“Nursery Rhymes in Black,” the latest poetry collection by Virginia State University alumna and faculty member Latorial Faison, is in the running for a Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. 

The University of Alaska Press nominated Faison for the Pulitzer after publishing the book as the winner of the 2023 Permafrost Poetry Book Prize. The collection was released on July 15. 

“It’s an honor to have my new book, ‘Nursery Rhymes in Black,’ nominated for the Pulitzer,” Faison said. “This collection is deeply tied to the heart and history of who I am as a Black woman in America. I am grateful to trailblazers like Gwendolyn Brooks, Lucille Clifton and Nikki Giovanni, whose voices carved the path, kept the light on and made this moment possible.” 

“Nursery Rhymes in Black” reimagines familiar childhood rhymes through the lens of Black history and Faison’s lived experience, blending tradition, memory and resistance to explore race, roots, culture and identity. 

The book has drawn praise from leading literary figures including Joanne Gabbin, founder of the Furious Flower Poetry Center, as well as Judy Juanita, Glenis Redmond, Trudier Harris and Cedric Tillman, who commended Faison for her nuanced portrayal of Black life and family. 

A VSU alumna, Faison has authored more than 16 books, including “Mother to Son,” “28 Days of Poetry Celebrating Black History” and “The Missed Education of the Negro: An Examination of the Black Segregated Education Experience of Southampton County, 1950–1970.”