Poetry Society of Tennessee

EST. 1953

PST News

  • 70th Annual Poetry Festival Contests Open Soon

    70th Annual Poetry Festival Contests Open Soon

    Poetry Society of Tennessee (PST) is excited to announce the line-up of our 70th Annual Poetry Festival Contests. We offer 20 contests, more than $1,400 in prizes, publication opportunities and a Best of Fest Award. The contests are made possible by PST and a host of sponsors to whom we are most grateful. Contests explore a variety of themes and forms, such as Golden Shovel, ekphrastic, Autumn winds, National Parks, and much more, including our popular Tennessee Voices and Play it Again, Sam contests (restrictions apply to these contests).

    Prizes & Publication

    More than $1,400 will be awarded in total. Individual prize amounts vary by contest. First place poems will be eligible for the “Best of Fest” award for the top poem of the festival. An outside judge will select the winning poem. The prize is $250.

    First place poems will be published in Tennessee Voices Anthology, 2026-2027. Other winning poems may be published at the discretion of the society. Poets whose poems are published will receive a complimentary copy of the anthology, as will sponsors and judges.

    Contest winners will be announced at the society’s 70th Annual Poetry Festival to be held in April 2027.

    Entry Fees and Submission Period

    Submissions open October 15, 2026. Entries may be submitted by email and must be submitted or postmarked by December 15, 2026.

    For this year’s competition series, Tennessee-based poets and PST members (based anywhere) may enter the Board-sponsored Tennessee Voices contest for a $2 entry. Play it Again Sam contest is open to members only for a fee of $2 per entry. All poets regardless of membership status may enter any or all of the remaining sponsored contests for a single entry fee: $10 for members or $15 for non-members.

    Get More Information

    Get more contest details here. Download a printer-friendly contest packet here.

    About Tennessee Voices Anthology

    Tennessee Voices Anthology is a publication of Poetry Society of Tennessee. It features winning poems from a year’s worth of contests and more. Get more information, including how to purchase anthology editions, here.

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  • Mining for Meaning

    From time to time, we each experience conversations that create more mystery (or misery) than understanding. Maybe we don’t speak the same language. Or one participant has lost language due to disease or brain injury. Even two people who know each other well can find themselves in what a former boss called “violent agreement,” seemingly disagreeing about something due to a misunderstanding.

    Sometimes different languages have similar words, like Madre, Mutter, and Mother or familia and family. Sometimes, not so much: consider papillon, mariposa, and Schmetterling, none of which sound a bit like butterfly. In such cases, lack of common vocabulary asks us to decipher meaning by tone and body language alone. Sometimes, we rely on context and trace a metaphorical trail, as when a dementia sufferer told me, “This (situation) has been going on for twenty moneys.” Even with a common vocabulary, don’t we sometimes struggle to glean meaning? (And wouldn’t it be nice if all conversations were about creating mutual understanding?)

    As poets, we understand the challenge of creating meaning. We have each struggled to construct accessible (yet somehow unique) metaphors and effective sensory elements, explored structure, and shaped sound in serial revisions to enhance meaning. It’s an impossible, wondrous task to, as Samuel Taylor Coleridge proposed, put the best words in the best order.

    Over the next two months, our program presenters will explore how we can strengthen our poetry using sound and silence, offering ideas and examples as to how each might be used to create or enhance meaning in our work. I invite you to join us. (Members, you will have access to a replay if you cannot attend.)

    Here are a few more ways to connect with poetic happenings and opportunities in the coming month:

    • Our FALL ROUNDUP identifies all manner of poetic happenings and opportunities.
    • Try one of our eclectic members-only contests. October features a special Poetry Day contest sponsored by Pella Windows & Doors of Nashville. We are looking for thoughtful, imaginative, and well-crafted work that explores the theme of windows and doors in whatever literary direction inspires you. Entries accepted October 1-15. For more details follow the link.
    • Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World is worth a watch.
    • Tennessee Voices Anthology , 2025-2026 is available! (Also, check out books available from our member authors when you click the link.)
    • Our 70th Annual Poetry Festival contests will open soon! Stay tuned for details.

