HWS News
16 December 2024 • Alums Schonning Featured in Best New Poets Anthology By Annabel Ramsay '25
Director of HWS Debate Daniel Schonning ’16 will be included in the next edition of the Best New Poets anthology.
Daniel Schonning ’16 has earned a spot in the upcoming edition of the Best New Poets anthology, a publication of 50 poems from emerging writers who have not yet published a full-length collection. Out of thousands of initial submissions, 150 to 300 finalists are selected and reviewed by a guest editor, who narrows the list to 50 poems for publication. Schonning’s poem, “That They Are There,” was chosen as one of this year’s final selections.
“That They Are There” explores rituals surrounding death and dying, focusing on the care and mindfulness embodied in these practices. Schonning drew inspiration from local historical landmarks, including the former Willard Asylum, as well as the George Oppen’s poem “Psalm.”
“It’s a great honor to be selected,” Schonning says, “especially knowing that some of the poets I admire most have been included in past releases of this anthology.”
He also reflected on the distinct nature of the writing and publishing processes. “As I work to impress upon my students in English and Creative Writing courses, the writing process and the publishing process bear little resemblance to one another. But for a poem to find itself in community of other poems, and to find the eyes of interest in readers, is a delight.”
Schonning graduated from Hobart and William Smith in 2016. As an undergraduate, he studied creative writing and international relations. After receiving his MFA from Colorado State University, Schonning returned to HWS to teach in the English Department and now serves as the Director of HWS Debate.
Schonning’s writing has appeared in Orion Magazine, Poetry Magazine, The Yale Review, Poetry Daily, and elsewhere. He is the winner of Crazyhorse’s 2020 Lynda Hull Memorial Prize, judged by Cyrus Cassells, and winner of Omnidawn’s 2023 Single Poem Broadside Contest, judged by Nathalie Khankan.
