is currently a doctoral candidate in English and literary arts at the University of Denver and has an MFA from the University of Iowa. Her poetry has been featured in publications such as The New Yorker and Poetry Magazine. In 2019, she received the Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Fellowship from the Poetry Foundation.
Major Jackson, the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English and director of creative writing, commented on Huffman’s work, emphasizing the emotional depth and innovative approach of her poetry. He noted that the collection offers significant insights into the human experience amid a society increasingly reliant on technology.
The VU Literary Prize, supported by the McEntire Literary Fund, aims to celebrate poetry that is original and explores often overlooked aspects of human experience. In 2026, close to four hundred submissions were reviewed by a committee led by Jackson, which included various faculty members and graduate students. From nine semifinalists selected by jurists Victoria Chang, Kerrin McCadden, and Gregory Pardlo, Jackson chose Huffman’s manuscript as the winner. Honorable mentions were awarded to several other poets, including Gabriel Fine and Maja Lukic.
Jurist Victoria Chang highlighted the emotional grounding of Huffman’s work, stating, “The poems in Dilemma are not only intellectual but resonate with the complexities of life and relationships.” Huffman expressed her gratitude for the recognition, appreciating the support for artists during challenging times. Dilemma is slated for publication in March 2027, when Huffman will visit the university to interact with its academic community.