PORT TOWNSEND — Copper Canyon Press staff and board members celebrated Monday after Executive Editor Michael Wiegers received a text message with some good news: the Fort Worden State Park-based poetry publisher had produced its second Pulitzer Prize winner in four years.
Copper Canyon published the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, The Shadow of Sirius by W.S. Merwin, and a finalist, What Love Comes to: New & Selected Poems by Ruth Stone.
Copper Canyon also published poet Ted Kooser’s Pulitzer Prize winner, Delights & Shadows, in 2005.
Wiegers learned about the win before Merwin, who won his second Pulitzer, but quickly passed on the good news to the poet who has written more than 50 books of poetry, prose and translation.
Merwin is originally from New Jersey and Pennsylvania but now lives in Hawaii.
“He’s considered one of the premiere American poets,” Wiegers said, taking a break from a board and staff retreat that happened to coincide with the day of the announcement.
Wiegers said Copper Canyon republished some of Merwin’s out-of-print books, which sparked the relationship.
“He started bringing all his new work to us,” Wiegers said, adding that the poet was encouraged to do so.
Merwin, 81, said that Copper Canyon’s sole focus on poetry was one of the reasons he went to the small publisher.
“I liked the way Copper Canyon approached the whole thing,” he told The Associated Press from his home in Hawaii.
“Their emphasis is entirely poetry. If you’re with one of the big publishing houses, the books are beautiful, but it’s not their main thing.”
Won in 1971
This year’s prize marked the second time Merwin had been honored with a Pulitzer.
In 1971, he won for “The Carrier of Ladders” and refused to accept the prize money in protest of the Vietnam War.
The latest win is more positive exposure for Copper Canyon, which has exclusively published poetry since 1972.
“Here, poetry is the major genre,” Wiegers said.
The win will likely attract more award-winning poets to the publisher as well as new talent, Wiegers said.
“Because of a major award winner I can go to other award winners,” he said.
Others at Copper Canyon were equally ecstatic.
“This is absolutely stunning that we got two prizes,” said Joseph Bednarik, Copper Canyon marking and sales director.
“This was a community of people that put this out.”
Regional donations
Wiegers said North Olympic Peninsula and other Northwest residents donated to the project.
They are acknowledged in the back of the book.
For every dollar of sales revenue, the nonprofit publisher has to generate another $1, said George Knotek, Copper Canyon development director.
Board members present Monday were Libby Atkins, David G. Brewster, Chris Higashi, Walter Parsons, Joseph C. Roberts, Rick Simonson, Kathie Werner, Daniel Waggoner.
Staff members are: Beroz Ferrell, consultant; Wiegers, Bednarik, Knotek; Denise Banker, publicist; Jessica Rice, production manager; Randy Sturgis, financial manager; Jan North, volunteer coordinator; Michelle Sizemore, intern; Matthew Ritger, intern; and Cabot the dog, Copper Canyon’s mascot.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