    I invite you to join us October for our next monthly member meeting, during which member and Oak Ridge Poet Laureate John C. Mannone will present “The Architecture of Sound in Free Verse.” In addition to discussion, take-home prompts will be provided. Afterward, we will announce monthly contest winners and share our poetry. Bring a poem or two. I hope to see there.

    With anticipation—
    Lisa Kamolnick
    President, Poetry Society of Tennessee
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  • Opportunities Abound: Fall 2026 Roundup

    Back by popular demand, we’re retooling our roundup. This roundup will be updated periodically through the end of summer. In it you will find various opportunities brought to our attention by organizations, members, and friends or discovered organically. Grow your skills, find submission opportunities, and more!

    Workshops

    Submission Opportunities

    SEPTEMBER DEADLINES
    october DEADLINES
    november Deadlines
    december DEADLINES

    TBA

    rolling deadlines / ALWAYS OPEN

    Hate deadlines? Here are a few randomly selected literary venues that are always (or almost always) open to submissions:

    HATE CONTESTS and REJECTION? The Monthly Poet is a public, non-competitive poetry challenge that runs monthly. Four words, all poems published. September words are Sweet, Crust, Flock, Blues.

    Open Mics & Other Events

    Take your poetry off the page at an open mic! You’ll find them across the state and in the virtual realm. Venues, dates and times are sometimes subject to change. Check with venue or organization in advance.

    WEST
    • Java Cabana hosts an open mic every Thursday from 7:00-10:00 pm, featuring poetry and music. Java Cabana is located at 2170 Young Ave, Memphis.
    • The Hu Hotel Rooftop Monday open mic by Keeping it P is active. Follow them on instagram (@https://www.instagram.com/wekeepingitp/).
    • Every last Friday of the month, 7:00 pm, is Thee Last Friday at the Rumba Room, 303 S. Main, Memphis. Poetry/Music/Live Art. There is a cover charge at the door, but anyone can sign up for the open mic. Also try the Thursday open mic at 627 Chelsea Ave, Memphis but I haven’t been to that one.
    • Third Saturdays join The Poetry Club, 3:00 pm at Coffee Central, 5627 Getwell Rd. Southaven, MS 38672. Share up to 3 minutes of original poetry or short prose. Good listeners also welcome. Young children are also invited to read original works or a favorite poem. We do not censor any social, political, religious, or philosophical viewpoint. However, please no graphic content and profanity in consideration of Coffee Central’s public space: 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 Cookeville, Tennessee. Get details.

    SOUTHEAST
    EAST
    • Third Thursdays at The Maker’s Space, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM in Knoxville, TN. Former Knoxville Poet Laureate Rhea Carmon hosts. Check with venue beforehand.
    • ** VIRTUAL ** Sunday, Sept 27,, 2-4 p.m on Zoom: The Sundress Academy for the Arts presents Poetry Xfit . This is a generative workshop event via Zoom.  Join at the link tiny.utk.edu/sundress with the password “safta”. While this event is free and open to the public, donations are appreciated.
    • ** VIRTUAL ** Monday, Sept 28 , 7 p.m.: POETRY PIE meets  via Zoom at 7 p.m. Poets of all levels welcome to read up to three poems. Contact Pat Hope at thetwohopes@aol.com for details and the monthly link.
    • Tue, Sept 29, Reef Coffee, Farragut, Time TBD (but this will be a daytime event), Reading by John Mannone and Open Mic
    • October 11, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm: Book Fair at the King Family Library in Sevierville on . Details and a form you will need to complete in order to participate are in the link below. 
      https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdqS5pZ65qNUtg1PYUD66xzGhjy6sSg7xmkv3YNxU9IE4QXWA/viewform?pli=1

    NORTHEAST

    • Johnson City Poets Collective Annual Pub Crawl Contest is open through October 1. Get details on Facebook or instagram.
    • Second Fridays 5:30 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 5:45 pm. 4-minute limit.
    • Johnson City Poets Collective open mic at The Down Home 300 W. Main Street in Johnson City. Check their Facebook or Instagram for dates and times.
    • The Generalist hosts a monthly variety show on a Saturday at 7:15 pm featuring poetry, music, and comedy. 248 E Main Street, Johnson City.

