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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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.

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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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.

Upcoming Session

Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
Time: 6:30–8:00 PM ET
Location: Zoom

Curtis L. Crisler was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. Crisler’s latest book is Doing Drive-bys on How to Love in the Midwest. An award-winning poet/author, he has six poetry books, two YA books, and five poetry chapbooks. He’s been published in a variety of journals, magazines, and anthologies. He created the Indiana Chitlin Circuit and the poetry form called the sonastic. He’s an activist for literacy and a creator of things. Crisler’s the Indiana Poet Laureate and Professor of English at Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW). He can be contacted at www.poetcrisler.com.

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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.

Upcoming Session

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

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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!