Events

KSPS offers a year-round slate of poetry programs that bring writers and readers together through readings, open mics, and craft-focused events.

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2026 Programs & Events

Our 2026 programming includes monthly readings, open mics, craft talks, and a special book club series led by the Poet Laureate. Most events run February through October, with our annual conference in November and no scheduled events in December. Additional details and registration links will be added as schedules are finalized.

All event graphics include a QR code that links directly to individual event registrations. Check this page for updated schedules, series information, and new event announcements.

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Reading Kentucky Poets

Led by current Kentucky Poet Laureate Kathleen Driskell, this series offers guided discussion and close reading of poetry by writers connected to Kentucky. Participants engage deeply with selected poems while exploring craft, context, and interpretation in a supportive virtual setting.

Schedule: Second Tuesday of each month (January–October)
Time: 6:30–8:00 PM ET
Location: Zoom

Upcoming Session

Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Time: 6:30–8:00 PM ET
Location: Zoom

Kentucky Poet Laureate Kathleen Driskell has agreed to critique one poem from a KSPS member after discussing poems by Marianne Worthington, Ada Limón, and Jay McCoy during her Reading Kentucky Poets virtual series, August 26, 6:30 pm EST. KSPS members should send one poem to kathleen@kathleendriskell.com attached in a .docx format with the subject line KSPS Poem Critique no later than end of business day August 25. Kathleen will choose one poem from the first ten she receives from KSPS members and will discuss it at the end of her session. 

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Featured Reading + Open Mic Series

Our Featured Reading + Open Mic Series showcases established and emerging poets through featured readings followed by an open mic. These virtual gatherings offer an opportunity to hear outstanding contemporary work and share your own poetry in a welcoming community setting.

Schedule: Select dates annually
Time: 6:30–8:00 PM ET
Location: Zoom
Total Sessions: 5

Upcoming Session

Date: Tuesday September 8, 2026
Time: 6:30–8:00 PM ET
Location: Zoom

Jeffrey Skinner has published eight full collections of poetry, and a number of chapbooks. His most recent collection, Sober Ghost, appeared in June, 2024. In 2014 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in Poetry, and in 2015 was given an American Academy of Arts & Letters Award for literature. His books have been winners of The National Poetry Series, The Crab Orchard Prize for Poetry, the Sexton Prize, and The Field Prize. Over the years his work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Nation, Fence, and Bomb, among many other journals. His recent work has appeared in The North American Review, Fence, and Volt.

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Writing Workshop Series

Our Writing Workshop Series features interactive sessions focused on craft, creative process, and professional development for writers. Each session offers practical insight, guided exploration, and conversation with experienced poets and literary professionals.

Schedule: Fourth Wednesday of select months
Time: 6:30–8:30 PM ET (some sessions may conclude earlier)
Location: Zoom

Upcoming Session

Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Time: 6:30–8:30 PM ET
Location: Zoom

Workshop Overview: Explore how to capture the natural world in your poetry through free verse and haiku, and how to utilize nature journaling to keep detailed accounts of observations and experiences to inspire your work in all genres. The workshop will discuss classic nature writing as well as contemporary poets and their approaches to ecopoetry. We will talk about the writing practices of traditional haiku and nature journaling, then use writing prompts to work on our own nature-connected poems.

Jayne Moore Waldrop is the author of Drowned Town, a novel in stories that was named a Great Group Reads selection by the Women’s National Book Association and INDIES Book of the Year Award silver winner in fiction; Back to Our Nests (forthcoming 2026); She Remembered It All: The Art of Memory Painter Helen LaFrance, winner of a 2025 Gold Book Award by the Independent Book Publishers Association; A Journey in Color: The Art of Ellis Wilson; Pandemic Lent: A Season in Poems, and Retracing My Steps, a finalist in the New Women’s Voices Chapbook Contest.Her poems and stories have appeared in Troublesome Rising, Anthology of Appalachian Writers, Appalachian Review, Still: The Journal, Women Speak, and other journals and anthologies. She has taught writing workshops at Appalachian Writers Workshop, Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, Janice Mason Art Museum, and an upcoming class at Ghost Ranch in October 2026. 

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Looking for a regular spot to share your work or hear local voices?

From open mics to writing workshops, Kentucky has a growing calendar of recurring poetry events happening every month. Explore our roundup of ongoing events across the state—and if we’re missing one, let us know!