Our June roundup includes various opportunities brought to our attention by various organizations, members, and friends and discovered organically. Grow your skills, find submissions opportunities, and more!
Submissions Closing Soon!
- MER seeks poems on motherhood and family. Call closes July 15.
- From Sundress Publications, microgrant applications from trans writers with a chapbook or full-length book in progress are open through July 15.
- The Waxed Lemon is open for submissions through July 21.
- Tiger Leaping Review seeks general and literary poetry. Call closes July 31.
More Calls
- Sundress Publications seeks full length manuscripts through August 31.
- Black Fox Literary Magazine opened for submissions July 1.
- The Suburban Review seeks poems on the theme CLIMATE. Call closes August 1.
- Failed Haiku opened for submissions July 10.
Always Open
Hate deadlines? Here are a few randomly selected literary venues that are always (or almost always) open to submissions:
- Centaur Lit (seeks hybrid work up to 400 words)
- Cornice Mag
- Door is a Jar
- Rogue Agent
- Southern Poetry Review
- The Sun
- Your Impossible Voice
From NFSPS
CONVENTION: NFSPS will hold their annual convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from July 23-28, 2025. Naomi Shihab Nye will be their keynote speaker!
More Calls and Contests
- Massachusetts Poetry Society National Poetry Day Contest closes August 1, 2025
- Poets Roundtable of Arkansas Poetry Day Contests open July 1 through August 15, 2025.
- The California Quarterly, a literary publication of California State Poetry Society
- Arizona State Poetry Society 2025 Contests open through August 31
Events
This month we focus on events with open mics being held around the state:
WEST
- Monday nights 7:00 pm at the Hu Hotel rooftop with Keeping it P (and the P is for poetry). Follow them on instagram.
- Third Saturday of each month 3:00 pm at Coffee Central, 5627 Getwell Rd. Southaven, MS 38672: Bring original poetry or short prose (3 minutes) to share with other poets and poetry lovers. Good listeners are also welcome.To encourage young children, we would like to hear them read anything they write or just read their favorite poem. We do not censor any social, political, religious, or philosophical viewpoint. We do ask, when it comes to graphic content and profanity, remember that Coffee Central is one of our most gracious sponsors and we should not and will not offend other customers or negatively affect business.
MIDDLE
Poetry in the Boro is a monthly open mic and featured reading series hosted in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, currently held at the Dapper Owl Coffee Pub & Bakery and at many other locations when collaborating with other organizations in the community. Often meet the second or third Sunday evening of each month but dates can vary, especially when partnering with other organizations and groups. Get details.
MIDEAST
Sawmill Poetry is a poetry reading and open mic held at the The Plenty Bookstore in Cookesville, Tennessee. Get details.
SOUTHEAST
- Rhyme n Chatt Interactive Poetry Group, based in Chattanooga, hosts an Open Mic at the Edney Innovation Center at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday evening of each month. It is called Fresh Out the Shoebox. The also hold workshops and performance events with a focus on performance poetry. See the website for more information. Get details.
- 7:30 pm last Fridays (except for November and December) at Barnes & Noble at 2100 Hamilton Place Boulevard in Chattanooga.
- The Wandering Poetry Circle meets every other Tuesday Night at WanderLinger Brewing Company, https://www.wanderlinger.com/
NORTHEAST
- First Tuesdays 6:30 pm, PoetTEA open mic is held at The Philosophers House, 117 W. Fairview Ave in Johnson City. Cosponsors are Poetry Writers Workshop and our society. Sign-ups begin 6:15 pm. 4-minute limit.
- Third Wednesdays 7:00 pm, Johnson City Poets Collective open mic at The Down Home 300 W. Main Street in Johnson City. (Weeks occasionally change so verify on instagram or website.) Sign-ups begin at 6:45. 4-minute limit.
VIRTUAL
Last Monday of the month, 7:00 pm Poetry Pie shares poetry on Zoom (max three poems). Contact the society to get on the email list.
Are we missing an open mic in Tennessee? Let us know!
Workshops
- Shuly Cawood virtual generative and craft-focused writing workshops
- John Davis Jr. “Metacreativity: The Process Behind the Poetry” mail-based tips and insights
- Two Sylvias Press Online Poetry Retreat. Choose from two remaining session periods, and two levels of participation. (virtual, Aug 4-31 and Oct 6 – Nov 2)
- VA highland Fest Writers & Readers Days (Abingdon VA, Jul 25-26)
- Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference (virtual, Jul 25-28)
- Appalachian Writer’s Conference (Berea KY, Sep 2-5)
- Think Journal Critical Path Poetry Symposium (virtual, Sep 25-27) FREE
- Sundress Academy for the Arts is hosting its fifth generative writing retreat celebrating survival and healing on (Knoxville TN, October 4–5).
On Demand
- Briar Haus Writes writer interviews on YouTube
- Oceanside Library “Near and Afar” poetry reading replays
- Master Class
Find More Opportunities
Introducing a running list of venues to find poetry opportunities. Are we missing a good one? Let us know!
Poetry Society of Tennessee 
