Strophes - National Federation of State Poetry Societies

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF STATE POETRY SOCIETIES, INC.An educational and literary organization dedicated to the writingand appreciation of poetry in America.StrophesVol. XLIX No. 3 www.nfsps.com January 2013President’sMessageDear NFSPS Poets:Poetry ConventionsIt was many and many a yearago, in a kingdom by the sea . . .In the 1990’s, I attended myfirst NFSPS convention, inBiloxi, Mississippi. For me, itwas in part a family trip. Myparents were deeply involved inthe League of Minnesota Poetsand in the national organization,and so when NFSPS came toBiloxi, I was quick to load mygrowing family into the new Mazda and make the drive.Wiebke and our one year old played in the surf while Iattended session after session, listened to poets and toprize-winning readings. At mealtimes we would gatheras a family, caught up in the larger family of all theseolder poets who had known each other for many years.Years passed, and the children grew, and we traveledfarther, linking our family travels to poetry conventions(and sometimes family reunions) in Ogden, Atlanta,Melbourne, Coos Bay, Sioux Falls, Harrisburg,Oklahoma City, Memphis, Dearborn, Merrillville. Yearspassed, and the children grew, and so did the family ofpoets I had come to know and admire from all parts ofthe country as they gathered from their daily lives intothe enchanted kingdom of an annual poetry convention.Some of my proudest moments come out of theseconventions: hearing my mother read one of her ownprize-winners, or hearing my father, who will not writehis own poems, read the prize-winning poems of othersin his deep, clear voice. Or hearing my oldest boy readhis poem and that of his small brother in OklahomaCity, facing an audience of over a hundred for his veryfirst time, and hearing the applause.Years pass, and children grow, but even in magicalkingdoms by the sea, the wind blows out of the cloud bynight. We gather as a family, we mourn the passing ofvoices we have known, voices we will continue to miss,the poems that will haunt us. I drove through Biloxi afew years after Katrina; the proud boulevard of liveoaks by the sea had vanished, the faded elegance of thehotel we stayed in—many and many a year ago—obliterated. Too many of the poets I met in those earlyyears of poetry conventions have passed away, or travelno longer. My boys reach the age where traveling withfamily is more chore than delight. The world’s weatherchanges us all.Edgar Allan Poe suggested that poetry is no morethan “the rhythmical creation of beauty.” And yet poetryis also that thing which, as Housman said, best allowsus “to harmonize the sadness of the universe.” I don’tsee these as contradictory. And so despite years passing,voices lost, this larger family of poets and of poetry,with its new voices among the deep old tones, with itschanging locations and colors and its vibrancy, keepsgoing on, keeps on creating, year upon year, its ownbeauty and harmony, its own enchanted kingdom. Ihope you’ll join us, this year and every year, in that landof enchantment.Jeremy M. Downes ~ 30th NFSPS PresidentLa Conferencia del EncantoJune 13 – 18, 2013 Albuquerque (ABQ), New Mexico——————————————— Program ————————————————Wednesday, June 12 Early Bards Arrival1-6 PM Early Registration6PM Short walking tour of Old Town Plaza(wheelchair accessible)6:30PM Self-pay dinner on Plaza or in HotelThursday, June 138AM-6PM Registration9AM Tours to Acoma or Pueblo Feast Day2:30PM Bus returns to hotel from Acoma3:30-5:30PM NFSPS Board Meeting6PM Group dinner at Church Street Cafe.Self-pay.7-10PM Acoustic music jam, Pavilion, cashbarFriday, June 14 (Flag Day)7:30-8:45AM State Presidents' breakfastmeeting9-10:30AM First Plenary10:45AM-Noon D. McQuaid“The Alchemical Heart”12:30PM Lunch Welcome by ABQ mayor,Manningham Awards, Filming ofContest Awards (FCA)3-5PM H. Bellamy “Fountain Pen of Youth”5-6:15PM Music (Dog Star) in Pavilion.Cash bar.6:30PM Dinner Student & UniversityAwards, FCA8:30PM Winners and Honorable Mentions(WHM), open readings followSaturday, June 157:30-8:45AM Breakfast seminar“Building SPS websites”9-10:30AM A. Watson & M. Garner“The Learning Curve”10:30-11:30AM Panel “Alternatives inPublishing”11:30-Noon Q&A on Publishing Choices12:30PM Lunch Convention Contestprizes, FCA3-4:30PM V. Golos and B. Marcus“Poets of Witness”6:30PM Dinner Stevens MS Winner, FCA8:30PM WHM, open readings followSunday, June 16 (Fathers' Day)8:45-11AM “Haiku in the Garden” at ABQBioPark11:30AM-12:45PM 2nd Plenary, SpecialAwards12:30PM Deadline to retrieve books fromBookstoreSunday, June 16 (continued)1PM Lunch (Plan B time, no FCA)2:30-4:30PM New Mexican Voices“Writing from Place”4:30-6PM “Presenters-Only” booksignings and sales5:30-6:45PM Reception, cash bar, music7PM Banquet Keynote speaker, D. Levin,expanded FCA for Contests 1-39PM Book sales/signings by Dana Levin,open readingsMONDAY, June 178AM Taos (overnight)8AM Allan Houser/Golondrinas5PM Aerial Tram to dinner on Sandia PeakTUESDAY, June 189AM Santa Fe by RailRunner (train)12PM Meet-up in Santa Fe with Taos groupNFSPS CONVENTION POEMSSubject is the Land of Enchantment. Anyform but prose poem, up to 40 lines. Entryfee is $10 for up to three poems. FirstPrize is $100, 2nd is $50, 3rd is $25.NFSPS INVOCATION POEMSSubject is a poem of thanks,appreciation, or inspiration. No expressionof denominational religious belief, please.Entry fee is $5 per poem, no limit. Sixwinners will receive $25 each.Up to 10 lines, compiled from thefollowing forms: couplet; haiku or tercet;quatrain; cinquain, limerick, or tanka;sestet or 6-line Fibonacci; septet or rimeroyal. You may mix and match, but pleaseidentify the form used in each verse.Rules common to both contests:1) No poet may win more than one prizein each contest and must attendconvention to win.2) Deadline for receipt is May 1, 2012.3) Make checks for entry fees payable toNew Mexico SPS - Contest.4) Send 2 copies of each poem, one withname, address, phone, and email inupper right-hand corner, and the otherwith no identification of author to:Jeanne ShannonConvention Contest Chair1217 Espejo St. NEAlbuquerque, NM 87112-5215

