Celebrate National Poetry Day
by Tom Spence, VP
Poets have a day! Back in the ‘40s, in the century which some of us still remember, Ohio poets organized a day to celebrate poets and poetry. Other states got on board and by 1975, October 15th International Poetry Day (promoted by the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, NSFPS, of which WyoPoets is a member) was celebrated in 50 states and 40 foreign countries. In 1982, a National Poetry Day proclamation was passed in the U. S. Senate. The House of Representatives managed to pass a Mule Appreciation resolution for the day, but no poetry day citation, which tells a lot about our representatives, then and probably now.
Without disparaging the hybrid equine, WyoPoets by-laws say nothing about mules, but commit the organization to promote the celebration poetry on October 15. Every school district in the state has received a letter from WyoPoets encouraging the celebration in the schools in their communities.
And, every WyoPoets member should assist in his or her own way on October 15th.. Ask your local newspaper and the city council to officially declare the day in your town as National Poetry Day. Have a poetry reading, dress up like your favorite poet, offer your services in a school to read or conduct poetry workshops; before ordering at the drive-in, recite your favorite limerick or haiku; request a slot on a local radio station and do a reading before the weather report; in front of the soup kitchen or your favorite diner, wear a sandwich board: “Will read poetry for food”—it’s always a good way to cadge lunch. Give it your best shot!
Coming in April, 2019, is National Poetry Month. This poetry celebration is the function of the The Academy of American Poets. WyoPoets is not sectarian. We support National Poetry Month too!
“Life without poetry is like missing a kiss, and then the squeeze—the first is awful, the second unconscionable.” (Warren Wendover).
by Tom Spence, VP
Poets have a day! Back in the ‘40s, in the century which some of us still remember, Ohio poets organized a day to celebrate poets and poetry. Other states got on board and by 1975, October 15th International Poetry Day (promoted by the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, NSFPS, of which WyoPoets is a member) was celebrated in 50 states and 40 foreign countries. In 1982, a National Poetry Day proclamation was passed in the U. S. Senate. The House of Representatives managed to pass a Mule Appreciation resolution for the day, but no poetry day citation, which tells a lot about our representatives, then and probably now.
Without disparaging the hybrid equine, WyoPoets by-laws say nothing about mules, but commit the organization to promote the celebration poetry on October 15. Every school district in the state has received a letter from WyoPoets encouraging the celebration in the schools in their communities.
And, every WyoPoets member should assist in his or her own way on October 15th.. Ask your local newspaper and the city council to officially declare the day in your town as National Poetry Day. Have a poetry reading, dress up like your favorite poet, offer your services in a school to read or conduct poetry workshops; before ordering at the drive-in, recite your favorite limerick or haiku; request a slot on a local radio station and do a reading before the weather report; in front of the soup kitchen or your favorite diner, wear a sandwich board: “Will read poetry for food”—it’s always a good way to cadge lunch. Give it your best shot!
Coming in April, 2019, is National Poetry Month. This poetry celebration is the function of the The Academy of American Poets. WyoPoets is not sectarian. We support National Poetry Month too!
“Life without poetry is like missing a kiss, and then the squeeze—the first is awful, the second unconscionable.” (Warren Wendover).
2019 WYOPOETS EUGENE V. SHEA NATIONAL POETRY CONTEST SUBMISSIONS OPEN OCTOBER 1st
WyoPoets Eugene V. Shea National Poetry Contest Accepting Entries Through Dec. 15
The WyoPoets 2019 Eugene V. Shea National Poetry Contest will be accepting entries Oct. 1 through the postmark deadline of Dec. 15, 2018. First prize is $100, second place $50, third $30, and an optional fourth $20. Up to five honorable mentions will be awarded. Unpublished poems one page long in Times New Roman 12-point font are eligible. Entry fee is $3 plus $1 per poem entered, limit 15 poems per person.
For guidelines and instructions on how to enter, visit the WyoPoets website at http://www.wyopoets.org/contests.html. Questions may be directed to C. L. Deering, contest chair, at wyopoets@gmail.com.
This annual contest is named in honor of Eugene V. Shea of Hanna, Wyoming, a long-time member and past president of WyoPoets. Shea chaired the national contest for eight years, represented WyoPoets at numerous meetings of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, and served as a juror for poetry contests in other states. A prolific writer, he wrote more than 1,300 poems and published eight volumes of poetry.
WyoPoets is an organization of persons who write poetry for publication and/or as a hobby, open to all poets nationally. WyoPoets is a 501(c)(3) organization and is the Wyoming branch of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS). More information on WyoPoets may be found at http://www.wyopoets.org .
WyoPoets Eugene V. Shea National Poetry Contest Accepting Entries Through Dec. 15
The WyoPoets 2019 Eugene V. Shea National Poetry Contest will be accepting entries Oct. 1 through the postmark deadline of Dec. 15, 2018. First prize is $100, second place $50, third $30, and an optional fourth $20. Up to five honorable mentions will be awarded. Unpublished poems one page long in Times New Roman 12-point font are eligible. Entry fee is $3 plus $1 per poem entered, limit 15 poems per person.
For guidelines and instructions on how to enter, visit the WyoPoets website at http://www.wyopoets.org/contests.html. Questions may be directed to C. L. Deering, contest chair, at wyopoets@gmail.com.
This annual contest is named in honor of Eugene V. Shea of Hanna, Wyoming, a long-time member and past president of WyoPoets. Shea chaired the national contest for eight years, represented WyoPoets at numerous meetings of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, and served as a juror for poetry contests in other states. A prolific writer, he wrote more than 1,300 poems and published eight volumes of poetry.
WyoPoets is an organization of persons who write poetry for publication and/or as a hobby, open to all poets nationally. WyoPoets is a 501(c)(3) organization and is the Wyoming branch of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS). More information on WyoPoets may be found at http://www.wyopoets.org .
2018 wyopoets spring poetry workshop was a great event
See the 2018 Brochure!
Fun, fellowship, and the art and craft of poetry abounded at our 2018 WyoPoets Spring Poetry Workshop, held in Cheyenne April 27-28. We hope you enjoy these photos from the workshop and that you will plan to join us in Casper on April 26-27, 2019, for our next workshop.
Fun, fellowship, and the art and craft of poetry abounded at our 2018 WyoPoets Spring Poetry Workshop, held in Cheyenne April 27-28. We hope you enjoy these photos from the workshop and that you will plan to join us in Casper on April 26-27, 2019, for our next workshop.
Our Sponsors
WyoPoets is grateful for the generous support of the 2018 workshop sponsors:
WyoPoets is grateful for the generous support of the 2018 workshop sponsors:
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Dr. Lakhman Gondalia, M.D. Allergy and Asthma Clinic of Wyoming |
Photos from the 2017 workshop in Buffalo
See more photos from the open mic reading and the workshop on Flickr, courtesy of Margaret Smith-Braniff.
