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Join Kentucky State Poetry This August

August 5, 2026

August is a wonderful time to reconnect with your writing, discover new voices, and become part of Kentucky’s poetry community. Whether you’re looking to share your work, sharpen your craft, or simply spend an evening immersed in great poetry, Kentucky State Poetry has something for you this month.

Featured Reading + Open Mic

Tuesday, August 11 | 6:30–8:00 PM ET | Zoom

Our monthly Featured Reading + Open Mic Series brings together established and emerging poets for an evening of exceptional poetry and community. Each event begins with a featured reading, followed by an open mic where participants are invited to share their own work in a welcoming, supportive environment.

This month’s featured reader is Jan LaPerle, whose collection Maybe The Land Sings Back was published by Galileo Books. She is also the author of It Would Be Quiet, Hush, and A Pretty Place To Mourn. A graduate of Southern Illinois University with an MFA in creative writing, Jan lives in Kentucky, where she retired from the Army at Fort Knox and now teaches middle school English. Her work reflects a rich life of service, observation, and storytelling, making this a reading you won’t want to miss.

Whether you’re a longtime member of the poetry community or attending for the first time, we hope you’ll join us—and if you’re feeling inspired, bring a poem for the open mic.

Register today and reserve your spot!

Reading Kentucky Poets

Wednesday, August 26 | 6:30–8:00 PM ET | Zoom

Spend an evening exploring the rich tradition of Kentucky poetry with current Kentucky Poet Laureate Kathleen Driskell. In this guided discussion series, participants closely read and discuss poems by writers connected to Kentucky, examining craft, context, and interpretation in an encouraging and collaborative setting.

Whether you’re a poet, avid reader, student, or simply curious about Kentucky’s literary landscape, this series offers a rewarding opportunity to deepen your appreciation of poetry while engaging with fellow readers from across the Commonwealth.

Registration is now open.

We Hope You’ll Join Us

Stay up to date with our year-round programming by visiting our Events page where you’ll find workshops, readings, and open mics throughout the year.

And don’t forget to mark your calendar for our 2026 Conference! Join Kentucky State Poetry Society for a full day of poetry, connection, and celebration as we honor six decades of fostering Kentucky’s literary community. KSPS members attend free! Celebrate our 60th anniversary with workshops, conversations, readings, and a keynote presentation from Ricardo Nazario y Colón alongside poets and poetry lovers from across the Commonwealth.

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Save the Date: Celebrate 60 Years of KSPS at Our Conference

Monday, July 27, 2026

Mark your calendars! Kentucky State Poetry Society is excited to announce the 2026 Kentucky State Poetry Conference, taking place Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. This year’s conference will be held online, making it easy for poetry lovers from across Kentucky and beyond to join in a full day of inspiration, learning, and community.

This year’s conference is especially meaningful as KSPS celebrates its 60th anniversary—a milestone honoring six decades of supporting poets, fostering creativity, and building a vibrant literary community throughout the Commonwealth.

We are also thrilled to welcome Ricardo Nazario y Colón as our keynote speaker. An acclaimed poet, educator, and literary advocate, Nazario y Colón’s work has inspired readers and writers across the country.

As part of the 60th anniversary festivities, conference registration is free for KSPS members. Membership not only includes complimentary admission to the conference but also provides access to additional opportunities, resources, and events throughout the year.

Not yet a member? There’s never been a better time to join the Kentucky State Poetry Society and become part of a community dedicated to celebrating the written word.

Become a member

The Society is also seeking conference sponsors to help make this diamond anniversary event truly unforgettable. Sponsorships support poets across Kentucky while helping KSPS continue its mission of promoting poetry, education, and literary excellence. Those interested in sponsorship opportunities can inquire by emailing kystatepoetry@gmail.com.

Whether you’re a longtime member, an emerging poet, or simply someone who loves the power of language, we hope you’ll save the date and celebrate this historic occasion with us.

Kentucky State Poetry Conference

  • Date: Saturday, October 31, 2026
  • Time: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. EST
  • Location: Online
  • Keynote Speaker: Ricardo Nazario y Colón
  • Cost: Free for KSPS members in honor of the Society’s 60th anniversary

Stay tuned for registration details, the full conference schedule, featured presenters, workshops, and more. We can’t wait to celebrate 60 years of Kentucky poetry with you!

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When the Words Won’t Come

Every poet knows this feeling: You sit down with every intention of writing, only to find yourself staring at a blank page. Every attempted first line feels forced. The poems that once seemed to arrive so naturally now feel impossibly out of reach.

If this sounds familiar, you’re in good company.