    Are we missing an open mic in Tennessee? Let us know!

    On Demand

    Find More Opportunities

    So little time, so many ways to find homes for your work. Are we missing a good one? Let us know!

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  • October 2026 Program with John Mannone

    The Architecture of Sound in Free Verse

    This craft lecture will review phonetics, demonstrate how clunkiness can be fixed with engineering the metrical construction, and consider how the speed of the line be controlled. There is more to sound than the music of words. It can provide a complementing tapestry of meaning to what the words are saying. We will look at how some modern poets use sound. Finally, there will be several take-home prompts to help increase your awareness of the sonic landscape in your work.

    Join John C. Mannone in this upcoming workshop!

    ABOUT THE PRESENTER

    John C. Mannone’s work appears in Artemis, Critical Humanities, Appalachia Bare, Red Branch Review, Poetry South, and others. Awarded the Jean Ritchie Fellowship (2017), he has six full-length collections, including the Weatherford nominee Song of the Mountains (Middle Creek Publications and Audio, 2023) and a tied-for-fourth place finalist for the 2025 Tennessee Book Award, Sacred Flute (Iris Press, 2024). He’s a retired professor of physics and the Poet Laureate for the City of Oak Ridge (2026-2028).

    http://jcmannone.wordpress.com

    https://www.facebook.com/jcmannone/  

    MEETING INFORMATION

    This program will be presented at our upcoming PST meeting, to be held October 10, 2026, from 2:00-4:00 pm Eastern / 1:00-3:00 pm Central via Zoom. Members will be provided a link a few days prior. If you are interested in learning more about PST, check out our website. If you’d like to attend our meeting as a guest, contact us at poetrytennessee@gmail.com.

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  • Seeking the Sacred

    When we grow still and pay attention, we make space for the sacred. By that I mean we make room to recognize, appreciate, and participate in that which we most value. Maybe it’s hiking, gardening, observing nature, studying religious texts, meditating, poetry, learning, cooking, arranging dishes in your dishwasher just so, poetry, screen-free time, quiet time before bed, viewing art, reading, poetry, traveling, keeping in touch with friends, keeping pets, moving 10,000 steps per day, poetry, philanthropy, journaling, praying, leaning into chaos, laughing, healing, working out, poetry, spending quality time with family, or something else entirely. (But probably poetry.)

    As we begin the transition from summer to fall in the rhythm of blazing sun and thundering deluge, why not take time to reflect and create a list (think top 5 to 10) of what you hold sacred. Then make space for your sacred somethings.

    I don’t know the secret to making space for all that’s sacred in our noisy lives, but I know it starts with a choice. And I’ve learned that small spaces matter. Ten thousand steps begin with one. One minute in nature beats none. Writing just 10 minutes a day yields 60 hours more than not writing. That’s magic. (Like poetry.)

    Here are a few ways to honor your carved out space for poetry now and in the near future:

    • Tennessee Voices Anthology , 2025-2026 is available! (BONUS: you’ll also find books available from our member authors when you click the link.)
    • Our ROUNDUP identifies all manner of poetic happenings and opportunities.
    • A new documentary on our nation’s preeminent observer, Mary Oliver, was recently released. Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World will air/stream on PBS August 25 and will be available on other streaming services and in live theaters.
    • Try one of our eclectic members-only contests. In September, sponsor Janet Qually seeks an ekphrastic poem in response to her artwork:

    I invite you to join us September 12 for our next monthly member meeting, during which poet Jacqueline Swift will explore the poem as sanctuary. Some writing time will be included. Afterward, we will announce monthly contest winners and share our poetry. Bring a poem or two. I hope to see there.

    With awe and appreciation—
    Lisa Kamolnick
    President, Poetry Society of Tennessee
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  • September 2026 Program with Jacqueline Swift

    The Sanctuary of a Page

    For many writers, the page becomes a place of refuge. Writing can help us feel safe, understand ourselves, hold on to important memories, and push back against the things that try to silence or limit us.

