Winners of the 16th Annual Jim Simmerman Poetry Prize for Poets of Flagstaff District High Schools have been announced. This year's top three winners are all students at Coconino High School.
Claudia Leaym took first place with her poem Fraying Paintbrush, Emma Southwick’s poem Vinyl took second, and If I Go Tomorrow, by Makaila Cardon, took third place.
Jim Simmerman was a nationally renowned poet based in Flagstaff who often volunteered to teach poetry workshops in local high schools. He died in 2004 at the age of 54 after a long struggle with both mental and physical health.
The annual poetry event in his honor recognizes students and teachers dedicated to the written and spoken word.