2024 BOOK AWARD WINNER
WESLEY HOUP
Wesley was born and raised in High Bridge and Wilmore, Kentucky. Along with his father and brother, he farmed tobacco along the Kentucky River in southern Jessamine County for most of his life. Education took him away to various stops and he received a Ph.D. in Composition and Rhetoric from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Over the years he has taught English to undergraduate and graduate students as well serving as Writing Center Director at several universities. For the better part of the past decade, he has worked for Tennessee State Parks.
His poems have appeared in numerous journals, and he has also published scholarly articles, but by no means does his talent end with writing. He is also a blues musician with a special interest in early twentieth century acoustic blues and he performs regularly with the
Galliniperious Consortium, a group of musicians who play old time jug, fiddle and blues tunes on the back of a ’33 Ford BB flatbed!
For his winning submission, Wesley received a $3,000 award from the foundation and a publishing contract with Accents Publishing. His book of poems, Strung Out Along The Endless Branch, was published in 2025.
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“We couldn’t be more pleased with our book award,” states Managing Director Lawrence Pemble. “And we learned from Wesley that as a young aspiring poet, he actually had read with my father and attended workshops that he taught.” Larry continues, “We couldn’t have done this without Accents Publishing and their leadership and of course, many thanks to Greg Pape who served as our judge. We are grateful to both of them.”
2024 James Baker Hall Book Award for Poetry Finalists
Zachary Johnson
An Offering
Zachary is a pediatric nurse with deep love for both caregiving and creative expression. As a parent of two, Zachary balances the demands of family life with a passion for writing poetry. Inspired by nature, his work often explores themes of connection, healing and the natural world.
Melissa Helton
Luckstone
Melissa taught in colleges and universities for 17 years and is now the Literary Arts Director at the Hindman Settlement School in Hindman, Kentucky. Her work has been supported by the Kentucky Foundation for Women and has been awarded prizes in poetry and nonfiction.
Elisabeth Jensen
Airborne
Elisabeth is a forest therapy guide, life coach and mother of three living in Nicholasville, Kentucky. She spends almost every waking moment engaging with three great loves: nature, humans and creative expression. See more of Elisabeth’s work at http://100poems.substack.com