Whether you’ve been writing for fifty years or five months, every poet experiences seasons when the words simply refuse to cooperate. Creativity ebbs and flows, and even the best have spoken openly about periods of doubt, frustration, and silence.

The important thing to remember is this: a quiet season is not the end of your writing life.

Let Yourself Be a Beginner Again

Sometimes we place enormous pressure on ourselves to write our “best” work every time we pick up a pen. Instead, give yourself permission to write without expectation.

Jot down a savored memory from childhood, describe the light falling across the wood of your kitchen table, write about the trees outside your window or the sound of rain on the roof. Not every poem needs to be publication-worthy. Some poems exist simply to remind us that we can still see the world around us, and that we can still write about.

Read Widely—and Read Each Other

One of the greatest gifts of belonging to a poetry society is the opportunity to encounter voices other than our own.

When you’re feeling stuck, spend time reading poetry instead of trying to write it. Revisit a favorite Kentucky poet, discover someone new, or pull an anthology off your shelf at random. Better yet, get connected with your local poetry community through Kentucky State Poetry Society.

Getting reconnected with others’ work reminds us that there are countless ways to make a poem.

Go Looking for Inspiration

Poetry begins long before we write the first line.

As poets, the best thing we can do is observe the world moving around us. Notice the conversations around you. Watch the birds at the feeder. Pay attention to the changing seasons, the wildflowers along the roadside, or the way evening settles.

Poets are, first and foremost, observers. Starting a poem becomes much less intimidating when you’ve spent time gathering things worth noticing.

Try Something Different

If free verse isn’t working, try a sonnet. If you’ve always written serious poems, write something playful. If you’re drawn to long narratives, challenge yourself to tell a story in ten lines.

Constraints often free us from the pressure of endless possibilities. Sometimes all we need is permission to approach it from a different angle.

Lean on Your Poetry Community

Writing may happen in solitude, but being a poet doesn’t have to.

Attend a reading. Participate in a workshop. Share a draft with a trusted friend. Come to a Kentucky State Poetry Society open mic and listen to what others are writing.

One of our greatest strengths has always been our members. We celebrate one another’s successes, encourage each other through difficult stretches, and remind one another that every writer—even the accomplished ones—sometimes struggles to find the next poem.

Community doesn’t eliminate creative droughts, but it makes them much easier to weather. Explore how to get connected with KSPS.

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The Voices That Built Kentucky

Kentucky has always known how to tell stories. Not just written stories, but ones told around kitchen tables, on front porches, and passed down through generations, in the voices of the people who lived them and in the voices of the people who heard them.

Long before Kentucky became Kentucky, stories lived here. Indigenous peoples connected to this land—including Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and many others—carried histories, teachings, and traditions through storytelling. Stories explained the world, preserved memory, and connected generations. They were maps, lessons, and a living history.

Black Kentuckians carried stories through songs, church traditions, oral histories, and family memory. Enslaved people, and later generations of Black communities across the Commonwealth, passed down truth, resilience, humor, grief, and hope through words spoken and sung.

Women told stories too, often while history wasn’t paying enough attention. They told stories while shelling beans on porches, cooking supper, hanging laundry, writing letters, teaching children, gathering with neighbors, and holding families together. Some wrote books and poems. Others never put words on paper at all. Yet their stories traveled anyway.

Appalachian voices shaped Kentucky storytelling. River towns shaped it. Farm communities shaped it. Coal camps shaped it. Cities shaped it. Newcomers shaped it. Families who had been here for generations shaped it.

Kentucky’s story was never one voice; it has always been a chorus.

And Kentucky poets have been carrying that message for generations. Wendell Berry found poetry in land, work, community, and the ordinary moments that many people overlook. George Ella Lyon has a gift for turning memory and place into something deeply personal while somehow making readers think, I know exactly that feeling. James Still listened closely to mountain life and preserved voices and experiences that might otherwise have disappeared. Frank X Walker expanded the literary map of Kentucky and Appalachia, reminding readers that Black stories have always belonged here too.

While wildly talented, well-known poets only tell part of the story. Kentucky poetry also belongs to the teacher writing after school. It belongs to the teenager filling notebook margins during class. It belongs to the grandmother telling family stories no one else remembers exactly the same way. It belongs to the person standing at an open mic with shaking hands reading a poem for the first time.

Kentucky State Poetry Society exists because stories deserve places to gather. Through readings, contests, workshops, open mics, and opportunities to connect with fellow writers, there are countless ways to become part of Kentucky’s continuing poetic tradition. Get involved now and add your voice to the chorus that makes Kentucky truly Kentucky.

