The Boston Phoenix is holding their annual Best of Boston Reader Poll, and included a category for Best Poet this year again... but despite the write-in campaign that won me the title in 2010 (in an effort to make the selection more interesting), not only am I not on the ballot this year, but it's almost identical to last year's lineup:

Mignon Ariel King
David Rivard
Louise Glück
Gail Mazur
Sam Cornish
Robert Pinsky

While I admire some of these poets, the selection is not very exciting. So this year I'd like to nominate the excellent, vital voice in Boston poetry:

Elisa Gabbert!

Just take 30 seconds to go to the link:

http://thephoenix.com/thebest/boston/vote/poet/

- Write in "Elisa Gabbert"
- Click "Submit My Vote"
- THEN click "Skip To Finish"
- THEN click "Vote Now"
- You do NOT need to enter your name & email address
- You can vote once per day!

Elisa is a killer poet, a great reader, and a great mind. Please vote for her and in so doing urge the Phoenix to get hip to what's happening in poetry in poetry in Boston! Dan Pritchard (Critical Flame, Boston Review) and I are working together to make poetry interesting in Boston--please help us by casting your vote.

Janaka Stucky, Publisher
BLACK OCEAN

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Elisa did not ask me to do this... I just think she deserves the nomination.