Strophes - National Federation of State Poetry Societies

2 STROPHES April 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 11234OHIO: 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

6 STROPHES April 2013printing an anthology of members’ poemsthis summer. Member Rhonda Brown had atouching interview printed in theBarrow Neurological magazine (vol. 24,issue 2, 2012) and included several poems thathelped her through recovery from a seriousbrain tumor. These brave poems includeddescriptions of the sounds of MRIs and finallysurviving the disease and treatments. So manyof us also know that poetry can get us through alot of hard times. Popular local poet PaulineMounsey continues to teach weekly poetryclasses at the Scottsdale Senior Center as shehas for over ten years. Many of her pupils arewinter visitors from all over the country. Shehas worked with and influenced manypromising poets and also brought them into ourorganization. Her workshops usually start withan article, prompt, a discussion of a poet’s workor a “how to,” and after a break the real writingbegins. Saturday, April 27th, has been set forour Arizona Spring Festival in Scottsdale at theMustang Library. Details to follow atazpoetry.webs.com. Hopefully, we will all meetin Albuquerque in June. ~ Molly Saty, ReporterPOETS’ ROUNDTABLE OF ARKANSASMay 17-18 are the dates for PRA’s Annual LilyPeter Luncheon. Friday, May 17, supper andopen mic in downtown El Dorado at PJsfeaturing Justin Booth as the main poet. Eventson Saturday, May 18, will be near downtown,within walking distance of the severalrestaurants on the square. Lunch will be on yourown at one of those nearby eateries. Poets willbe offered coffee, juice, water, and Spudnuts forthe early morning arrivals. Justin will be ourspeaker and critic. Participants can send up to 2poems via e-mail for critique tojbob214@yahoo.com by April 1. If no e-mailaccess, mail them to Jim Barton, P.O. Box 263Huttig, AR 71747. Fresh-made 2013 cropmayhaw jelly and copies of Between the Linesliterary journal will be given to out-of-townersas door prizes. PRA (founded in 1931) isworking on the printing of its AnniversaryAnthology, Poems by Poets of the Roundtable.Marcia Camp is working with author MarckBeggs (editor) and the Butler Center on theproject. Poetry Day 2013 contests will beannounced in March. For more information,please check our newly designed website:www.poetsroundtable.web.com.~ Laura Loughridge, ReporterCOLUMBINE POETS on Sept. 22, 2012,gathered at the Community College of Aurora,just east of Denver, for their annual Poets Fest.The day started off at 10:30 a.m. with an openreading, followed by lunch and a workshop bypoet and presenter Rosemerry WahtolaTrommer. The workshop, “Moving Toward theVoice of Water,” focused on the work of Rumi,a Sufi poet. We read his work aloud in smallgroups, savoring the words, the tone, and theirmulti-layered meaning. After a break, we wereready to celebrate the winner of our 2012Chapbook Contest, Benita Volk from Denver,who treated us to several poems from her book,Leaning Toward the Invisible. The final eventof the Fest was a reading by RosemerryWahtola Trommer, who shared poems from TheMiracle Already Happening: Everyday Lifewith Rumi, her recent collection of meditationson the words of Rumi. Once again ColumbinePoets had traveled from all parts of Colorado toshare with other members their love for poetryand for the artistic community we have allworked to create over the past 30+ years.~ Anita Jepson-Gilbert, ReporterGEORGIA POETRY SOCIETY’s quarterlymeeting was hosted by Kennesaw StateUniversity, January 21, 2013. Jill Jennings wasselected as the featured member, reading fromher book, Dead Man’s Flower (Yawn’sPublishing). Her poems have won awards fromthe Georgia Poetry Society and the AtlantaWriters Club. As well, Jill’s poetry has beenpublished annually in the GPS anthology,Reach of Song, in the national anthology,Encore, and Kennesaw State University’sPoetry of the Golden Age. Following theinstallation of officers, past GPS presidentswere welcomed and honored with introductionsby Jean Gray. The