I recently returned from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where the Poetry Society of Tennessee held its 68th Annual Poetry Festival. The event was a partnership of the society, Poetry in the Boro, and MTSU Write. The society’s first in-person festival since before COVID (and first-ever hybrid event) featured a morning plenary session by Christian J. Collier and four separate tracks for the afternoon, covering publishing, politics in poetry, narrative and non-narrative poetry, and strategies for the poet’s toolkit. The afternoon closed with an awards ceremony for a first-ever cover art contest and annual festival poetry contests along with a reading of most of the winning poems.
The Joys of Celebrations
This month was full of wonderful poetic activities for National Poetry Month: open mics, poem-a-day prompts, lit festivals, book launches, and other programs. Some I was able to attend, others I had to settle for stories and photos from others. I’ve enjoyed the words of poets both familiar and new to me, created new work, and shared my work with friends old and new. The poetry festival capped off this flurry of celebrations.
The Joys of Community
I enter my third year as President of the Poetry Society of Tennessee in May. We’ve had much to be excited about over the past few years, from innovating practices to growing membership, from formalizing a regional structure to partnering with other poetry communities. I feel blessed to be part of an amazing, working Board and a host of committee members making things happen for poets in Tennessee.
I’m especially excited this year about the partnership that led to this event. The festival committee partnered hard and brought this event to life in the span of a few months. There are so many people who deserve a shout out, but I’ll keep it short: Festival Committee Chair Howard Carman and committee members Kory Wells (Poetry in the Boro), Mary Leoson (MTSU Write), and society Board members/elect Cynthia Storrs, Jake Lawson, and Nikki Noushin along with Festival Contest Chair Deborah Adams. Thank you! To our festival volunteers, thank you! A huge congratulations to winning artists and poets and many thanks to contest and festival participants, sponsors, and judges. And a big thanks to our wonderful working session presenters! Also, the Middle Tennessee State University Academic Classroom Building was impressive, and we had a wonderful tech support person on site with us all day.
A Few More Festival Highlights
Reflecting on the quality of presenters, I’ve heard many wonderful comments. I personally gained important insights and tools in Christian Collier‘s plenary session and gained more key insights in Donovan McAbee‘s discussion on the political in poetry.
I invite you to check out the Poetry Society of Tennessee website, blog, Facebook and Instagram (@poetrysocietyoftennessee) for more information about the festival and to learn more about this community of poets spanning from corner to corner of Tennessee, across the nation, and all the way to Europe.
Joys Beyond the Festival
If you’re looking for a welcoming community in which to share and grow, check out the Poetry Society of Tennessee. With monthly educational programs, contests, working groups, regional connections, poetry shares, and poet promotion, it may be a good home for you. The program year starts May 1, so it’s a perfect time to join. Only $25! Learn more. Looking for more poetry books? Check out their bookstore and discover a new favorite poet.
If you live near or are ever in Murfreesboro, join Poetry in the Boro for their monthly open mic and featured reading series. It’s a welcoming atmosphere and the poetry is amazing! Founded in 2016, the mission of PitB is to bring poetry to the community and to offer a place for our community’s creative, unique voices in all styles of poetry and spoken word. Their next event is Sunday, May 4, featuring the wonderful Killian Gunn.
If you’re looking for a unique way to improve your writing, check out MTSU Write! Their non-degreed, community-facing creative writing program hosts local and virtual events, facilitates virtual writing groups, and offers from-home, one-on-one mentoring to writers of all experience levels in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and playwriting.
If you’re in or near Johnson City, Tennessee, join Kayla Nichols and me on 1st Tuesdays for PoetTEA, an open mic held at The Philosopher’s House. This is another collaboration of the Poetry Society of Tennessee, with the Poetry Writers Workshop. Their next event is May 6. Sign-ups at 6:15 pm. You can also head to the Down Home on 3rd Wednesdays for the Johnson City Poets Collective Poetry Hoot. Sign-ups start 6:45 pm.
Our Tennessee poetry community is alive and thriving! In yet another collaboration, the Vagabond Poetry Tour does Memphis at 7 pm on May 20 (one stop on a national tour). A project of National Beat Poet Laureate Mark Lipman, this collaboration with Poetry Society of Tennessee and Cafe Noir is made possible thanks to society member Ruby Jones and Home Grown making connections.
And More Joys! A Florida Poetry Update
For my poet friends in or visiting northwest Florida, a new open mic event started up in the Fort Walton Beach area at Wild Tribe Art & Coffee currently being held every Sunday night! I’ve not been yet but I’m excited to see an open mic night return to my home away from home. Learn about this and other events in this region through Pensacola Poetry and Emerald Coast Writers. If you’re looking for a poetry society home there, check out the Northwest Florida chapter of the Florida State Poets Association.