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From Prompt to Page: Lucy Oquaye on Creativity and Process

As part of the Kentucky State Poetry Society team, Lucy Oquaye helps strengthen the conversations and creative community that poetry depends on. We love celebrating the writers, artists, and makers who inspire curiosity and keep language alive in new ways. In this featured conversation, Lucy shares reflections on process, creativity, and the work behind the work—an invitation for all of us to keep listening, noticing, and making.

Read the full interview here: Prompt to Page with Lucy Oquaye

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Poetry, Patriotism, and the Power of Words: Celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary

As America approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, communities across the country are reflecting on the stories, struggles, dreams, and voices that have shaped our nation. While history books often focus on dates and events, poetry captures something deeper — the emotions, identities, and experiences that define who we are. For 250 years, poetry has helped Americans celebrate victories, confront hardships, and imagine a better future.

From the earliest colonial writers to today’s spoken word artists, poetry has always played a role in the American story. Poems have been written during times of revolution, war, social change, and cultural transformation. Writers have used poetry to preserve family histories, advocate for justice, honor their communities, and express what it means to belong in a constantly evolving nation.

The beauty of poetry is that every voice matters. America’s story is not just one narrative — it is millions of individual experiences woven together. Poetry allows people from every background to share their perspectives, traditions, memories, and hopes. Whether written in free verse, sonnet form, haiku, or narrative poetry, each poem becomes part of a larger conversation about identity and humanity.

As we look toward America’s semiquincentennial, poetry also reminds us to slow down and reflect. In a fast-moving digital world, writing offers a chance to pause and consider where we’ve been and where we’re going. Poetry encourages observation, empathy, and imagination — qualities that are essential not only for writers, but for communities seeking connection and understanding.

At the Kentucky State Poetry Society, we believe poetry continues to play an important role in celebrating creativity and preserving stories for future generations. Whether you are an experienced poet or someone writing your very first poem, your voice contributes to the ongoing story of America.

As we prepare to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we invite you to celebrate through poetry. Share your work by submitting to one of our contests or connect with fellow writers by attending one of our upcoming poetry events. Together, we can honor the past, celebrate the present, and inspire the future — one poem at a time.

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Upcoming Poetry Events You Can Attend This Spring

Kentucky State Poetry Society continues its 2026 programming with a series of virtual events designed to bring poets together for conversation, learning, and inspiration.

Our 2026 lineup centers around three recurring event series that give poets multiple ways to engage with the community: Featured Readings with Open Mics, Craft Talks and Workshops, and the Reading Kentucky Poets discussion series led by the Kentucky Poet Laureate.

Here’s what’s coming up.

Featured Reading + Open Mic Series

Our Featured Reading + Open Mic Series offers the chance to hear poets share their work, followed by an opportunity for participants to read their own poetry. These gatherings create space for both established and emerging voices.

Upcoming Featured Poet: Joe Survant

Tuesday, May 12
6:30–8:00 PM ET
Zoom

Joe Survant is Professor Emeritus at Western Kentucky University. He is the author of eight collections of poems, most recently, The Stone (Accents Publishing, 2026). He is the winner of the Miller Williams Poetry Prize from the University of Arkansas Press and a recipient of grants from the Kentucky Arts Council, The Asia Foundation, the Fulbright Foundation, and the NEH. Individual poems have been published in Malaysia, China, Japan, Singapore and the U.K., as well as in the U.S. He served as Kentucky’s Poet Laureate 2002 – 2004.

Following the reading, attendees are invited to participate in the open mic portion of the evening and share their own poetry.

Register here.

Reading Kentucky Poets Series

The Reading Kentucky Poets series offers guided discussions focused on the work of poets connected to Kentucky’s literary landscape. Led by Kentucky Poet Laureate Kathleen Driskell, this series encourages meaningful engagement with poetry through shared analysis and discussion of selected texts.

Upcoming Session

Wednesday, April 22
6:30–8:00 PM ET
Zoom

For writers interested in expanding their understanding of poetic voice, technique, and context, these sessions provide valuable insight and community dialogue.

Register here.

Craft Talk / Workshop Series

KSPS workshops focus on practical aspects of writing poetry, offering insight into creative process, form, and revision strategies. These sessions encourage experimentation while providing guidance from experienced poets and educators.

Our most recent workshop led by Libby Falk-Jones explored the pantoum, a poetic form known for its repetition and evolving meaning through structure and variation.

Craft Talks are typically held on the fourth Wednesday of select months and provide opportunities for poets to deepen their skills while connecting with others who are passionate about writing.

Registration will open on our Events page soon.