2 STROPHES January 2013NATIONAL FEDERATION OFSTATE POETRY SOCIETIES, INC.Organized October 17, 1959 ~ Mary B. Wall, FounderHonorary Chancellor: Natasha Trethewey(Appointment made July, 2012)EXECUTIVE BOARD ~ 2012-2014Elected, NFSPS Convention ~ Merrillville, IN, June, 2012PRESIDENT: Jeremy M. Downes832 Tacoma Dr., Auburn, AL 36830downejm@auburn.edu1ST VICE PRESIDENT: N. Colwell SnellPublicity ChairmanP.O. Box 520698, Salt Lake City, UT 84152-0698ncolwellsnell@yahoo.com2ND VICE PRESIDENT: Eleanor BerryCollege/University Competition Chair22614 N. Santiam Hwy., Lyons, OR 97358eberry@wvi.com3RD VICE PRESIDENT: Diane GlancySpecial Awards Chair368 North Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016glancy@macalester.edu4TH VICE PRESIDENT: James BartonConvention CoordinatorP.O. Box 263, Huttig, AR 71747jbob214@yahoo.comCHANCELLOR: Steven ConcertMembership Chair49 Kitchen Ave., Harveys Lake, PA 18618paperlesspoetsonline@hotmail.com1ST VICE CHANCELLOR: Dena R. GorrellPoetry Day/Poetry Month Liaison14024 Gateway Dr., Edmond, OK 73013thepoetlady@cox.net2ND VICE CHANCELLOR: Valerie Martin BaileyEncore Editor2207 Parhaven Dr., San Antonio, TX 78232vbailey@satx.rr.comTREASURER: Lucille Morgan Wilson2325 61st St., Des Moines, IA 50322lucille_e_wilson@hotmail.comSECRETARY: Polly Opsahl270 Brewster Road, Rochester Hills, MI 48309pollyannop@comcast.netIMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: Russell H. StraussPresidential Advisors Chair18 S. Rembert St., Memphis, TN 38104RSTRpoet@cs.comAPPOINTIVE BOARDContest Chair: Mikki Pennington, P.O. Box 7842,Moore, OK 73153 ~ contestchair@nfsps.comContest Sponsors/Brochure Chair:Sharon Martin Turner, 10807 Silhouette Dr.,San Antonio, TX 78216 ~ sdmturner@aol.comHistorian: Nancy Baass408 E. Warren Ave., Victoria, TX 77901-4847nancy.baass@gmail.comJudges Chair: Julie Cummings9428 Fallen Rock Road, Conifer, CO 80433jcummings3@gmail.comLibrarian: Catherine L’Herisson, 518 Grinnell Dr.,Garland, TX 75043 ~ catherinepoet@juno.comManningham Trust Competition Chair:Budd Powell Mahan, 7059 Spring Valley Rd.,Dallas, TX 75254 ~ buddmahan@att.netManningham Trust Advisor: Sam Wood,1570 Auburn Way, Reno, NV 89502Stevens Manuscript Competition Chair: Amy JoZook, 3520 State Rte. 56, Mechanicsburg, OH 43044Strophes Editor: Paul Ford, 10239 Hickory Point Dr.,Sandy, UT 84092-3960 ~ pmford3@yahoo.comWebmaster: Billy Pennington, P.O. Box. 7842,Moore, OK 73153 ~ zodnoyeb@aol.comNFSPS MEMBER STATE SOCIETIESAND PRESIDENTSALABAMA: Alabama State Poetry SocietyBarry Marks, President ~ P.O. Box 11386, Birmingham,AL 35202 ~ Barry@leaselawyer.comARIZONA: Arizona State Poetry SocietyChristy White, President ~ 37427 N. Ootam Rd. #104,Cave Creek, AZ 85331~ cchristy1@prodigy.netARKANSAS: Poets' Roundtable of ArkansasCathy Moran, President ~ 401 Auburn Dr.,Little Rock, AR 72205 ~ cmoran@arml.orgCALIFORNIA: California State Poetry SocietyDr. John Forrest Harrell, Treasurer ~ P.O. Box 7126,Orange, CA 92863 ~ JFHarrell@gmail.comCOLORADO: Columbine PoetsJulie Cummings, President ~ 9428 Fallen Rock Road,Conifer, CO 80433 ~ jcummings3@gmail.comCONNECTICUT: Connecticut Poetry SocietyEmerson Gilmore, President ~ 66 London Road,Hebron, CT 06248 ~ xemgil3@gmail.comFLORIDA: Florida State Poets AssociationJoseph Cavanaugh, President ~ 3722 Longford Circle,Ormond Beach, FL 32714 ~ jcavanaugh1@gmail.comGEORGIA: Georgia Poetry SocietySandy Hokanson, President ~ 640 Sweet Gum Forest Ln,Alpharetta, GA 30005 ~ hokansonga@comcast.netILLINOIS: Illinois State Poetry SocietyMardelle Fortier, President ~ 5515A East Lake Dr.,Lisle, IL 60532 ~ fortier@cod.eduINDIANA: Indiana State Federation of Poetry ClubsTom Spencer, President ~ 1651 East Commercial Ave.,Lowell, IN 46358 ~ tspencer1943@comcast.netIOWA: Iowa Poetry AssociationDennis Maulsby, President ~ 2421 Westwind Drive,Ames, IA 50010 ~ rmaulsby@mchsi.comKENTUCKY: Kentucky State Poetry SocietyPamela Gibbs, President ~ PO Box 4811,Frankfort, KY 40604-4811 ~ pamg@mis.netLOUISIANA: Louisiana State Poetry SocietyCharles R. Egedy, President ~ 9447 Donna Dr,Baton Rouge, LA 70815 ~ cegedy1@tigers.lsu.eduMAINE: Maine Poets SocietyMaggie Finch & Marta Finch, Co-Presidents ~ 1463Washington St., Bath, ME 04530 (Maggie’s address)~ moimarta@comcast.net (Marta’s e-mail)MASSACHUSETTS: Massachusetts State Poetry SocietyJeanette C. Maes, President ~ 64 Harrison Ave.,Lynn, MA 01905 ~ msps.jcmaes@comcast.netMICHIGAN: Poetry Society of MichiganJames F. Ahearn, President ~ 536 Hill St., Rochester,MI 48307 ~ jfahearn@mac.comMINNESOTA: League of Minnesota PoetsChristina M. Flaugher, President ~ P.O. Box 446,Mapleton, MN 56065 ~ Chrismo14@aol.comMISSISSIPPI: Mississippi Poetry SocietyBrenda Finnegan, President ~ 7606 Davenport Lane,Ocean Springs, MS 39564 ~ writeaway@cableone.netMISSOURI: Missouri State Poetry SocietyMissi Rasmussen, President ~ 209 NE 83rd Terrace,Kansas City, MO 64118 ~ missi.poetess@gmail.comNEBRASKA: Nebraska State Poetry SocietyMary L. Maas, President ~ 601 Ivy St., Stanton,NE 68779 ~ cjmaas@stanton.netNEVADA: Nevada Poetry SocietySam Wood, President ~ P.O. Box 7014, Reno, NV 89510NEW JERSEY: New Jersey Poetry SocietyEdith Kaltovich, President ~ 12 Rydal Dr.,Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 ~ luciakalt@aol.comNEW MEXICO: New Mexico State Poetry SocietyShirley Blackwell, President ~ P.O. Box 1352,Los Lunas, NM 87031 ~ sonneteer@earthlink.netNEW YORK: New York Poetry ForumDaniel Fernandez, President ~ 3604 Ave. S, Brooklyn,NY 11234 ~ dfernandezparnassianplays@hotmail.comOHIO: Ohio Poetry AssociationMark Hersman, President ~ 608 Logan Rd.,Mansfield, OH 44907 ~ turtleguy99@aol.comOKLAHOMA: Poetry Society of OklahomaRob Burgess, President ~ 10608 N. Council Rd. #13,Oklahoma City, OK 73162 ~ redrob66@yahoo.comOREGON: Oregon Poetry AssociationEleanor Berry, President ~ 22614 N. Santiam Hwy.,Lyons, OR 97358 ~ eberry@wvi.comPENNSYLVANIA: Pennsylvania Poetry SocietyRichard Lake, President ~ 501 Second Street,New Cumberland, PA 17070 ~ lakeeerie@yahoo.comSOUTH DAKOTA: South Dakota State Poetry SocietyCindy Stupnik, President ~ 1300 17th St. N.E.,Watertown, SD 57201 ~ fandcstup@wat.midco.netTENNESSEE: Poetry Society of TennesseeRandall G. Stoker, President ~ 8912 Crumpler Cv.,Olive Branch, MS 38654 ~ rainwolf23@gmail.comTEXAS: Poetry Society of TexasJimmye Inez Sessions, President ~ 1373 Beechwood Dr.,Lewisville, TX 75067 ~ masonsessions@yahoo.comUTAH: Utah State Poetry SocietyEric H. Read, President ~ 496 East 900 North,Brigham City, UT 84302 ~ poeteric@hotmail.comWYOMING: WyoPoetsAbbie Taylor, President ~ 352 W. Whitney, Sheridan,WY 82801 ~ abbie@samobile.netSTROPHESStrophes, the newsletter of the National Federation ofState Poetry Societies, Inc., is published four times ayear: August (*June 25th) ~ October (*August 25th)~ January (*November 25th) ~ April (*February25th). News items and information on contests maybe sent via regular mail or e-mail, which is preferred,by authorized members of NFSPS member statesocieties to:Paul Ford, Strophes Editor10239 Hickory Pt. Dr., Sandy, UT 84092pmford3@yahoo.comStrophes is available without cost to all paid-upmembers of NFSPS member state societies whenmailed/shipped in bulk to the president or otherdesignated person, who is responsible for ordering thenumber needed by the submission deadline for eachissue. Individual subscriptions are $5.00 a year tocover handling costs. Special orders are mailedseparately. To order a single issue: specify the issueordered, include a #10 SASE and $1.00 per copy.* Submission DeadlinesNFSPS PAST PRESIDENTS(Presidential Advisors)*Cecilia Parsons Miller *Jack Murphy*Clinton Larson*Barbara Stevens*Robert D. West*Henrietta Kroah*Edna Meudt*Jerry Robbins*Marvin Davis Winsett Pat Stodghill*Max Golightly*Wanda Blaisdell*Hans Juergensen *Ralph Hammond*Russell FerrallAmy Jo Zook*Jean JenkinsSusan Stevens Chambers*Catherine Case Lubbe Clarence P. SocwellGlenn SwetmanMadelyn Eastlund*Carl MortonBudd Powell Mahan*Alice BrileyDoris Stengel*Wauneta Hackleman Nancy BaassRussell H. Strauss* Deceased

