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October 2025 Program with Valencia Robin
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SINGING
Join us in October with award winning poet Valencia Robin for an engaging 1-hour workshop in which she unpacks poetry’s two major traditions: the lyric and narrative poem. In this workshop, we’ll go beyond defining these two types of poems to demonstrating their differences as well as the necessary conditions for writing one rather than the other. After discussing various examples, participants will be given a prompt to get them writing. We’ll save time for sharing and discussion at the end.
MEETING INFORMATION
This program will be presented at our upcoming PST meeting, to be held October 11, 2025, from 2:00-4:00pm 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.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Valencia Robin is the author of Lost Cities (August 2025) and Ridiculous Light, which won the Lexi Rudnitsky First Book Prize, was a finalist for the Kate Tufts Discovery Award and was named one of Library Journal’s best poetry books of 2019. A recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts Fellowship, her poems have appeared in numerous journals, anthologies and podcasts including The Best American Poetry, The New York Times, Poetry Daily, Poetry Unbound Podcast and The Virginia Quarterly Review, which awarded her the Emily Clark Balch Prize. A painter as well as a poet, Robin has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Virginia and an MFA in Art & Design from the University of Michigan. She currently teaches at East Tennessee State University.
Meeting Information
This program will be presented at our upcoming PST meeting, to be held October 11, 2025, 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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Submissions Open for the 2025 Tennessee Collegiate Poetry Contest
Poetry Society of Tennessee’s Tennessee Collegiate Poetry Contest is open for submissions now through November 1, 2025. We seek poems that reflect the diversity of Tennessee. Whether you’re a transplant or a life-long resident—we want to see work that gives a glimpse into a perspective cultivated from living in our beautiful state. All themes, forms, and styles of poetry are welcome! The contest is FREE to enter, and the top three winners will receive monetary prizes and be published in Tennessee Voices Anthology, 2025-2026.
About the Contest
The contest will be judged blind. We will pick three poems that showcase the best our state has to offer. Winners will receive monetary prizes—$100 for 1st prize, $50 for 2nd, and $25 for third—and be published in Tennessee Voices Anthology, 2025-2026. Winners will be announced December 2025.
Who Can Enter?
We invite college students of all levels attending a Tennessee-based college or university to enter.
What to Enter
Send us one poem: your best original, unpublished work that captures Tennessee from your unique perspective. Simultaneous submissions are ok.
While all themes, forms, and styles are welcome, we cannot accept explicitly violent or sexual content for our contests. There are no line limits for entries; however, poems exceeding two pages in print are less likely to be selected for our anthology.
How to Enter
This contest is FREE to enter. Follow our submission guidelines and enter our free contest by Saturday, November 1, 2025. Get detailed rules and guidelines.
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Opportunities Abound: September Roundup
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!
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Members Featured in Encore 2025
The National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) annually conducts a poetry competition, with winners appearing in their anthology, Encore 2025. We are pleased to share that Poetry Society of Tennessee members received numerous placements and honorable mentions, and several or their poems appear in this latest edition of Encore.
Encore 2025 is available for purchase here. Winning Poems & Honorable Mentions
The following members’ received a prize or honorable mention for one or more poems (those with an asterisk had at least one poem published in Encore 2025):
- Johnathon Bennett *
- Jerry Buchanan *
- Lorraine Jeffery
- Dr. Emory Jones
- Connie Jordan Green *
- Lisa Kamolnick *
- Mary Beth Magee
- John Mannone *
- Laura Gunnells Miller *
- Russell Strauss *
Members Serving as NFSPS Judges
Many thanks to PST members Dr. Diane Clark, Connie Jordan Green, Mary Beth Magee, and Russell Strauss who served as judges for some of the contests.
NFSPS Winner List
Congratulations to all poets who were honored in the 2025 contests and many thanks to all who participated. Get a complete list of winners and honorable mentions here.
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PST 2025-2026 Student Contests Open
We’re excited to announce our 2025-2026 Tennessee Student Contests! We invite all eligible students to submit a poem, and we encourage Tennessee educators to involve their students in a contest.
The competition features three divisions:
High School Division (Grades 9-12) Free Verse Poem
Middle School Division (Grades 6-8) Free Verse Poem
Elementary Division (Grades 2-5) Any Poem FormWho is Eligible?
The competition is free and open to all Tennessee students in grades 2-12. Public, private, and home school students are eligible. Each student may submit only one poem.
