Aaron Poochigian Wins 2025 Anahid Literary Prize

Poochigian’s newest translation, Marcus Aurelius Meditations, will be available in January 2026.

Poochigian’s prizewinning second collection of poetry, Manhattanite, examines New York’s juxtaposed symbols of towering achievement and monumental desolation, and then traverses the country to California’s Central Valley, where the poet reclaims his grandparents’ home. Poochigian consistently entertains, whether his theme is lamentation or celebration—a grizzled urban pigeon (scavenging for ‘the sort of faith/that holds for here and now and vibes like song’) or an Ohio wind turbine (an ‘ungatherable/iron flower’ seen ‘juggling . . . / three arms’ worth/ of gale-force wind’). Manhattanite is the winner of the 2016 Able Muse Book Award.”

His poetry collection, American Divine, the winner of the Richard Wilbur Award, came out in 2021. He has translated Sappho for Penguin Classics (2009) and Aratus’ Phaenomena for Johns Hopkins University Press (2010). Penguin Classics UK put out Stung with Love, his translation of Sappho in the fall of 2009. His translations of Aeschylus, Apollonius and Aratus appear in the Norton Anthology The Greek Poets: Homer to the Present. His work has appeared in such newspapers and journals as The Financial Times, Poems Out Loud and Poetry Magazine.

Four Walks in Central Park invites readers to experience the park not just as a destination, but as a living poem. Through four thoughtfully crafted walks—each aligned with a season or mood—this guide blends poetry, history, and personal reflection to illuminate the hidden rhythms of Central Park. Join Poochigian on a walking tour of New York City’s Central Park and experience the sights, the history, and the healing power of a walk and a poem. Including maps, historical images, an index, and an exploration of other literary references to Central Park, Four Walks in Central Park is unlike any tour you’ve ever experienced.

For A Review of Four Walks in Central Park by Aaron Poochigian, go to: https://newversereview.substack.com/p/a-review-of-four-walks-in-central?r=ixk4n&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Also see: https://joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews.blog/2025/08/14/four-walks-in-central-park-by-aaron-poochigian/