4 STROPHES January 2013taking another's life was taking one’s own?What if witnessing to war—even from afar—brought us face-to-face not with the enemy,but with ourselves? How do we, as artists,bear witness to vast suffering in the world?What is it to be human?Veronica Golos is the author ofVocabulary of Silence(Red Hen Press, 2011),an exploration of warand its witnessingfrom-afarthat won the2011 New MexicoBook Award forPoetry. She is also theauthor of A BellBuried Deep (Story Line Press), co-recipientof the Nicholas Roerich Poetry Prize.Golos has served as Poet in Residence atschools in Greenwich, CT, and Taos, NM, aswell as at the Nassau Museum of Art. Shehas lectured on Teaching Poetry to Childrenat Columbia University and Colorado StateCollege. Her work has been published in theUS and abroad, including London and Paris.Golos has performed in NYC at LincolnCenter's Nuyorican Café and at CorneliaStreet Café and in many venues in theSouthwest. She lives with her husband, writerDavid Pérez, in Taos, where she is co-editorof the Taos Journal of Poetry & Art.Bonnie Rose Marcus is a poet, theaterartist, hospice volunteer, and Buddhistpractitioner who hasbeen writing sinceadolescence. Herpoetry has beenpublished in Salon,Brooklyn, and MissFit’s Free Press, a1990s 'zine shecreated. She has performed onstage (theaterand her poetry) in NYC and Washington,DC, and in the states of Michigan,Wisconsin, and New Mexico. She directs theReadings & Workshops Program (East) andWriters' Exchange at Poets & Writers, Inc.Marcus leads workshops in contemplativeend-of-life care. She lives in Brooklyn, NY,with her partner, Vincent Salas, a visualartist, and their cat, Graffiti.Georgia Santa-Maria and Merimee Moffittwill present “Haiku In The Garden.” Thisexcursion has a mini-workshop opportunity.After days indoors, let's go for a romp inABQ's gorgeous Botanical Gardens andBioPark. From its fabulous JapaneseGardens, we'll ride the mini-train or strollbeneath cottonwoods past roaring Papa Lion,splashing seals, elephants, and more. Whilethe workshop title is “Haiku,” feel free towrite, snap, or sketch whatever strikes yourfancy. Later, we can share what we'vewritten. We will have transport to and fromthe park, which is handicap accessiblethroughout.Georgia Santa-Maria is a fifth-generationNew Mexican from the rural north part of theState, where she often stays at her ancestors'1830s casa-corral homestead. She has spenther adult life as an working artist,photographer, counselor, storekeeper, poet,and mom. Her work has been widelyanthologized and appears on the web's DukeCity Fix, Sunday Poem, and Duke City DimeStories' Favorites. She has been a guest editorfor Lummox Magazine. Her chapbooksinclude Lichen Kisses, Ten Penny Tales, andThe Miami Hippie Mommy Cookbook.Merimee Moffitt is an Albuquerque writerand teacher. Her poetry has appeared in manyanthologies. She served for several years ascoeditor of The Rag, a Poetry Broadside,which has become an ABQ institution. Hershort stories have appeared on the web atDuke City Dime Stories' Favorites, which shehelped found. Moffitt is working on amemoir about the counter-culture of the1960s and 1970s in northern New Mexico.She has taught at all grade levels in ABQpublic schools and colleges.WHAT’S AHEAD - 2013 CONVENTION?NMSPS is excited to welcome you to LaConferencia del Encanto. Note these *firsts*and some traditions with a *twist* for the2013 Annual Convention of the NFSPS:You can now register online atwww.NMpoetry.com (where we have moredetails listed about the options) and chargethe purchase using PayPal *first*. Or registerand pay by mail with a check using the insertin this Strophes.In addition to cash and checks, you will beable to use credit cards and Visa or MasterCard debit cards in the Bookstore *first*.We have a stellar array of workshoppresenters, and we rejoice that Dana Levinwill be our Keynote.We will film the Keynote speech, as wellas prizewinners reading their poems, for asouvenir DVD you can have by Labor Day*first*. So, be sure to enter the contests andclaim your 3 minutes of fame!Printed lists of the runners-up (1st-7thHM)in each of the 50 contests will be “on-screen”during the awards and handed out afterdinner *twist*, so you don't have to keephandwritten tallies. Bring your State'ssignature noisemakers (bells, loons, etc.) forthe winners' ceremony each evening *twist*.If you play a musical instrument(unplugged), bring it and join the acousticopen jam in the outdoor pavilion *twist*. Orjust come to listen and/or dance, if you wish.St. Anthony’s Feast Day (complete withdances) at nearby Sandia Pueblo falls onThursday, June 13. Those who cannotmanage Acoma that day will find this aworthy alternative.ABQ's Old Town is over 300 years old andbrims with unique shops, galleries, andactivities. With nearby parks, museums,Pueblo and Hispanic Cultural Centers, andrail “excursions,” there is plenty to keep nonpoets(including children) busy during theday. Links to their websites are on ours.The “Insider Tours” we have planned areexperiences of a lifetime, and they can befound only here. Some of these tours requirethat you be able to walk unaided on unpavedground and be on your feet throughout thetour. At least Taos (June 17-18) requires thatyou climb stairs. Please checkwww.NMpoetry.com for more details. Bringwalking shoes and sunhats for any outdooractivity, and remember you will be at milehighelevations (higher in Taos).Sky City at Acoma (June 13) isbreathtaking, and has been inhabited since atleast 1150 A.D. Art lovers will foreverremember the events our Walking Rainchapter has set up for you in the famous artcolony of Taos. Our Turquoise Trail tour(June 17) takes you to the fabulous SculptureGardens and art gallery of Allan Houser, apremier Native American artist; we thenjourney on to El Rancho de las Golondrinas,a Spanish-Colonial living history museum ata 1710 ranch. We'll return to ABQ by lateafternoon.The Sandia Twilight tour (June 17)features a ride on the world's longest (2.7miles) aerial tram to the top of 10,000+ ft.Sandia Peak. Stroll around, sip a drink, andwatch one of our spectacular sunsets as thelights come on in the city a mile below.Dinner in the restaurant runs about $25-$50,including wine.On Tuesday, June 18th, travel by trainfrom ABQ to the heart of Santa Fe, where wewill join those returning from Taos for someserious tourist activities and shopping; here,the “display counters” may be blanketsspread on a Plaza sidewalk. We are setting upanother poetry event in Santa Fe.CONVENTION TRANSPORTATIONMajor carriers and regional airlines serveAlbuquerque (ABQ) International Sunport,which is about 8 miles from Hotel ABQ(HAbq). Free shuttles go to nearby car rentalservices. Alvarado Transportation Centerdowntown (about 2 miles from HAbq) is amajor stop for Greyhound, Amtrak, and theNM Rail Runner Express. Ground transportincludes taxis, limos, and ABQ Ride citybuses.Sunport Shuttle is your best choice,especially if you travel with others. Call themtoll-free at 1-866-505-4966 or go online at