Non-Tennessee residents may compete by joining the Poetry Society of Tennessee as Student Members. Get membership information.
What do Winners Receive?
Five winners for each division. Winners will receive cash prizes or equivalent: 1st place $25, 2nd $20, 3rd $15, 4th $10, and 5th $5.
Winners will be announced on the PST website spring 2026. First place winning poems will be published in the 2025-2026 edition of Tennessee Voices Anthology.
How to Enter
The entry deadline for all divisions is February 10, 2026. This year, we will accept submissions by mail or email. Postmark or submit email entries by the deadline.
Get More Details
Learn more about our student contests, including contest guidelines.
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July 2025 Poetry Contest Results
The Poetry Society of Tennessee (PST) formally announced its members-only July 2025 contest results at their July 12 member meeting. Winners receive cash prizes. The first place poems will be published in an upcoming edition of PST’s anthology, Tennessee Voices.
Sponsor and judge Howard Carman selected the following winners and honorable mentions:
- 1st: “Grand Mansion According to an Unbalanced Accountant” by Laura Gunnells Miller
- 2nd: “A Cautionary Limerick” by Deborah Z Adams
- 3rd: “In the Checkout Line at Tractor Supply” by Sherry Poff
- 1HM: “Hole in the Pocket” by Russell H. Strauss
Meeting attendees enjoyed the readings of these winning poems.
Enter YOUR Poem
More contests are around the corner, but you have to enter to win.
September contest submissions for a poem on the subject of fertility struggles are open September 1-15.
Check out our full lineup of members-only contests.
Entrants may mail or email entries. Mailed contest entries must be postmarked during the open submission period. Get details.
Not a member? It’s not too late to join. Learn more.
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September 2025 Program with Thomas Alan Holmes
ITS NOT YOU: THE LYRIC ‘I’
Join us as Thomas Alan Holmes lays some groundwork with a few authors, some canonized, some perhaps in the workshop itself. In our workshop, we will discuss the complications of autobiographical elements in poetry, the way the facts can get in the way of the truth, and the freedoms we get when we accept the Lyric “I” as a separate entity from the author.
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Dr. Thomas Alan Holmes
Thomas Alan Holmes lives in Johnson City, Tennessee, where he specializes in Appalachian literature as a member of the Literature and Language Department at East Tennessee State University. His scholarly and creative work has appeared in such journals as Still: The Journal, Appalachian Heritage, The Valparaiso Review, The Connecticut Review, Louisiana Literature, and The Appalachian Journal. With Daniel Westover, he has co-edited The Fire that Breaks: Gerard Manley Hopkins’s Poetic Legacies (Clemson U P, 2020), this including his chapter about Hopkins’s influence on Appalachian poets. Holmes has worked in both the Tennessee and Alabama volumes of The Southern Poetry Anthology series. Iris Press published his debut poetry collection, In the Backhoe’s Shadow, in 2022.
Meeting Information
This program will be presented at our upcoming PST meeting, to be held September 13, 2025, 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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New Poetry from Rachel Landrum Crumble
Rachel Landrum Crumble’s latest poetry collection, In Praise of Detours (Main Street Rag), is available for advance purchase at a discounted rate.
About In Praise of Detours
Empty nesting, pandemic isolation, grief and healing, race and racism, family joy, depression, all through a boots-on-the-ground faith perspective are encompassed in Rachel Landrum Crumble’s newest collection.
Praise for In Praise of Detours
It is evident from this collection’s first poem that this is a body of work crafted with heart, wisdom, spirit, and witness. Across four sections, Crumble interrogates the human condition, old and new America, race and racism, and more. In Praise of Detours is not just a beautiful book but a necessary one that announces to the reader that family, faith, the country, and this very life are things one must always fight for.
—Christian J. Collier, author of Greater Ghost
In Praise of Detours (Main Street Rag), is now available for pre-order.
About the Author
Rachel Landrum Crumble is a life-long poet and retired teacher. Sister Sorrow (Finishing Line Press 2022) was her first poetry book. She has an MFA from Vermont College. Over the course of her career, she has received scholarships to Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, Vermont College Post-Graduate Poetry Manuscript Workshop, and Vermont Studio Center. For her current work on a novel, she was accepted to The GoodLit Writers Retreat. She and her husband, a jazz drummer, are Yankee transplants to Chattanooga, Tennessee where they have raised three children as an interracial couple. They have three grandchildren. [Find her on Substack @rachellandrumcrumble or at poetteachermom.com.]
PST News
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