We did it. We read hundreds and hundreds of poems, several times through. We thought and felt and discussed and hemmed and hawed and finally settled on a winner and three finalists for Expedition's inaugural broadside contest. Without further ado:

The 2025 Expedition Press Broadside Contest winner is Judy Nahum, for an excerpt from "Letter to my Izmirli ancestors." The three finalists are: Melanie Ehler Collopy, for "the personals," T. De Los Reyes, for "I beg what I love and I leave to forgive me,"  and Mary McAfoose, for "Gaze."

It was a difficult decision. The range of work was astonishing and it's left me feeling grateful for what poets do day in and day out. Writing is the hardest part of my job, and I'm not even trying to write poems! I'm honored so many folks submitted and I'm excited already to run the contest again this fall. I'll share the winning text and more about why I selected it when we've got the broadside ready. For now, I'll just say that it came down to an inexplicable pull on my heartstrings, a wondering deep-searching feeling, and a strong visual image from the line "Forgive me this wistful-blue."

We plan to run the contest again later this year! Read more about the contest and join our mailing list to be notified when submissions open.