January 2013 STROPHES 5www.sunportshuttle.com to take advantageof shared-ride discounts. Example: taxi fareone-way from airport to HAbq is about $24;shuttle fare round-trip is $28 for single rider,plus $5 each way for each additionalpassenger in the same party. Planned pickupis best, but they also have a counter at theSunport that can handle walk-ups.Two Interstates make ABQ easy to get toand drive around in. Take I-40's Exit 157Aand go south on Rio Grande Blvd. two blocksto the conference site. If you drive an RV andstay as a guest at HAbq, you can park yourRV in their security lot for free. Parking isfree in all of HAbq's 600 spaces.BOOK ROOM INFORMATIONWe have a flood of poets selling books thisyear. Good news: we will sell to the public,as well as to attendees; buyers can use creditcards, so sales should be brisk. Bad news:finite space and staff require limiting whocan sell and how much we can handle in theBookstore at one time. For details, go towww.NMpoetry.com and click on the“Convention” link. Here is a summary:* Only registered attendees, NFSPS, andState societies can sell their items.* Except for NFSPS, sellers are limited to 5items (books and/or CDs), 10 copies peritem.* By May 15 send a cover sheet listing alltitles; no items will be accepted after then.* The cover sheet must give full contact infofor the author, including the payee namefor the check we will issue the seller; thefull title, number of copies per title, andfinal price per copy (include any tax andround to a whole-dollar amount).* Authors and sale data will be printed in acatalog for attendees and displayed in theBookstore.A Bookstore Registration Form is on ourwebsite. You can fill it out and submit itonline or print and mail it as hard copy to:Convention Registrar - Bookstore, PO Box2669, Los Lunas, NM 87031. Provide SASEwith mailed cover sheet, or give it toBookstore Staff when you deliver thebooks/CDs.NO Pre-mailing of items unless youarrange to pick them up in NM. HotelAlbuquerque will not accept delivery, norwill the Registrar. Any books mailed to theRegistrar or NMSPS will incur a $50handling fee. Best to bring them with you.Also best to register online.NFSPS MEMBER SOCIETY NEWSALABAMA STATE POETRY SOCIETYmet on October 26 and 27 at the Universityof Montevallo. Those arriving on Fridayparticipated in round robin readings in theevening after dinner. On Saturday, there wereworkshops conducted by Ron Self and KeithBadowski of the Georgia Poetry Society. Ourparticipants had only praise for these two.We are pleased to announce that on Saturday,April 20, 2013, there will be a joint meetingof the Alabama State Poetry Society and theGeorgia Poetry Society on the campus ofWest Georgia College, Carrollton, GA. Ourpoet speaker will be Pulitzer Prize winnerand Poet Laureate of the United States,Natasha Trethewey. For more informationabout this meeting you may email JoeWhitten (whitten93@windstream.net),Robert Lynn (robertllynn@comcast.net), orBarry Marks (bmarks@marksweinberg.com).New officers are Barry Marks, President;Jerry Hardesty, 1st VP; Emily GrimesHenderson, 2nd VP; Jodi Adamson,Treasurer; Shelia Mau, Secretary; DonnaJean Tennis, Membership; Joe Whitten,Newsletter Editor; and Evelyn Hurley,Parliamentarian. ~ Joe Whitten, PastPresident ASPSARIZONA STATE POETRY SOCIETYcelebrated its 42nd Annual Fall Conferenceon Nov 17th, hosted in Tempe by the EastValley Poets. The daylong conference wasfilled with informative programs and awealth of good poetry. The morning sessionwas presented by Rosemarie Dombrowski,Ph.D., English Lecturer of Language andCulture, Arizona State University. Herpresentation, “Poetic Mentoring: TheEvolution of Young Poets,” outlined thegoals of her work with young writers. Thepresentation included readings anddiscussions by three of her students:Alexandra Comeaux, Bryan Hall, and AloMedina. After open readings and lunch,Rebecca Blume Rothman, Project Managerwith the City of Phoenix Office of Arts andCulture, presented information about thecity’s goal of incorporating written as well asvisual art in public projects, includingtransportation, such as the sky train at theairport, and art installations at publicbuildings, museums and parks. Sheannounced a haiku contest, to call attention tothe issue of waste, giving poets a chance tohelp make an environmental impact. CarolHogan, 2012 Contest Chair, led the readingof winning poems from across the country.There were 739 entries and $900 paid inprizes. Winners and Honorable Mentions willbe published in a special Sandcutters edition,“2012 Contest Winner’s Anthology”, perfectbound, 108 pages; available for sale on theASPS website: azpoetry.webs.com. ~ MollySaty, ReporterPOETS’ ROUNDTABLE OF ARKANSASannual Poetry Day celebration was hosted bythe Saline County Poets on October 20th.Roger Armbrust, noted author, professor, andeditor, was the speaker. He talked aboutcutting unnecessary words, especiallyprepositions to make poems more effective.Nina Tillery of Hot Springs was the winnerof the Sybil Nash Abrams Award. DianeStefan was the winner of the 2011-2012Merit Award. ~ Laura Loughridge, ReporterCONNECTICUT POETRY SOCIETY hadsome of their members’ poems performed bythe East Haddam Stage Company in their“Plays and Poetry” production, which ranfrom November 1st through the 4th. TheArtspace Gallery in Hartford recently offereda multi-media event which included visualart, original music, poetry, and even ananimated electronic rendition of a poem.Several CPS members were involved, andLorna Cyr had a big hand in organizing theevent. Bessy Reyna curated an event at theCharter Oak Cultural Center on Nov. 13th,honoring the memory of Adrienne Rich. Theprogram, “Embraced by Her CommonWords: A Tribute to Adrienne Rich,”included readings from Rich’s works andreflections on this influential poet. A numberof CPS members participated, and Rich’s sonattended. ~ Ginny Connors, ReporterFLORIDA STATE POETSASSOCIATION held its annual FallConvention October 12-14 at the LaPlayaHotel on the beach in Daytona Beach. Fridaynight's program was a memorial tribute torecently deceased Florida State Poet LaureateDr. Edmund Skellings. It included a premiershowing of Diane Newman's film “EdmundSkellings In His Own Words”. Presentationswere made to Mrs Skellings from theGovernor’s Office, State Representatives,and the Division of Cultural Affairs. Poetryreadings, memories and music wereperformed by colleagues. Saturday was filledwith workshops that included Sunrise poetryon the beach, the Joys of Haiku, Give yourpoems wings––how and why to get publishedin magazines and ezines, Poetry in mixedmedia, open mics, FSPA contest readings andawards. Keynote speaker was Dr. PeterMeinke, Poet Laureate of St. Petersburg, FLwho also gave a writing workshop in theafternoon. New officers for the next twoyears were elected: Joe Cavanaugh,President; Dr. David Axelrod, VicePresident; Mary-Ann Westbrook, Secretary;and Judith Krum, Treasurer. The conventionended Sunday with Sunrise Poetry on theBeach and a wrap-up discussion of theconvention’s website and suggestions forfuture activities. See the FSPA website:www.floridastatepoetsassociation.org.~ Mary-Ann Westbrook, Secretary