A Year of Poetry and Connection

KSPS programming runs primarily from February through October, with our annual conference taking place in November. All of our events are designed to create accessible opportunities for poets across Kentucky and beyond to share their work, develop their craft, and connect with fellow writers.

Stay Connected

We encourage members and friends to regularly check the KSPS events page for updated information, registration links, and newly announced programming.

View upcoming events and register here: KSPS Monthly Events Page

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KSPS Contests Are Open

Your poetry isn’t meant to stay hidden in notebooks or drafts folders forever. The Kentucky State Poetry Society (KSPS) offers poetry contests throughout the year that give writers a real opportunity to share their work, gain recognition, and take their writing seriously. If you’ve been waiting for the right moment to submit your poetry, this is your invitation.

Explore current contests and submission guidelines:
View KSPS Poetry Contests

KSPS Contests Offer Opportunities for Every Poet

KSPS offers several contests each year, including opportunities for both adults and students. The lineup includes the Grand Prix (open to all poets), Chaffin-Kash (open only to KSPS members), and the Student Poetry Contest (open to grades 3-12), created specifically to encourage young writers to share their creativity and develop confidence in their voice. Some contests honor Kentucky connections, poetic craft, or specific forms, giving poets many ways to participate depending on their interests and experience level.

Each contest provides a meaningful opportunity to take your work seriously, meet submission goals, and become part of a literary tradition that celebrates poetry across Kentucky and beyond.

Winners often receive cash prizes and publication in Pegasus, the literary journal of the Kentucky State Poetry Society, helping poets share their work with a wider audience.

Selected poets may also be invited to read their work at the KSPS annual conference, offering a meaningful chance to connect with fellow writers and celebrate the craft of poetry.

Why Submit Your Poetry?

Submitting your poetry is more than entering a contest — it is an important step in becoming part of a creative community.

When you submit, you:

• Give your work the opportunity to be read and appreciated
• Push yourself to revise and strengthen your writing
• Build confidence as a poet
• Join a community that values language and creativity
• Allow your voice to be part of a larger conversation

KSPS exists to inspire and encourage poets through events, publications, and contests that support the art of poetry.

You do not need to consider yourself an expert poet to participate. You simply need the willingness to write and share.

The Hardest Part Is Hitting Submit

Many writers hesitate before submitting their work. They wonder if the poem is ready, if it is good enough, or if they should revise just one more time.

But poetry grows through participation.

Submitting your work gives it the chance to resonate with readers, judges, and fellow poets in ways you may not expect. Even one submission can build momentum and inspire you to keep writing.

Start Writing. Start Submitting.

If you’ve been looking for motivation to write more consistently, a contest deadline can provide the perfect push.

Browse current contests and deadlines:
Submit your poetry to KSPS contests

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Writing Poetry During Springtime

Spring can be a strange time to be writing poems. There’s this idea that spring should feel energizing, but sometimes it just feels transitional, or even overwhelming. You’re not quite where you were throughout the winter, but not quite somewhere new yet either. That in-between space, while disorientating, can be useful for writing.

Sometimes writing in spring just means paying attention again and turning outward instead of inward. Opening the window and noticing the way the air smells different. Seeing what’s growing where nothing was growing a few weeks ago. Even noticing resistance — not wanting to write, not knowing what to say — can be part of the process.

Poems don’t always arrive fully formed. Often they show up slowly, the same way spring does, oscillating between warm and cold days. But, there’s a little more light each day and the promise of something returning.

If you’ve been away from writing for a while, spring can be a good time to begin again without putting too much pressure on the result. Read a poem. Write a few lines. Start something you might not finish. Let curiosity lead instead of expectation.

And if you’re looking for a way back into poetry, or simply want to spend time around others who care about it, we invite you to join us this season at KSPS. Our upcoming readings, workshops, and discussions offer space to listen, learn, and reconnect with your writing practice in community. View our upcoming events here.

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KSPS Celebrates 60 Years with Free Member Conference

Dear KSPS Friends and Members,

2026 marks a remarkable milestone — KSPS turns 60!
To celebrate six decades of poetry, community, and creative connection, we’re offering this year’s conference as a day‑long online event, completely FREE to all KSPS members. Date TBA.

Non‑members will be able to register for the conference or purchase a membership.

As a reminder, our current yearly membership rates are:

  • $35 for adults
  • $15 for students (K–12 and college)

Beginning April 15, the adult membership rate will become $45, while the student rate will remain $15.

You still have a few more days to join or renew at the $35 rate — and enjoy the conference for free.

A limited number of need‑based scholarships will also be available.

We can’t wait to celebrate this special anniversary year with you.

Katerina Stoykova and the KSPS Team