    In this workshop, we will explore the idea of the poem as sanctuary. We will talk about how refuge, ritual, and resistance may already be showing up in our writing, even when we do not realize it. We will also look at metaphor as a tool for expressing thoughts and feelings that can be difficult to explain directly.

    This session will include a brief discussion and an interactive writing component.

    Join Jacqui Swift in this upcoming workshop!

    Jacqui Swift

    ABOUT THE PRESENTER

    Jacqui Swift is a writer, educator, and learning designer based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Sewanee and has spent more than a decade teaching English, literature, and creative writing in college and community settings. Her work is deeply interested in language as refuge, self-making, memory, and the imaginative spaces we create to survive and understand our lives. She has facilitated writing experiences for learners of many ages and has worked with the Tennessee Arts Commission to support arts education across the state. In both her writing and teaching, she is especially drawn to the moment when metaphor helps a writer discover something they understood before they had the language to name it.  

    MEETING INFORMATION

    This program will be presented at our upcoming PST meeting, to be held September 12, 2026, from 2:00-4:00 pm Eastern / 1:00-3:00 pm Central via Zoom. Members will be provided a link a few days prior. If you are interested in learning more about PST, check out our website. If you’d like to attend our meeting as a guest, contact us at poetrytennessee@gmail.com.

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  • Mary Oliver Film Coming to Nashville July 24

    If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated best-selling poet, Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America’s unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod
    for nearly fifty years in order to open herself – and her readers – to the known and unknowable world. From a lonely childhood to literary fame, Oliver’s life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the long journey toward learning to love and to be loved. Her poems inspire liberals and conservatives, atheists and believers, naturalists and urbanites, speaking directly to contemporary anxieties about attention, presence, and the human relationship with the natural world – issues that feel especially pressing in an era of climate crisis, digital distraction, and social fragmentation.

    Featuring interviews with her close friends, including John Waters, never-before-seen personal photos, notebooks, and correspondence from her archive, and recitations of her work by Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi, and Oprah Winfrey, Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World considers the poet’s long lifetime of work in context, capturing the uniqueness of her world and the natural beauty that inspired her.

    Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World opened on July 3rd at IFC Center and at Laemmle Theatres in Los Angeles on July 11th before expanding to select theaters nationwide. In Tennessee, the film will run at Nashville’s Belcourt Theatre July 24-30. Get details on the film and showings: knlor.com/maryoliverfilm

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  • Summer Invites Poetry

    Summer’s 2026 vibe says RELAX. Take some time. Read. Write. Do it while catching a cool breeze outdoors on shoreline under a shady tree, on a boat in the middle of a lake or bay, curled into a comfy chair in a restful room listening to rain cascade during midday summer swelter, even in an air-conditioned wait zone while your car is under repair. (Maybe while munching a midnight snack?) Yes, summer invites poetry anytime and (almost) everywhere. Here are a few ways to slide into the summer of 2026 (unofficial) poetry party:

    • The Anthology Board is working on our latest edition of Tennessee Voices, and publication is on track for late summer.
    • Our ROUNDUP identifies all manner of poetic happenings and opportunities.
    • Discover our eclectic members-only contests online, including our special members-only Full Moon Poetry contest (due August 15), which seeks ekphrastic poems responding to one of this year’s Tennessee Voices Anthology cover pictures.
    • This year’s Sealey Challenge kicks off soon (August 1!). If you’re collecting books for this 30-day challenge, why not peruse our bookstore? (Member authors: want to feature your poetry book in our store? Send us your bio, photo, book cover(s) and blurb(s) and we will feature you!)
    • Our monthly programs continue through summer, featuring workshops, readings and more. I invite you to join us August 8 for our next monthly member meeting, during which poet Julie Marie Wade will lead a workshop on Haibun, an ancient and resurgent form. Afterward, we will announce monthly contest winners and share our poetry. Bring a poem or two. I hope to see there.
    With relaxed attitude and much gratitude—
    Lisa Kamolnick
    President, Poetry Society of Tennessee
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  • August 2026 Program with Julie Marie Wade

