Back when I was working at the (SW) Texas State University Athletic Academic Center, we hired this young student to serve as an English tutor. Let me tell you, he changed many students’ way of thinking when it came to English composition.
I also remember how he would always write. Yes, I knew he was a poet, but I especially remember how he would write notions, ideas, who knows, maybe even a stanza, on any piece of paper he could find. I had never known someone so committed to his writing. So, when I saw the press release from Texas State University-San Marcos announcing Tomas Morin had won the American Poetry Review prize, I wasn’t surprised, but I’m definitely beaming with pride to see a fellow South Texan accomplish so much. Here’s the story:
By Ann Friou
University News Service
January 31, 2012Tomás Q. Morín, senior lecturer in English at Texas State University-San Marcos, has been awarded the 2012 American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize for Poetry, for his manuscript A Larger Country.
His book was chosen by this year’s guest judge, poet Tom Sleigh, who will also write an introduction for the book.
The annual American Poetry Review/Honickman First Book Prize in Poetry offers publication of a book of poems, a $3,000 award, and distribution by Copper Canyon Press through Consortium. The purpose of the prize is to encourage excellence in poetry and to provide a wide readership for a deserving first book of poems.
Morín is a Texas native. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from Texas State, and a Master of Arts degree from Johns Hopkins University. He is the recipient of scholarships from the Fine Arts Work Center, Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference and the New York State Summer Writers Institute, and he was a fellow at the Idyllwild Summer Arts Program.
His poems have appeared in New England Review, Narrative, Boulevard, Slate, Threepenny Review, Best New Poets and elsewhere.
The American Poetry Review is considered the nation’s preeminent poetry publication, and it is the most highly circulated poetry magazine in the world.
The Honickman Foundation and its affiliate, the Honickman Charitable Trust, are dedicated to supporting projects that promote the arts, education, health, social change and heritage.
I still have a Tomas Q. Morin-autographed Persona from TXST where a couple of his poems were published. I cannot wait for the book to be published. Here’s one of my favorite pics (circa ’97?) of us when we had lunch with Arizona-banned author Dagoberto Gilb.
The retired San Antonio Express-News columnist is still around–many of you saw him and visited with him at the Texas Democratic Convention. He is now a 
