As the editor of Ancient Paths Online, I have the pleasure and responsibility of repeatedly reading the many excellent poems published throughout the year. I do this in order to select a handful to nominate for the Pushcart Prize.
The Pushcart Prize is an annual anthology of the best poems and short stories published in the small presses. The Pushcart editors sift through thousands of entries, which are nominated by small literary magazines such as Ancient Paths, each year. It is considered an honor merely to be nominated. Those who are selected for publication in the anthology by the Pushcart editors receive a free copy of the book. Over the years, Pushcart has reprinted over 2,500 selections from over 600 different presses, and it is the best-selling small press anthology. After much time and consideration, this year’s selections have been made. Ancient Paths congratulates its 2020 Pushcart Prize nominees: “Texan Kahuna Cracking Pecans” by Brian Billings “The Better Part” by Elizabeth Dolan “This Year in the Catacombs” by Reverend Wendy MacLean
“The Lord is Not Slow” by Bruce Gorden “Vernal Equinox” by Frank De Canio
Each of these selections may be found archived on the blog. You can read the poems by clicking on the individual links above.