morning speaker, BethGylys, currently a professor at Georgia StateUniversity, read from her chapbook,Matchbook, A Sonnet Sequence (La VitaPoetica Press 2007). Ms. Gylys has publishedtwo award winning poetry collections, Spot inthe Dark (Ohio State UP 2004) and Bodies thatHum (1999 Silverfish Review Press). Inaddition she also has a chapbook, BalloonHeart (Wind Press 1998). Awarded fellowshipsfrom the MacDowell Colony, The University ofCincinnati, and Syracuse University, she hasbeen published in many journals includingParis Review, Antioch Review, Kenyon Review,Ploughshares, Boston Review, and TheSouthern Review. The afternoon speaker,Christopher Martin, is the author of the poetrychapbook, A Conference of Birds (New NativePress 2012). His poetry and essays haveappeared or are forthcoming in Shambhala Sun,Ruminate Magazine, Thrush Poetry Journal,Drafthorse, Still: The Journal, Buddhist PoetryReview, the Southern Poetry Anthology, andVolume V: Georgia. Chris was recently thefeatured poet for Town Creek Poetry, and hispoem “Marcescence,” was nominated for aPushcart Prize. His poetry collection, Startingfrom Kennesaw, was named a finalist in theTexas Review Press Breakthrough Prize:Georgia. GPS member, Lynn Farmer, won FirstPlace in the 6th Annual Chattahoochee ValleyWriters Conference National Poetry Contest,for her poem “Listening to Mahler’s No. 8.”Paul Samuels won the 2012 Georgia HonorScroll Award with his poem, “Two Views fromthe Foot of the 59th Street Bridge.” Rupert Fikewon the Finalist Award (2nd place) in the 48thannual Georgia Author of the Year Awards inthe poetry category for his collection, LotusBuffet (Brick Road Poetry Press, 2011). Guestspeaker for upcoming meeting April 20, 2013,is Natasha Trethawey, U.S. Poet Laureate andPulitzer Prize winner, followed by a workshopfeaturing Gregory Fraser and Chad Davidson,University of West Georgia professors ofliterature and creative writing.~ DuAnne Royall Kaiser, ReporterILLINOIS STATE POETRY SOCIETYhosted a poetry reading by members and publicopen mic on February 2 at the NorthbrookPublic Library. The monthly ISPS-sponsoredmembers’ readings continue to take place onthe fourth Sunday at Brewed Awakening inWestmont. Several libraries throughout the statewill be displaying members’ poems duringNational Poetry Month in April.~ Susan T. Moss (past president of ISPS)INDIANA STATE FEDERATION OFPOETRY CLUBS’ verbs are active! OurSpring meet will be on Saturday, May 11th. Itwill be hosted by the Northeast Indiana Poets ofFt. Wayne, at the Fox Island facility in FtWayne. We have a new poetry group that hasformed in the university town of Valparaiso.Led by Gail Galvin, this once-a-month groupmeets on the first Thursday of the month at6 p.m. in the Public Library. Many of us arelooking forward to the National conventiononce again this year. ~ Tom Spencer, PresidentMAINE POETS SOCIETY’s Februarymeeting had to be postponed because of aferocious blizzard. The next meeting will beheld at the University of Maine at Augusta onSaturday, May 18th. Registration begins 9:30a.m. There is a $12 registration fee whichincludes lunch. Non-members are welcome andmay stay to participate in a reading-in-theroundat about 3 p.m. The contests will be thoseheld over from February and no additionalsubmissions will be accepted. Those contestsare poems not to exceed 24 lines, on the subjectof “Running Away” and short couplet poems,which are a series of rhymed couplets in eitheriambic or trochaic tetrameter, also not to exceed24 lines. Judge for the subject poems will beAnne Britting Oleson, who has been publishedwidely in the US, UK, and Canada. She earnedher MFA at the Stonecoast program of USM.She has published two chapbooks, The Churchof St. Materiana (2007) and The Beauty of It(2010). Judge for the short couplets will beBruce Spang, poet laureate of Portland. Bruce isthe author of one previous book of poems, TheKnot (2006), as well as two chapbooks, TheEnd of Time (2005) and Once The First BerriesDissolve (2003). He is Reviews Editor for the“Cafe Review” in Portland, ME, and anassociate editor for “Hunger Mountain.” Fordetails see www.mainepoetssociety.com or callour Membership Chair Cynthia Brackett-Vincent at 207-778-0467. ~ Sally Joy, PublicityChair