6 STROPHES January 2013GEORGIA POETRY SOCIETY washosted October 20, 2012, by MercerUniversity in Macon, GA. Judson Mitcham,Georgia Poet Laureate, was the guestspeaker. Mitcham was not formally trained asa writer, but studied psychology at theUniversity of Georgia, then taughtpsychology at Fort Valley State Universityuntil his retirement in 2004 with the rank ofassociate professor. In 2002, Mitcham beganteaching workshops in poetry and fiction atMercer University in Macon. He has alsoserved as adjunct professor of creativewriting at the University of Georgia and atEmory University, where he has directed theSummer Writers’ Institute. Mitcham’s poetryhas appeared in such journals asChattahoochee Review, Harper’s, GeorgiaReview, Gettysburg Review, Hudson Review,Poetry, Southern Poetry Review, andSouthern Review. His first poetry collection,Somewhere in Ecclesiastes, earned him boththe Devins Award and recognition as GeorgiaAuthor of the Year from the Georgia WritersAssociation. Dr. Sue B. Walker, AlabamaPoet Laureate, led the afternoon workshop:writing prose poetry. Named Alabama PoetLaureate in 2003, Walker is the StokesDistinguished Professor of Creative Writingat the University of South Alabama inMobile, AL. She has published eleven books,poetry and non-fiction, in addition tonumerous articles on James Dickey, FlanneryO’Connor, Carson McCullers, and otherSouthern authors. She has also written andperformed her one-woman one-act play onthe life of Madam Octavia LeVert. She is onthe Board of the Alabama Writer’s Forum,the Alabama Writer’s Conclave, and otherstate foundations. She is the publisher ofNegative Capability Press. Her critical book,The Chemical Ecology of James Dickey, isforthcoming from Mellen Press. GPSmember, Steven Shields, moderated a paneldiscussion between Mitcham and Walkeraddressing the role of poetry in our presentdayculture. ~ DuAnne Royall Kaiser,ReporterKENTUCKY STATE POETRYSOCIETY held its Annual Meeting andAwards Weekend on October 12-14, 2012, atGeneral Butler State Resort Park inCarrollton, KY. Theme for the weekend was“Show us the Colors of Your Rainbow.”Members and guests were encouraged toshine with their best poetry during theweekend. Besides the annual meeting,activities included an awards ceremonyhonoring the winners of the Annual AdultPoetry Contest, two excellent workshops, a“Pot of Gold” poetry contest and a roundrobin reading. On Saturday, October 13, twoexcellent workshops were led by GeorgeEklund. The first workshop, “Released intoLanguage”, focused on techniques forgenerating and identifying creative ideas forpoems. The second, “Sculpting andAssembling Poems”, gave the workshopparticipants practice in developing theirrealized ideas into poems. Mr. Eklund hastaught creative writing at Morehead StateUniversity for 23 years. His poems haveappeared in numerous publications. He hashad two books of poems published in the pasttwo years: Each Breath I Cannot Hold in2011 by Wind Publications and Island Blade,in 2012 by ABZ Press. He has been awardedthe Al Smith Fellowship in Poetry from theKentucky Arts Council. The Annual Meetingafforded members and guests the opportunityto share poetry and to make and renewfriendships with poets from all over the state.It was an enjoyable weekend for all. ~ BeckyLindsay, PresidentMAINE POETS SOCIETY in Septembergathered at Rockland Public Library.Contests were on the subject of “FromAway,” judged by member Jenny Doughty,and in the form of blank verse, judged byJacob Fricke, poet laureate of Belfast. Thenext meeting will be on February 9, 2013 atthe Dyer Library in Saco, 371 Main St.Contests, open to members only, will be apoem not to exceed 24 lines, on the subject of“Running Away” and a short couplet poem,which is to be a series of rhymed couplets ineither iambic or trochaic tetrameter, also notto exceed 24 lines. Judge for the subjectpoems will be Anne Britting Oleson, who hasbeen published widely in the US, UK, andCanada. She earned her MFA at theStonecoast program of USM. She haspublished two chapbooks, The Church of St.Materiana (2007) and The Beauty of It(2010). Judge for the short couplets will beBruce Spang, poet laureate of Portland.Bruce is the author of one previous book ofpoems, The Knot (2006), as well as twochapbooks, The End of Time (2005) andOnce The First Berries Dissolve (2003). Heis Reviews Editor for the Cafe Review inPortland, ME, and an associate editor forHunger Mountain. Registration on February9 will begin at 9:30 a.m. A $12 registrationfee includes lunch. Non-members arewelcome and may stay to participate in areading-in-the-round at about 3:00 p.m. Formore information visit our website:www.mainepoetssociety.com or call ourMembership Chair Cynthia Brackett-Vincentat 207-778-0467. ~ Sally Joy, Publicity ChairMASSACHUSETTS STATE POETRYSOCIETY held a well-attended Augustmeeting at bucolic, historic Saugus IronWorks. President Jeanette Maes opened thesession with greetings and introductions tonew members and guests followed bycongratulations to many recent contestwinners. Jeanette's workshops are alwaysprovocative and fun and this was noexception as attendees were to write personalreflections using terms including “I shouldhave, I could have, if only.” Memberscreative juices opened like floodgates and theresults went the gamut from sad, sweet,poignant to hilarious. Following a bountifulsummer buffet, members were invited to readtwo each of their recent poems. MSPS’October meeting held at the Winthrop PublicLibrary began with the reading of aProclamation from Governor Deval Patrickdeclaring National Poetry Day. PresidentJeanette congratulated winners andannounced several new contests. WaterfrontCREW Poets, a chapter of MSPS, presented aunique program of original Dialog Poems, asubset of Dramatic Poetry. Eight CREWmembers participated in the construction andreadings. Each poem consisted of two ormore voices, woven by Louis Picuoulo into atapestry that became a One Act Play. Theproduction was flawless, the assembledaudience showed their appreciation withthunderous applause and requests the CREWtake it 'on the road.' The local CulturalCouncil requested it be performed for thetown. MSPS will hold the next meeting onDecember 1 at the Beverley Public Library.The agenda includes a Poetry Books SilentAuction, a gala Holiday Buffet, and a YankeeSwap with a poet's twist, i.e., each wrappedgift is accompanied by an original cleververse that suggests the content. A prize goesto the poet whose verse writes it best. ~Patricia Bruen Tacelli, ReporterPOETRY SOCIETY OF MICHIGANunder the direction of James Ahearn,President, held their fall meeting at theMuskegon Community College on October20th. Members from various areas, includingMarquette in the Upper Peninsula, werepresent. Discussion included the possibilityof appointing or electing a liaison and/or vicepresident from the Upper Peninsula. Afterreports, original poems were read, followedby dinner. Everyone enjoyed a presentationby Jack Ridl, nationally recognized poet andpoetry instructor. The Traveling Trophy forthe best poem of the day was awarded toPatricia Barnes for her poem “On the Tip ofMy Tongue.” PSM currently has amembership of 132. ~ Inge Logenburg Kyler,HistorianMISSISSIPPI POETRY SOCIETY’s FallMini-festival, hosted by Central Branch, washeld on Oct. 20, 2012 (near Poetry Day) atBelhaven University. MPS’ 80th anniversary

