in 2015 lusk was awarded a pushcart prize for his essay "bomb," which appeared in the spring/summer 2014 issue of the literary journal "new letters" and was republished in "pushcart prize xl", edited by bill henderson (2016). the pushcart prize is an international award given to authors whose work has been published by small literary magazines or small book presses. lusk has also received a gertrude claytor memorial award from the poetry society of america. he has also been awarded grants and literary fellowships from the vermont arts council, vermont arts endowment, the university of vermont, and pennsylvania council on the arts.