April 2013 STROPHES 7MASSACHUSETTS STATE POETRYSOCIETY is happily enjoying increasedmembership of late. Luckily, MSPS has noevents planned this weekend as we areexperiencing a full-fledged blizzard comparableto that of 1978 as I write this report! PresidentJeanette Maes is especially pleased with fourvery active MSPS Chapters spread across thestate. Wordcrafters Chapter meets on the lastSaturday of the month at the Peabody Branch ofthe Peabody Institute Library. A recentintensive Walt Whitman discussion was led byHarvard Professor, Dr. Theo Theohatis. TheChapter will present a program for the MSPSMarch 2nd meeting entitled “Noah Webster andWords.” Roberta Hung will chair the event dueto Director Bev Barnes jimbev4@comcast.netenjoying a winter sojourn in California. CathrynO’Hare ckohare@gmail.com, Director of NorthShore Poets Forum Chapter, reports the firstmeeting of 2013 was conducted on January 18at their home base of Beverley Public Library.Waterfront CREW Poets Chapter meets on the2nd and 4th Friday mornings, year round, atWinthrop Public Library. Director PatriciaTacelli patta5@yahoo.com, reports that thegroup plans to present a new program at theMSPS October meeting (as they have for overfifteen years). The Louise Brogan Chapter,MSPS’ newest chapter, has committed to anambitious program for this year. They enjoyed aPotluck supper and Yankee Swap at the homeof Director Mary Ellen LeTartemeletarte@yahoo.com. The Chapter’s Januarymeeting featured an elegy writing exercise.Next meeting will be held at the LunenbergLibrary. A Chapter Chapbook is in the planningstage as well as a series of poetry lectures anddiscussions that will be offered to thecommunity as well as members.~ Patricia Bruen Tacelli, ReporterMISSISSIPPI POETRY SOCIETY’s SpringFestival, hosted by the South Branch, will beheld April 13-14, 2013 at Gulf Hills Resort andHotel in Ocean Springs, with a pre-festivalparty on Friday evening, April 12, at the homeof Elva Avara in Pascagoula. The featuredspeaker for the festival will be LennyEmmanuel, an internationally published poet,essayist, and editor. He is also an associatefaculty member of the University of SouthernMississippi (the Gulf Coast Campus). ContestCoordinator Dierdra Payne will present thewinners of the Spring Festival contests withtheir awards, and winners will read their poems.A business meeting will be conducted byPresident Brenda Finnegan during which newofficers will be elected. Our 2013 Poet of theYear, Patricia Butkovich, will debut her newbook, A Long-Stemmed Rose. We are saddenedby the recent loss of our dear friend andamazing poet Pat Jordan, 2012 MPS Poet of theYear. Pat’s indomitable attitude during her fightwith cancer remains an inspiration to us. “Sowe hold tight our heart/ as we step onto life’sfinal/ carnival ride, understanding/ more deeplythan any poem/ ever told us that/ rain is tears…/and vice versa,” from Pat’s final book and truegift to us, The Tender Gift.~ Wynne H. Alexander, MPS SecretaryOHIO POETRY ASSOCIATION isproducing a major anthology planned forpublication in March, 2013. Poet Steve Abbott,retired professor from Columbus StateCommunity College, will edit this collection.See ohiopoetryassociation.org for moreinformation and ordering details.~ Mark Hersman, PresidentPOETRY SOCIETY OF OKLAHOMAcelebrated National Poetry Day on October 13,2012 with a football theme and celebrated ourAll-Stars. Our All-Stars included PSO PoetLaureate, Carol L. Snow, Oklahoma SeniorPoet Laureate, Vivian R. Stewart, andOklahoma State Poet Laureate, EddieWilcoxen. We also celebrated with Marsha KayOldham the release of her new poetry book, MyLoves. We handed out poetry awards for ourfour National Poetry Day categories andconducted an annual business meeting. We losttwo precious members who passed away: inNovember 2012, Hazel Bell Nicholas, and thenin February 2013 we lost centenarian, MaxineAustin, who was 102 years old. On acelebratory note, one of our members, NathanBrown, was