New York, April 21—The Academy of American Poets announced today that Elana Bell has been selected by the poet Fanny Howe as the recipient of the 2011 Walt Whitman Award. The Walt Whitman Award is a prestigious first-book prize, given to a first collection of poetry by an American poet. The winner's book is published and distributed to thousands of members of the Academy. The Whitman Award also includes a $5,000 cash prize and a one-month residency at the Vermont Studio Center.