January 2013 STROPHES 7anthology, Mississippi Milestones, wasreleased. Contest winners were announced byCentral Branch President Jeanne Kelly, andwinners who were present read their poems.Steve Deaton, musician, poet, andHumanities Teacher of the Year at HolmesCommunity College, gave an informativeworkshop on ballads. He also sang andplayed some ballads on his guitar. After abuffet lunch in the cafeteria, Jeanne Kellypresented Lifetime Awards to RuthRichmond and Patricia Butkovich. MPSPresident Brenda Finnegan conducted thebusiness meeting. She thanked YouthChairmen Tommy and Debbie Little for theirreport to national, and announced that MPSreceived three NFSPS certificates: 2011Youth Participation Award, National PoetryDay & Poetry Month Participation, and the2012 Youth Participation Award. PatriciaButkovich was selected as the 2013 Poet ofthe Year. Her chapbook will be published byMPS and available at the MPS SpringFestival on April 12-13, 2013, at Gulf HillsResort Hotel in Ocean Springs, MS. ~ WynneH. Alexander, MPS SecretaryOREGON POETRY ASSOCIATION puton our Fall Conference in Medford over thefirst weekend in October. Based at the RedLion, we also held gatherings in the PublicLibrary and in the Rogue Gallery and ArtCenter. OPA tried a new idea: on Fridayafternoon, four local poets, Gary Lark, AmyMiller, and Vince and Patty Wixon, eachmade themselves available to attendees whohad signed up in advance for mentoring onpoems that they wanted help on. OurSaturday kicked off with members of the hostRogue Valley Unit enacting a dysfunctionalcritique group, displaying many of theunhelpful, silly behaviors everyone hasencountered in real critique groups. Thegroup was supposed to help a young poet,Robert Frost, “improve” a poem he hadbrought in. Had he listened to the group’srecommendations, “The Road Not Taken”might have emerged as a much shorter,unrhymed poem in anapestic hexameter, withchorus in dactylic dimeter. At lunch wepresented a laurel tree to honor our recentlyretiredState Poetry Laureate, Lawson Inada.Our presenters were Maxine Scates andHenry Hughes, both winners of the OregonBook Award. On Saturday evening, the fourmentoring poets gave a panel presentation onsustaining the writing life. On Sundaymorning, attendees could choose toschmooze at Koffee Klatches in the RedLion, or take a historic walk around OldMedford with local expert, Ben Truwe. Weare bringing our website up to full workingorder, under webmistress Cathy McGuire.Our newsletter, under editor Kathryn Ridall,is primarily read online, with paper editionsmailed to members who are not. We willsoon begin our annual Students’ PoetryContest, with four age divisions betweenGrades K through 12, with awards to begiven in May. Our Spring Conference andannual Members’ Meeting is being plannedin collaboration with the Silverton PoetryAssociation, to be presented in the town ofSilverton, April 19-21. ~ Dave Harvey, OPASecretaryPOETRY SOCIETY OF TEXAS’ 56thAnnual Awards Banquet was held in theSkyline Room of the Doubletree Hotel atCampbell Centre - Dallas on November 10th.The theme was “From Seven Stars.” SharonMartin Turner was Chairman of the event andwelcomed attendees. After the meal wasserved, President Jimmye Inez Sessions madeintroductions. Greetings from the NationalFederation of State Poetry Societies, Inc.,were brought by 26th NFSPS president, BuddPowell Mahan, in the absence of scheduled28th NFSPS president, Nancy Baass, whosemother, Mildred Vorpahl Baass*, had passedaway on November 4th. Budd Powell Mahan,Chairman of the Hilton Ross GreerOutstanding Service Award, announced thatof three worthy nominees voted on by thePST membership, the 2012 recipient wasIrene Field Carmichael; the other nominees,in alphabetical order, were Marilyn Stacy andJeannette L. Strother. In the absence ofNancy Baass, Chairman of the 2012 PSTAnnual Contests, her report was given byVice President Catherine L'Herisson, whothen, with President Jimmye Inez Sessions,announced the names of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rdPlace winners. 1st Place winners who werepresent read their winning poems. BuddPowell Mahan, Chairman of the 2012 EdwinM. Eakin Memorial Book Publication Award,announced that the winner was Lynn Lewis.2nd Place went to Loretta Diane Walker and3rd Place went to Elzy Cogswell.*Mildred Vorpahl Baass, Poet Laureate ofTexas, 1993-94 & 1994-95, passed awayon November 4, 2012. A proud member ofthe Poetry Society of Texas and theNational Federation of State PoetrySocieties, Inc., her involvement with bothorganizations is an important part of herlife story, which is filled with even moreaccomplishments, poetic and otherwise,than could be fit into her obituary, whichcan be found by visiting:www.rosewoodfuneralchapel.com. Her“poetic great adventure” completed onearth, her poetry lives on here, as does thememory of a truly beautiful woman, insideand out.~ Nancy BaassWYOPOETS Workshop Chairman, LindaCoatney, has announced the panelist for thespring workshop in Casper, WY. KatharineColes will be the featured poetry panelist atthe Hilton Garden Inn on April 19-20, 2013,in celebration of National Poetry Month. Theweekend will kick off with a public poetryreading at The Metro Coffee Company at7 PM, April 19th, and be followed by a fullday of workshop sessions conducted by Ms.Coles. Katharine Coles' poems, stories, andessays have appeared in such journals as TheParis Review, The Gettysburg Review,Poetry, Image, The Seneca Review, NorthAmerican Review, Southwest Review, Ascentand DIAGRAM. Forthcoming from Red HenPress are her fifth and sixth poetrycollections, Flight and The Earth Is Not Flat.Katharine Coles served as the 2009-2010inaugural director of the Harriet MonroePoetry Institute and is now a professor at theUniversity of Utah. She founded and codirectsthe Utah Symposium in Science andLiterature. She is a 2012 GuggenheimFoundation Fellow. Registration for theworkshop is $45 and includes lunch onSaturday, April 20. Fees and inquiries can besent to Art Elser, WyoPoets Treasurer, 1730Locust Street, Denver, CO, 80220. Forinformation about poetry events in Wyominggo to www.wyopoets.com. ~ Lee AnnSiebken, ReporterCONTESTSPOETS ROUNDTABLE OF ARKANSAShas a monthly poetry contest for memberswith the exception of May and October. Mayis the annual Lily Peters luncheon with threespecial prizes. The month of October holdsthe annual Poetry Day event with anestimated 24-36 contests. For deadlines andrules see: www.poetsroundtable.com.FLORIDA STATE POETSASSOCIATION’s 2013 ANNUALPOETRY CONTEST: Poets are invited tosubmit their original, unpublished poetry fora chance to win cash prizes of $100, $75,$50, and below. Submitted poems must nothave won more than $10 in any contest. First,second, and third place winners will beawarded cash and Honorable Mentions givena Certificate of Merit Award. Entriesaccepted until the “postmarked by” deadlineof July 15, 2013. Contest rules and additionalinformation available by sending a SASE to:Ms. B.J. Alligood, 688 Branch Drive, PortOrange, FL 32127. See the Contests page at:www.floridastatepoetsassociation.org.

