November. A time for gratitude. Temperature drops vying to best October’s leaf drops. Dreams of winter: snow blankets? (Maybe de-icing windshields or breaking out wool caps and puffer coats.) The transition from apple cider and pumpkin-spice everything to cinnamon and cranberry with a touch of pine. Perhaps feasts with friends and family, along with a few football games. Maybe serving at a soup kitchen or donating a Thanksgiving meal. 

What wisdom this season brings. To be thankful. Kind. To serve others. I consider fellow Board members and volunteers who power our society, organizations that have partnered with us to bring poetry programs or events to our communities, and members who participate in our programs. I think of the people we reached out to this year who have helped bring poetry to life: connecting us to their networks, giving us physical space, delivering programs, judging contests, providing support through donations, sharing our activities with others, and more. I ponder the multiplicity of poets sharing their work with the world so we may experience its salient beauty and wisdom. Our society’s expanding community. The poetry network that threads through our nation and beyond. And I feel blessed. 

Blessings release a contagious energy. I’m excited about all we are doing as a society. I can’t wait to learn who has won our first-ever collegiate contest and look forward to reading their work. I anticipate the entries we will receive for our three contest programs with deadlines in December. I’m all in for our program on confessional poetry coming in January, our festival to be held in April, and points in between. 

I’m also anticipating at least one new book release by one of our member authors. It’s gifting season: why not give a poetry lover some poetry by one of our society members? Check out all the options on our book store. (Spoiler alert: you’ll discover some wonderful poetry inside those attractive covers.)

If you’re looking for ways to give back to our society, we could use your help. Have a passion for contests, events, marketing, or finance? (Or maybe you know someone who does?) Reach out (poetrytennessee@gmail.com) to learn about roles and anticipated time commitments, with no pressure to take on a role ever.

For our last statewide member meeting of 2024, we will gather to socialize and to create and share poetry. (Door prizes may also be involved.) In this giving season, we offer a space to come as you are: happy, sad, scared, angry, enthusiastic, meh…. However you arrive, we will be grateful for your presence in our community.

Curious about PST? Join us at a meeting or event, or take the plunge and join us for our 71st year. Reach out anytime. I hope to see you soon at a PST event.

With gratitude and enthusiasm—
Lisa Kamolnick
President, Poetry Society of Tennessee

This is the time of year I turn to layers—warm colors splayed across landscapes; indecisive weather calling for tee shirts, sweaters, and light jackets all in one day; and blanket piles. As I trace leaves knocked from branches to land via a crisp breeze I see a festival of pumpkin orange, sunshine yellow, garnet and gold, fiery red, and crunchy russet. Facing scattering leaf piles, I can’t help but reflect upon seasonal change. How we humans have our own relationship with change. How despite our feelings about it, whether planned and unplanned, our lives are layer upon layer upon layer of change.

Change is no stranger to our society. This month, we lost—and gained—a Secretary. (Many thanks to those of you who inquired about the position!) While we hate to see Megyn Cox go, life changes precipitated her leaving. We welcome Sarah Small as interim Secretary to finish out the program year. We are also pleased to welcome Cassandra Cooper as our Kentucky Lake Regional Rep and Ray Zimmerman as our Southeast Regional Rep. And, just to throw another layer of change into the mix, for perhaps the first time in our history we have five different contest programs underway. And don’t let me forget about our book store featuring member authors!

As a wholly volunteer-run organization, our fellow members power our programs and benefits. Beyond the satisfaction of a program’s outcome, it can be quite rewarding to get to know your fellow members while serving. I invite you to consider a volunteer role, from brief service on a committee project, to a one-year committee term, to a two-year term as a Board member. We have plenty of opportunities (layers, if you will) for members to participate as a volunteer … and a great need to develop more leaders to ensure continuity of our society. Each of our Board terms has a consecutive service term limit, and we will soon need to rotate leadership. Having layers of experienced people able to help navigate our society will help keep us flowing the direction we’d like to go in the foreseeable future.

In the coming months, we will share more information about emerging and open positions. For now, if you’ve got a passion for contests, events, marketing, finance, or taking great meeting minutes, we could really use your help. Reach out (poetrytennessee@gmail.com) to learn about roles and anticipated time commitments, with no pressure to take on a role ever.

Layers. During our November statewide member meeting, Larry Thacker invites us to consider how many poems are in a single poem. (Do I hear FIVE, Larry? ) Bring a poem to the meeting and let’s find out! Let’s make some poetry piles to go with our blankets, just in time to warm our winter.

Curious about PST? Join us at a meeting or event, or take the plunge and join us for our 71st year. Reach out anytime. I hope to see you soon at a PST event.

With enthusiasm and warmth—
Lisa Kamolnick
President, Poetry Society of Tennessee