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

Upcoming Session

The next Featured Reading + Open Mic will be announced soon. Please check back for updated dates and registration details.

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Craft Talk Series

Our Craft Talk 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

Craft Talk with Mitchell L.H. Douglas

Date: Wednesday, July 22
Time: 6:30–8:30 PM ET
Location: Zoom

Session Overview:

Why the epistolary poem?

Letters are documents of sincere and focused contact between entities with history. Like letters, we think of epistolary poems as an intimate connection: an exchange of ideas outside of ourselves that feels like something private we were never meant to witness. In this generative workshop, we will examine famous examples of the epistle in literature, identify the strengths of the form, and write a poem that considers our current state of government and who can save it from itself. 

Mitchell L. H. Douglas is the author of four poetry collections: Universal Corner, dying in the scarecrow’s arms, \blak\ \al-fə bet\, winner of the Persea Books Lexi Rudnitsky/Editor’s Choice Award, and Cooling Board: A Long-Playing Poem, an NAACP Image Award and Hurston/Wright Legacy Award nominee. His “Poem that Begins w/a Tweet About Gwendolyn Brooks” was featured in This is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets edited by New York Times best-selling author Kwame Alexander. A 2021 National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellow, his  visual art has been published in The Adroit Journal, The Offing, and Callaloo.

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

Upcoming Session

The next Reading Kentucky Poets session will be announced soon. Please check back for updated dates and registration details

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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!