    Old Form, New Form: The Elegant and Elastic Reprisal of the Haibun

    Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694), who popularized the haiku in 17th century Japan, also created a prosimetric form known as the haibun. In contemporary American poetry, the haibun is enjoying an exciting upsurge in popularity and innovation, as reflected in the work of poets like Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Tamiko Beyer, Brenda Hillman, and Maureen Seaton. This workshop will introduce writers to the haibun and several examples of its variants, including stacked, inverted, and “burning” (created by torrin a. greathouse) versions. After reading and considering multiple haibun, participants will have a chance to write and share. 

    This workshop is suitable for all levels of writers.

    Join Julie Marie Wade in this upcoming workshop!

    ABOUT THE PRESENTER

    Born and raised in Seattle, Julie Marie Wade completed a Master of Arts in English at Western Washington University, a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry at the University of Pittsburgh, and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Humanities with a creative nonfiction dissertation at the University of Louisville. Her most recent collections include The Mary Years (Texas Review Press, 2024), selected by Michael Martone for the 2023 Clay Reynolds Novella Prize, Fisk, By Analogy (CutBank Prose Chapbook Series, 2025), The Latest: 20 Ghazals for 2020 (Harbor Editions, 2025), co-authored with Denise Duhamel, and the memoir Other People’s Mothers (University Press of Florida, 2025). A finalist for the National Poetry Series and a winner of the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Memoir, Wade is Professor of English & Creative Writing at Florida International University in Miami. Her newest poetry collection, Quick Change Artist (Anhinga Press, 2025), was selected by Octavio Quintanilla for the 2023 Anhinga Prize in Poetry and received the silver medal for poetry at the 2026 Florida Book Awards.

    MEETING INFORMATION

    This program will be presented at our upcoming PST meeting, to be held August 8, 2026, from 2:00-4:00 pm Eastern / 1:00-3:00 pm Central via Zoom. Members will be provided a link a few days prior. If you are interested in learning more about PST, check out our website. If you’d like to attend our meeting as a guest, contact us at poetrytennessee@gmail.com.

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  • PST Seeks Festival Sponsors for 70th Annual Poetry Festival

    Help make our 70th festival a huge success: sponsor a poetry festival contest! How have poetry trends changed over seven decades? What kind of poetry would you like to see in our next edition of Tennessee Voices, PST’s annual anthology? As a sponsor, you can help us share work representing poetry’s diversity, tapping into past trends, member inventions (like the Dorsimbra), and the broad interests of our growing membership.

    You do not need to be a member to sponsor a contest. We invite individuals and organizations to sponsor. Sponsors will be recognized on PST’s website and blog, through PST social media channels, and in the 2026-2027 edition of Tennessee Voices.

    Festival contest sponsorship applications will be open through the earlier of August 4, 2026, or meeting our contest limit.

    What Does a Sponsor Do?

    Sponsors create their own poetry contest! As a sponsor, you choose the theme or poetic form, note poem length, specify prize award amounts, and provide any other special instructions for entrants or judges. In many cases, sponsors also judge the contest, but that is not a requirement. While we encourage variety in poetic forms and themes, PST does not accept contests or poetry centered on explicitly violent or sexual themes.

    In general, individuals and businesses may sponsor one contest. However, PST will also accept memorial contest sponsorships, one per individual or group of individuals being honored. 

    What Does a Judge Do?

    PST’s festival poetry contests are judged blind. The Festival Poetry Contest Coordinator sends entries to the judge. In accordance with contest guidelines, the judge reviews contest entries, selects winners and provides a winners list to the festival contest coordinator.

    How Do I Become a Sponsor or Judge?

    If you are interested in sponsoring a festival contest, you may apply online. (Select the FESTIVAL sponsorship option.)

    If you are unable to judge your sponsored contest and need assistance to find a judge, or if you are unable to sponsor but wish to judge, contact us.

    Questions?

    Do you have questions? Reach out to poetrytennessee@gmail.com with subject line FESTIVAL SPONSORSHIP.

    Guidelines are also available on our website.

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