named Oklahoma State PoetLaureate for 2013 and 2014. ~ Rob Burgess,PresidentOREGON POETRY ASSOCIATION’sSpring Conference will be held April 12-14 inconjunction with the Silverton PoetryAssociation (SPA) at the Oregon GardenResort, in Silverton. On Friday evening at theWhite Steeple Gallery, our workshop leaders,Oregon poets Don Colburn and JenniferRichter, will give readings followed by anopen-mic session. Saturday’s activities willinclude workshops by Don and Jennifer. Asalways during our Spring Conference, we haveour annual Members Meeting before lunch. Theday’s activities will be followed by a paneldiscussion in the evening, by Don and Jenniferand our four consulting poets on “Poetic Self-Renewal,” with an open-mic session to follow.We also plan Sunday morning consultations forindividual poets by four poets who hail from thecentral Willamette Valley: Chris Anderson,Barbara Drake, Donna Henderson, and LexRunciman. We will hold coffee klatches thatmorning as well. SPA will invite us all to a“Feast of Poets” on Sunday afternoon. TheStudent Poetry Contest chair, Tiel Ansari,reported 668 entries from schools all overOregon. Our new Contest Chair, Amy Miller,reports the beginnings of a good turnout forOPA’s Spring Contests by member and nonmemberpoets. Our quarterly newsletter, underthe editorship of Kathryn Ridall, has now gonealmost all-electronic, with paper copies stillbeing mailed to a small number of OPAmembers. Our website, under Cathy McGuire,has overcome glitches which had beeninterfering with members’ access. Cathystepped down in February, and Katie Eberharttook over, promptly posting notices and otheritems sent to her. Our Facebook page,administered by Board member Kathy Pyle, isagain up and running. At the Fall Conference inMedford, Retired Poet Laureate Lawson Inadachallenged us to submit poems about Medford.Carol Brockfield has begun gatheringsubmissions to this project from all over thestate, and a reading and perhaps a chapbook arein the works. The presentation is set for April27. Eleanor Berry, twice our President and along-time member of the Board of Directors,will step down in April, promising to devotemore of her energies to VERSEWEAVERS, ourannual compendium of poems which have wonprizes in the adult contests. ~ Dave Harvey,OPA SecretaryPOETRY SOCIETY OF TEXAS’ meetingsare presently held September through May onthe 2nd Saturday of the month at 2:30 p.m. atthe Preston Royal Library in Dallas (exception:the Annual Awards Banquet, held at a Dallashotel, takes the place of a November meeting).In June, attendance at the NFSPS Convention isencouraged. In July, the 3-day PST SummerConference is held at different sites around thestate. The 2012-13 Executive Board iscomprised of: President Jimmye Inez Sessions,Vice President Catherine L'Herisson,Corresponding Secretary Jessica Gonsoulin,Recording Secretary Barbara Blanks, TreasurerAmy Sandberg, and Directors, David Knape,Lynn Lewis, and Beth Turner Ayers.~ Nancy BaassWYOPOETS kicked off 2013 with another ofour photograph challenges. Two of our talentedphotographers, Christine Valentine and TomHamm, submitted a series of color photos andnewsletter editor, Shelagh Wisdom, publishedthree of the "Sunset Poems" sent by members.Our membership finds this exercise to be achallenge, creating an interesting and informalway to introduce our members to each other.Poems by Eugene Gagliano, Sandra England,and Lee Ann Siebken were featured in the firstnewsletter of the year. Aaron Holst's poem,"When Your Mind's On Other Things," is therecipient of an honorable mention by the SanAntonio Poetry Fair National Contest andArthur Elser had three of his poems publishedin Open Window Review, issue 4. Their workalso appears in the January issue of WyoPoetsNewsletter. In April, National Poetry Month,we will welcome Guggenheim FoundationFellow, Katharine Coles, to keynote our SpringWorkshop; local poetry societies will celebratewith poetry readings, contests, and publishingevents. Our annual meeting will be held inCasper, WY on Saturday, April 20 at the HiltonGarden Inn. ~ Lee Ann Siebken, Reporter