Michele McDannold
Author's posts
Aug 08
Announcing the WINNER of the 2026 Brian Fugett Memorial Prize
Citizens for Decent Literature Press congratulates FIZZA ABBAS, who was selected by special guest judge Richard Modiano as the winner of this year’s Brian Fugett Memorial Prize. This year’s selection, ‘I KEEP LOOKING AT THE SKY AND CALL IT A BODY,’ was chosen through a blind process which included 95 separate entries. Selected from an …
Jul 30
2026 Shortlist
We are honored to announce the shortlist for the 2026 Brian Fugett Memorial Prize. After careful consideration of an outstanding group of submissions (95 total manuscripts!), these poets have been selected as finalists for this year’s award. Congratulations to the shortlisted authors, and thank you to everyone who shared their work with us. We are …
Jun 23
Submission Period Nears End
Please read the full guidelines at theliteraryunderground.org/fugett All submissions must be received by June 30 at midnight CT
Feb 17
Special Guest Judge Announced for 2026 Brian Fugett Memorial Prize
In honor of late editor and publisher Brian W. Fugett, the annual Brian Fugett Memorial Prize recognizes an outstanding poetry chapbook manuscript, with the winning manuscript selected for publication by Citizens for Decent Literature Press and awarded 25 contributor copies. The Literary Underground is proud to announce acclaimed poet, editor, and arts advocate Richard Modiano …
Jan 10
Richard Modiano reviews A MATTER OF TASTE: POEMS OF HUNGER AND THIRST by Deborah Ketai
first published at IN CONVERSATION by The Literary Underground A Matter of Taste: Poems of Hunger and Thirst by Deborah Ketai Citizens for Decent Literature Press 2026, Winner of the Brian Fugett Memorial Prize Deborah Ketai’s A Matter of Taste is a collection obsessed—in the most productive sense—with appetite: for food, for sex, for meaning, for language, for …
Jan 09
Now Available — A Matter of Taste: Poems of Hunger and Thirst by Deborah Ketai
NOW AVAILABLE! The Winner of the Brian Fugett Memorial Prize, A MATTER OF TASTE: Poems of Hunger and Thirst by Deborah Ketai is now available for purchase at https://www.amazon.com/Matter-Taste-Poems-Hunger-Thirst/dp/B0G7H4XSHF Edited by Michele McDannold & Aleathia Drehmer, Published by Citizens for Decent Literature Press. The Brian Fugett Memorial Prize is awarded to work that embodies the …
Nov 19
the 1st Annual Brian Fugett Memorial Prize Winner
This year, “A Matter of Taste: Poems of Hunger and Thirst” by Deborah Ketai was chosen as the winning manuscript. This will be Deborah’s first ever published collection at the age of 72. Thank you again to all the entrants for participating this year. Deborah Ketai (she/her) writes from the intersection of bipolarity, bisexuality, and …
Oct 03
2025 shortlist
Citizens for Decent Literature Press is happy to announce the shortlist for the Brian Fugett Memorial Prize. Sincere thanks to all the entrants. The winner of the contest will be announced on November 8, 2025 at the Underground Lit Fest in Toledo, Ohio. Top 6: Luis Cuauhtemoc Berriozabal, Westley Heine, Deborah Ketai, Len Kuntz, Zak …
Jul 22
Cover reveal & pre-order link
Compiled after Brian Fugett’s sudden passing, this collection casts his work in a new light—read as both legacy and insight into his life and perspective. Fugett’s poems often spring from everyday observations, revealing the strange, uncomfortable, and darkly humorous sides of human behavior and social interactions. This is evident in pieces like “Saturday Morning Cartoons,” …
May 25
In Memoriam
Citizens for Decent Literature Press is honored to announce the forthcoming publication of a powerful new collection of poetry by our dearly missed friend, Brian Fugett. Spanning work from the late 1980s through 2024, this posthumous collection gathers over 150 poems that reflect the breadth of Fugett’s voice and vision. Edited by Aleathia Drehmer and …
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