Lometa native earns award

Scott Hightower

NYU Gallatin Adjunct Professor Scott Hightower has been awarded a Willis Barnstone Translation Prize.

This is the sixth annual award, given in honor of the distinguished American poet and translator, Willis Barnstone, presented by the University of Evansville, Ind.

The award is made for an unpublished translation of a poem from any language and time period -- ancient to contemporary.

This year's award was divided between Hightower, for a poem translated from Spanish, and Michael Palmer, for a poem translated from Italian. The award includes the translations being published in the Evansville Review and sharing of a $1,000 cash prize.

Final judge this year was Barnstone.

Hightower was recognized for translation of a poem by the Spanish/ Puerto Rican poet Aurora de Albornoz.

He is a 1970 graduate of Lometa High School and the son of Joyce and the late Burley Hightower of Lometa.

Hightower lives and works in New York City.