8 STROPHES January 2013CONTESTS (continued)KENTUCKY STATE POETRY SOCIETY2013 Student Poetry Contest: Students areinvited to submit their original poetry for achance to win cash prizes! There are fivecategories: Grades 3-4, Grades 5-6,Grades 7-8, Grades 9-10, and Grades 11-12.Each category has a cash prize for first,second, and third place winners. HonorableMention, the judges’ recognition of somespecial poems, may be awarded as well. Thiscontest is open to public, private, and homeschooledstudents from any state. There areno entry fees. All poems must be theoriginal, unpublished work of the studentand not be currently submitted elsewhere inany other contest. Contest deadline is March1, 2013. For more information and specificguidelines, email Carol Ann Mauriellocamauriello@moreheadstate.edu or consultthe youth contest flyer on the KSPS web site:www.kystatepoetrysociety.org/Contests.htmlMISSISSIPPI POETRY SOCIETY holdstwo contests each year, Spring and Fall, inconjunction with our festivals. For rules andinformation write to Jeanne S. Kelly, 315Church St., Madison, MS 39110. Email:jskelly04@gmail.com (put “ContestInformation” in the subject line), or consultthe MPS website www.misspoetry.net.MISSOURI STATE POETRY SOCIETYWinter contest deadline: Postmark February15, 2013. Two copies of each entry, categorynumber and name in upper left corner ofboth copies, poet's name and address inupper right corner of one copy. If member,put “Missouri State Poetry Society” belowyour address, otherwise put “non-member”.40 or fewer lines. May be previouslypublished if poet retains the rights to thepoem. May enter each category as manytimes as poet wishes. Categories:1) rhymed verse or blank verse, 2) free verse,3) humorous verse, 4) any form, wintersubject, 5) poet's choice, MSPS membersonly (any form, any subject). Members pay$1 per entry. Non-members pay $2 per entry.Payable to MSPS. Send to Bill Lower, 21010S. Hwy 245, Fair Play, MO 65649. SASE oremail address on a 3x5 index card for list ofwinners.PENNSYLVANIA POETRY SOCIETYinvites all poets to enter their 2013 AnnualContest. Entries may be sent up until thedeadline of January 15, 2013. Rules andinstructions are on the Contests page at:www.nfsps.com/pa/.OREGON POETRY ASSOCIATIONSpring Contests: Deadline for entries isMarch 1, 2013. There will be six categories:1) Poet’s Choice, 80-line max, any form,any subject; 2) Free Verse, 40-line max,any free form, any subject; 3) TraditionalVerse Form, limit 40 lines, any subject,form—sestina; 4) New Poets, 30-line max,any form, any subject; 5) Members Only,6-12 lines, any form, any subject;6) Theme: music or visual arts, in memoryof Virginia Corrie-Cozart, 40-line max, anyform.POETRY EVENTSet aside March 22-23, 2013 for an aweinspiringweekend in southern Utah.POETRY in THE PARK in its 4th year,will hold a day-long workshop featuringUtah Poet Laureate Lance Larsen inbeautiful Zion National Park on FridayMarch 22. Details for this event at:www.poetry-in-the-park.com. Partiallyfunded by Utah Division of Arts andMuseums, and National Endowment of theArts, in partnership with Utah State PoetrySociety, Zion Natural Park Foundation andZion Canyon Field Institute. Make plans toexplore the park’s majestic red rock cliffsand impressive natural beauty. Stay nearbyin St. George, UT (45 minutes away) withits regional airport or fly into Las Vegas.Redrock Writers’ Seminar will be held thesame weekend in the historic St. GeorgeOpera House. For details see:www.redrockwriters.org.ENCORE COVER SUBMISSIONSNOW OPENNFSPS members are encouraged to shareoriginal art or photos that would beappropriate for the cover of Encore. Besure to send material in a vertical formatunless the photo or art can be used as a“wrap around” cover. In horizontal wrapformats, care must be taken that the focalpoint is on the right side so it will be on thefront cover and not the back. You maysubmit digitally, using a high resolutionjpeg. If the photo is grainy or fuzzy, Icannot use it. Send digital submissions tovbailey@satx.rr.com. If you send hardcopy, it must fit on my scanner—no largerthan 8.5 x 14. Those who want to sendoriginal art should take a photograph of theart and send the photograph digitally or ashard copy. I do not want to be responsiblefor someone’s only copy of original art.I like to keep all the submissions toconsider again each year. If you do notwant me to keep your photo, please send aself-addressed stamped envelope so I canreturn it to you. If you do not send anenvelope, I will assume I can keep it onfile. Some years, submissions are sparse;and other years I am inundated. Please sendyour submissions to: Valerie MartinBailey, Encore Editor, 2207 ParhavenDrive, San Antonio, TX 78232. Thedeadline for submissions is May 1, 2013.I received a photograph last year that Iam interested in, but I have misplaced thename of the person who submitted it. If yousubmitted a photograph of a white flowerwith pink-tinged petals leaning over the topof a dusty-rose brick wall, I would like tohear from you.

10 STROPHES January 2013grow when they hear our poetry. It is thispoetic conversation, this ambassadorship ofpoets which gives us strength as anorganization. As a southerner, I love hearingthe voices of talented poets from Minnesota,from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Mexico, andother far-flung places which otherwise wouldbe just points on a map. By hearing theirvoices, I can visit these places and taste just abit of their flavor.Thirdly, poets learn more about their craftfrom experts in seminars, lectures,workshops, Q&A sessions, anddemonstrations. By moving the conventionyearly to different parts of our great country,we reap the benefits of countless teachers wemight never have known about. We gatherpriceless tips and bits of advice that help usto be better poets.Finally, what better audience could a poethave than other poets? What better friendscould a poet make than other poets? It is atthe national convention that we can come outof our shells and create lasting friendshipswith talented poets from all over the country.As a side benefit, we also get to see andexperience parts of the country that caninspire new poetry, spark new ideas, and giveus a broader view of our world.In closing, I ask you to support our NFSPSconventions, starting with the 2013 gatheringin Albuquerque, which is shaping up to betruly enchanting. I also ask, beg, plead for ahost state for 2014. We have so much to gainby continuing to back these conventions, andso much to lose if they die from lack ofinterest. Writing is a lonely business, but wedon’t have to be alone. Attend, support,advertise, host the national convention. Be anactive voice for good poetry.A Few Thoughts on Open Micand the MicrophoneMark Hersman, President,Ohio Poetry AssociationTest the mic (loudness and quality) beforepeople arrive. And if you, the poet, areallowed do the same––do it. Instead of askingpeople, “Can you hear me”, watch them asyou read, hear yourself as you read.If you emcee/host a reading event, lay outspecific, CLEAR guidelines for the poets andstick to them. For example, try to avoid epicpoems at the mic (consider most audiences'attention span). Consider one or two shortpoems with line limits. Seriously addressrant, vulgarity, profanity, etc. Again, mostimportantly, who is your audience? Addressthis before the event begins, and again ifneed be, as numbers sign up during the eventand at break.At the mic, remember that most often, lessis more—fewer poems are generally betterreceived than volumes. Explain less and getright into your work, for both poets andemcees––artfully use the mic.For all readings, if there is a mic, pleaseuse it. NEVER at the microphone ask if youhave to use it. Remember, in EVERY groupthere are individuals with various hearingdisabilities. Perhaps the exception to thisguideline would be a mic or sound systemnot functioning properly. In this scenario,politely acknowledge the situation, then stepaway from the mic (closer to the audience),and speak loud, clear, and slow! Smile often.This may be difficult to believe, but theaudience actually WANTS to hear thepoems.Every reading at the mic is a performance,no confusion here: EVERY reading aperformance. Engage the audience; look ateach one, smile often, look up and around(try memorizing your work). Without theaudience, there is no reading. Help theaudience feel special. THEY ARE SPECIAL.I have watched far too many good poets losetheir future readers because of their poordelivery.Don't forget the power of first impressionat the mic. This applies to all people as wellas the individual poem. Dress appropriately.TYPE