This month’s roundup includes various opportunities brought to our attention by various organizations, members, and friends others discovered organically. (Be sure to scroll down to our events section for a great fall line-up!) Grow your skills, find submissions opportunities, and more!
Submissions Closing Soon!
- Unbroken Journal seeks prose poems. Open through September 15.
- Alabama State Poetry Society fall contests close September 20.
- Johnson City Poets Collective Pub Crawl contest closes September 21.
- Beaver Magazine is open through September 30.
More Calls
- Black Fox Literary Magazine‘s call is open through November 30.
- Failed Haiku opens for submissions September 10.
- Stickman Review is open through October 2025.
- Baltimore Review is open through November 29.
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
- Menace
- Paranoid Tree (prose poetry)
- * NEW * Porchlight
- Rogue Agent
- Southern Poetry Review
- The Sun
- Your Impossible Voice
More Calls and Contests
- The California Quarterly, a literary publication of California State Poetry Society
- Eugene V. Shea National Poetry Contest from WyoPoets opens October 1, 2025
- BlackBerry Peach Spoken and Written Word Contest and 50th Annual NFSPS Poetry Contests (list coming soon) open for submission January 1 through March 15, 2026
Events
In the southeast region, “Eyes and Ears to the World: The Writer as Witness and Chronicler” will be the topic at Tennessee Wesleyan University’s convocation on September 30, featuring society members Natalie Kimbell and Connie Jordan Green. The two will read from their poetry collections and engage in a moderated conversation on their experiences and growth as writers. Regional Connections Director Claudia Stanek and Southeast Regional Rep Ray Zimmerman will also attend the event. (see details slide show below.)
In the northeast region, East Tennessee State University hosts poet Li Young Lee on September 24, 2025. Get details. Check out their other literary events coming up as well. Also in the northeast region, member Heidi Ehle presents a reading and musical event on September 16 in Jonesborough, TN. (Details for all in the slide show below.)
Also in this region, Writing Rural America: a public conversation with Appalachian authors David Joy, Maurice Manning, Crystal Wilkinson & Karen Spears Zacharias will be held Oct 25, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Blount County Public Library on 508 N. Cusick Street in Maryville, Tennessee.
Take your poetry off the page at an open mic! You’ll find them across the state and in the virtual realm:
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/
EAST *NEW*
- Third Thursdays at The Maker’s Space, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM in Knoxville, TN. Former Knoxville Poet Laureate Rhea Carmon hosts.
- Writing Rural America: a public conversation with Appalachian authors David Joy, Maurice Manning, Crystal Wilkinson & Karen Spears Zacharias. Oct 25, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Blount County Public Library 508 N. Cusick Street in Maryville, Tennessee.
- Curated Poetry Night: Nov. 7, 7:00 p.m. at Southland Book’s The Bird and the Book, 1509 E Broadway Ave, Maryville, TN 37804
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
- Poetry in Motion (Rockvale Writers Colony inCollege Grove TN, Sep 19-21). PST member KB Ballentine facilitates!
- Meacham Writers’ Workshop returns to UTC Sept. 24-27
- Think Journal Critical Path Poetry Symposium (virtual, Sep 25-27) FREE
- Two Sylvias Press Online Poetry Retreat. Two levels of participation available. (virtual, Oct 6 – Nov 2)
- Sundress Academy for the Arts is hosting its fifth generative writing retreat celebrating survival and healing on (Knoxville TN, October 4–5).
- Tremont Writers Conference Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont partners with Smokies Life to bring this five-day intensive retreat to a small group of selected writers. (Townsend Tennessee, October 22-26)
- Shuly Cawood virtual generative and craft-focused writing workshops
- John Davis Jr. “Metacreativity: The Process Behind the Poetry” mail-based tips and insights
On Demand
- Briar Haus Writes writer interviews on YouTube
- Oceanside Library “Near and Afar” poetry reading replays
- Master Class
- The Plug Poetry Project (from Christian Collier). Collection of video/audio available on Sound Cloud & YouTube. There is also a public group on Facebook.
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 
