Established in 1996, the Gearhart Poetry Contest commemorates Michael Wm. Gearhart, a doctoral candidate in creative writing at Florida State University whose life was cut short at 39. The award is not merely a competition but a sustained act of remembrance, one that has quietly become a fixture in the literary landscape. Its longevity speaks to a commitment that transcends annual cycles: the contest is a living tribute, and the poems it honors enter a lineage of care and attention. The judge for this cycle is Li-Young Lee, a poet whose work—most recently The Invention of the Darling—has long been admired for its lyrical intensity and spiritual searching. Lee's involvement signals a curatorial seriousness: this is not a contest that rewards the merely competent, but one that seeks poems of genuine interiority and craft. The winner receives $750, and both winner and finalists are published in the biannual issue in Fall 2027. Notification occurs in Spring 2027, allowing for a timely, transparent process. Submissions should consist of up to three poems, no more than ten pages total, with no more than one poem per page. Personal identification must be omitted from the submission itself, ensuring that the reading process remains blind and the work is judged on its own terms. The contest is open to all, though the $16 fee is a necessary barrier that supports the journal's operations. This is an opportunity for poets at any stage to place their work before a distinguished reader and to join a tradition that honors both a person and the art he pursued.