Books

Stitch Your Entry Into Contest’s Poetic Quilt

Tom Giffey |

Composing poetry may be a solitary act, but the end result need not be about solitude. In its Poetry Quilt Contest, the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets is seeking “poems that show the poet’s connection and response to others rather than poems that are created by the solitary poet in nature.” The poetry group, which is marking its 65th anniversary in 2015, encourages entrants to “think about how the arts in your community are affected by your community’s traditions, quirks, qualities, and by the people who live there.” The contest is open to anyone with Wisconsin ties, and you can submit as many as three poems of 24 lines or fewer. The deadline is Dec. 15. Winners will get cash prizes ($100, $50, and $25), and winning entries will be printed on a 65th Anniversary Poetry Quilt alongside pictures illustrating the fellowship’s history. John C. Rezmerski, an award-winning Minnesota poet and educator, will judge the contest. To send entries electronically, email Sandra Lindow at lindowleaf@gmail.com with “Poetry Quilt Submission” in the subject line. Poems should be pasted in the body or the email or attached as a text file, and the message should include the poet’s name, address, and phone number. For full rules and an entry form, visit wfop.org/contests.html – then sharpen your pencils.