OUT your poems/notes, using largebold dark print to avoid stumbling. Seeyourself from the audience's perspective.Plan for bad lighting as this is often the case.Carry your glasses to the mic and don'tapologize for using them. Avoid apologizingfor anything at the mic. Be humble. Be proudof your work. Woo your audience to theWorld of Poetry––the power of firstimpression at the mic is HUGE! Don't hidebehind it.An excellent book to assist both thehost/emcee and the poet is: StagePerformance by Livingston Taylor. This isan absolute must for all who plan to use themic and for nearly all public readings as well.Another must-read book on speaking andperforming at the mic is Ace a Reading andSell Your Chapbooks by Jennifer Bosveld,Puddinghouse Publications, 2011.If you want your audience and fellow poetsto take you seriously, you must first seriouslyconsider your own professionalism at the micas well as your preparation and performance.The microphone is the heartbeat of everypoem. Use it to your advantage. Learn thelove language between the audio system andyour listeners. And use it artfully well––wishing you more delightful, powerful openmics.Photo Poems: For the Pictures YouWish You’d Taken—or the Pictures You ImagineDavid Harvey, Secretary,Oregon Poetry Association* “I wish I’d gotten a picture of that!”* “The light was too dim for a good picture.”* “They didn’t allow cameras in thatmuseum/church/concert hall.”* “I ran out of film [my battery went flat] justbefore it happened.”* “It happened so fast! By the time I got mycamera out—”* “I forgot my camera that day.”Who hasn’t come home from a vacation orspecial occasion saying something like that?Sometimes, just out for a walk, shopping, orwaiting while they change our oil, there’s amoment that would make a fantasticpicture—only we aren’t ready with a camera,and we miss it.Actually, we don’t miss it. We see it. Theremay even be a sound, aroma, texture, or tasteinvolved, and we record that, too. It goes intoour memory, as vividly as if we’d snapped it.I propose that those memories can beshared in a way that brings them alive for ourfriends and families: photo poems, in whichmemories become words. Putting them intowords can affect how we write, how weremember the sights/events we couldn’t getinto photos, and how others understand ourexperiences.For many of us, the haiku is the mostfamiliar photo poem. Jo Miles, writing overfifty years ago, remarked that “the haiku isthe nearest thing in literature to aphotograph.” This led me to see that certainother short forms, including short free-versepoems, can have the effect of photographs.They even have the advantage over mostcameras in that they can record sounds,smells, textures, and tastes. They can recordthem in dim or even no light. They mighteven be pictures that never happened at all,or only in your imagination!I used to begin the school year with myeighth-graders in Eureka with The PhotoPoem Assignment. The rules I gave themmay help you get started.1. Any subject is OK, whether you arewitnessing it as you write, you remember itfrom days past, or even if you onlyimagine what you might witness if it reallyhappened.2. Titles are OK. Let them be like thecaptions you might write besidephotographs in an album, giving place,date, other pertinent information.3. Any length between three and twenty lines.(In practice, poems longer than ten linestend to become “video-clip poems,” butthat might also be all right for you.)

January 2013 STROPHES 114. Always set in present tense. (Like aphotograph.)5. Nothing but sense details––don’t tell howit made you feel––just describe the detailsthat gave you that feeling.6. I didn’t allow rhymes, because they tendedwith youngsters, to run away with thesense of the poem as they searched forrhyming words. However, as mature poets,you should be able to disregard this rule,and create “photos that sing.”You may enjoy setting your poems in classicforms. A few are listed below with examples.Haiku: Always three lines, and manyteachers—not all, including me—require 17syllables, arranged 5-7-5. Classically, haikupoems are untitled. Apply “Rule 2” above, assuits you. Example by Pedro Miguel Lock,Panama Canal, Nov. 5, 1962, aboard the USSOkanogan:Green lawns, sunset light,gray walls, green with ancient moss—tall gates close astern.Trilet: Three lines, 18 syllables, arranged3-6-9. Example by David Harvey, Jan 2008,on my bike above Emigrant ReservoirOld 99, Climbing into a SnowstormTires crackleon scattered gravel; firstflakes fly in my face at Milepost Five.Tanka. Five lines, 31 syllables, arranged5-7-5-7-7. Example by David Harvey:Going in My Geezer-GearAt three miles an hour,I slowly crank my burdens;my chain's steady whir:the pine trees pass down,and the sweat runs in my eyes.Crapsey Cinquain: Named for its inventor,the American poet Adelaide Crapsey. Fivelines, 22 syllables, arranged 2-4-6-8-2. Ms.Crapsey cheerfully allowed an extra syllable,or an omitted one, here or there, if it made abetter poem. I have had fun with “cinquainchains,” poems of several stanzas, eachfollowing this form, but the last line of eachstanza becoming the first line of the next.Poetry Immersion at the Dodge FestivalGinny Connors, Contest Chair,Connecticut Poetry SocietyThe biennial Geraldine R. Dodge PoetryFestival took place October 11-14 in thedowntown Arts District of Newark, NJ. I waslucky enough to attend, along with severalpoetry-loving friends. During the day, therewere simultaneous events in multiplelocations, all within a few blocks of the NJPerforming Arts Center, Prudential Hall,which served as Poetry Central during theevent. Thursday was set aside for high schoolstudents and their teachers, and on Fridaymany students also attended.A great range of poets gave readings,participated in poetry “conversations,” onstage, and gave craft lectures. Among themwere Philip Levine, Patricia Smith, JaneHirshfield, Eavan Boland, Thomas Lux,Natasha Trethewey, Gregory Orr, RaúlZurita, Henri Cole, Terrence Hayes,Dorianne Laux, Taylor Mali––the list goeson and on. Festival Coordinator, MartinFarawell, gave thoughtful introductions to thepoets at the evening readings.A focus of many of the craft lectures wasthe music of poetry, and music was alsoperformed at some of the events. On Fridayevening, tap dancer Maurice Chestnutperformed along with poet/musician KurtisLamkin, who accompanied himself on thekora, an African stringed instrument.(Lamkin made his by hand.) Who wouldhave thought that such a combination of artforms would work so well together? Saturdaymorning began with a performance by theNewark Boys Choir. On Saturday night, theNew Jersey Symphony Orchestra StringQuartet played along as Patricia Smith readdramatic and moving selections about thoseleft behind in a nursing home duringHurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Thepoems were from her book, Blood Dazzler.Among several craft lectures I attended,one by Dorianne Laux stood out. She spokemovingly of her initiation into poetry throughwatching a performance of Romeo and Juliet,and later listening to a performance of it overand over, concentration most especially onthe rhythm. During the talk she quotedpassages from memory in order to make herpoints clear. She recreated the process ofthinking that she had gone through as ayoung woman from a family that had littleuse for books or for poetry. Laux talkedabout the power of certain words that breakthe rhythm and force a reader or listener topause, to pay attention. Spondees, consistingof two stressed syllables, are such words.“These are mother words,” she said. “Theyforce you to pay attention. Come here. Sitdown. Shut up.” In Romeo and Juliet, onespondee is “rough touch.” It breaks theiambic pentameter so that a reader or listenerlingers over it. It also foreshadows whathappens later in the play.Another poem that really made her thinkabout rhythm in poetry was “Tarantulas onthe Life Buoy” by Thomas Lux. She believesthat the word “semi-tropical” (say it aloud)might have helped him find the rhythm andvoice for this poem. (If you are interested inthis poem, you can find it at:www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178152).She also spoke of her belief that the bestpoems “stand on the knife edge of yes andno.” Life is complex. The last line of a poemshould probably emphasize that division, thatteetering edge.There is so much more one could say aboutthe Dodge Poetry Festival experience(www.dodgepoetry.org), including thepleasure of joining a large community ofpeople who are passionate about poetry, butthe best thing I can do is to suggest that youtry to attend the next Festival in 2014.