Category Archives: newsletter

The KSPS Conference was held October 8-9, 2022. This year’s Kentucky State Poetry Conference, like last year’s, was a smashing success, with the twist that this year’s conference was available both online and in-person, centered in Bowling Green at Western Kentucky University. The KSPS Conference drew 108 participants, with 24 presenters. Conference presentations ranged fromContinue reading “2022 Conference Update”

Welcome to our new regular column, in which a poet features a specific poet or poem that made an important impression or change of direction for his or her work. In our second post, KSPS Membership Chair Mary Allen discusses “Photograph from September 11” by Wislawa Szymborska and “Why I Mother You the Way I Do”Continue reading “On the Line: With Mary Allen”

In an attempt to go even beyond last year’s highly successful Conference, this year KSPS is offering to conference attendees both virtual and onsite events, with the in-person Conference to be held at Western Kentucky University’s Cherry Hall in Bowling Green, KY. Like last year’s Conference, this year’s will feature a wide variety of topics,Continue reading “2022 Conference Update”

Welcome to our new regular column, in which a poet features a specific poet or poem that made an important impression or change of direction for his or her work. In our first post, KSPS Vice President Danni Quintos discusses “Persimmons” by Li-Young Lee. Lee’s entire debut collection Rose was extremely formative for me as aContinue reading “On the Line: With Danni Quintos”

The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning supports the literary arts in the Lexington area and throughout the Commonwealth. Neil Chethik, who served as executive director, retired in March, and the Center recently announced the appointment of Shayla Lynch as the new executive director. Programs of particular interest to writers that were developed during Chethik’sContinue reading “Carnegie Center Update”

Kentucky’s literary community was thrilled last month to learn that poet Ada Limón has been named Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry. Limón, who is originally from Southern California, has been a Lexington resident for the past ten years and is active in the local literary community. She is the author of six collections of poetry,Continue reading “Ada Limón Named U.S. Poet Laureate“

KSPS is a part of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, and membership in KSPS brings the added benefit of membership in the national organization. This means that KSPS poets may participate as members in around 50 contests conducted by NFSPS that are held in the first quarter of each year. The Jesse StuartContinue reading “NFSPS Update”

For the second year in a row, the Kentucky State Poetry held its yearly conference virtually, and—as the many who participated can attest to—the virtual conference, for both the eager participants and presenters, was a real, smashing success. The session began with poetry readings by Affrilachian poets who reside both in Kentucky and outside theContinue reading “2021 KSPS Conference Report”

As a KSPS member, you know you’re an awesome poet—and each year, you have a chance to let others know that too!  —By entering poems in National Federation of State Poetry Societies’ annual contests.   Each state society is a member of NFSPS, so with your KSPS membership (dues paid by Jan. 15), you’re entitled toContinue reading “Entering NFSPS’s poetry contests: why and how”