2009 Poetry Contest

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE POETRY CONTEST DATES HAVE CHANGED. The judge will be announced at a later date.

Entry Deadline: Postmark September 25, 2009
Poems will be accepted from May 1, 2009 to September 25, 2009

Any Subject

Any Form

Line Limit: 40*

RULES:

1)Only original, unpublished poetry accepted. Websites are considered publishing.*

2)Submit 2 copies of each poem, typed on 8 ½" x 11" paper. Name, address and e-mail address on only one copy*. Entry by e-mail is not allowed.

3) Contest entry grants permission to publish winning entries in any future Roanoke NLAPW publications.

4)Winners will be notified by November 20, 2009.

5)Entry Fee: $5.00 per entry*. No limit to number of entries but payment must accompany each entry. Make checks payable to Roanoke Valley Branch, NLAPW.

6)Prizes: $100, $75, $50 and Honorable Mention $5.

7)Winning poems will be read at the February 2010 Meeting of NLAPW. Proceeds from the contest will be used to help fund a scholarship.

8)Names of award winners will be available by e-mail only, no SASE.

Mail entries to:
Co-Chairman, Peggy Shifflett
700 Cherrywood Road
Salem, VA 24153

Visions and Voices, Pens and Brushes, an anthology of previous winning poems, is available for $10.00 each plus $2 shipping. (Virginia residents add .50 sales tax) Please mail requests to Margaret DuBois, P.O. Box 388, Salem, VA 24153-0388.

*Incorrectly submitted poems will be disqualified and entry fees retained by branch.

Please note that winners will be posted at roanokepenwomen.blogspot.com by November 20, 2009.

Programs for 2008-2009

At our first meeting in September, our guest speaker was herbalist, Lovell Najari. We didn't meet in October because so few members were able to attend.

Because the Daily Grind in Salem has closed, we have changed our meeting place and meeting day. As of February 2009, we will meet on Wednesdays and, unless otherwise noted, at the Daily Grind on Rt. 419.

Here are the dates, places, and speakers (up-dated as of January 4, 2009):

Nov 3—Daily Grind on Rt. 419—Leighann Boone (glass jewelry)
Dec. 1—Daily Grind on Rt. 419—Christmas silent auction
Feb. 11—Daily Grind on Rt. 419—Ethel Born (dyes)—12:30-2:00
Mar. 4—Daily Grind on Rt. 419—Vera Dickerson (artist)—10:30-12;00
Apr. 1—Peggy Shifflett's house—TBA—12:30-2:00
May 13—Daily Grind on Rt. 419—TBA (writer)—12:30-2:00
Jun. 10—Daily Grind on Rt. 419—TBA—12:30-2:00

Members are encouraged to bring guests.

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Scholarship Awarded

The Roanoke Valley Branch of the National League of American Pen Women has awarded a $100 scholarship to Amy Tate of Boones Mill. The award, presented to a woman over thirty who has returned to college following an absence of several years, is to be used for incidental expenses related to attending school.

Tate, who’d majored in journalism major at Liberty University, left in 1993 when her major was no longer offered. After marrying and having two children, she enrolled last year in the Horizon Program at Hollins University where she studied poetry and fiction writing as well as 17th & 18th century literature. Eventually, she would like to write children’s literature—especially historical fiction for young people.

Applicants for the scholarship had to take at least one class in art, music, dance, or writing. They were required to submit a letter of interest, proof of acceptance at a college, and a work sample. Tate submitted two essays.

Of Tate’s writing sample, the Roanoke Valley Pen Women president and contest co-chair, Dr. Peggy Shifflett said, “I like her writing style and I believe she shows promise as a future writer. Shifflett noted that the other work samples “pale in comparison to Amy Tate’s original writing.”

Becky Mushko, Roanoke Valley Pen Women vice-president and the other contest co-chair, recused herself from voting at the June 4 Pen Women’s meeting because she and Tate know each other. The other members in attendance, after examining the applications, unanimously voted for Tate as the first recipient of what will become an annual award.

Last Meeting until September

Today the Roanoke Valley Branch of the National League of American Pen Women held our last meeting of the season. We'll resume our meetings on September 3, at our usual meeting place—the Daily Grind in Salem.

Today, we met at Pat Bijwaard's house, and she provided both a wonderful lunch and a wonderful program on delft tiles.


Among her tiles are these in her kitchen:


At most meetings, we have a program by an artist, craftsperson, or author. Today, we discussed possible programs for next year. We will soon contact the people suggested and have our program list in a month or two.

We also selected the recipient of our scholarship from a handful of applicants. Because I knew one of the applicants, I recused myself from voting. However, the vote by the others in attendance was unanimous: Amy Tate of Boones Mill is the winner of our $100 scholarship to be used for incidentals. She attends Hollins University in the Horizon program.

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2008 POETRY CONTEST WINNERS

Jennifer Hollingsworth-Austin of Roanoke has won first place in the 2008 Poetry Competition sponsored by the Roanoke Valley Branch of the National League of American Pen Women.

Her poem was entitled “A Geometer Built the World.” Hollingsworth-Austin’s poem was one of 104 poems received from 16 states that were reviewed by a poetry panel and poetry contest judge Maurice Ferguson. Ferguson said the winning poem reminded him of the metaphysical poets John Donne and George Herbert.

Ferguson, who lives in Buchanan, VA, with his wife, son and a menagerie of animals, was a chief editor of Artemis Journal. He also has coordinated several writers’ workshops in the Roanoke Valley, organized numerous literary events, conducted a contest for prisoners and printed an anthology of prisoner's poems, Context Crumble.

Ferguson has published in Samsara Quarterly, Melic Review, Piedmont Literary Quarterly, Inlet, Artemis and the Roanoke Review.

Other winners in the contest were: second place, Glenna Holloway, Naperville, IL for a poem called “Sestina for a New Widow” and third place, Gretchen Fletcher, Ft. Lauderdale, FL for a poem called “Small Towns, Big Stories.”

Honorable Mentions were given to Elizabeth Williams, Oceanside, CA for a poem called “A Sestina of Splintered Kisses,” R. Frazier, Roanoke, VA for a poem called “Snapshot of Dad,” and W. B. Spillman, Jr., Floyd, VA for a poem called “The Ice Queen.”

The winning poems were read on May 7 at the Daily Grind Coffeehouse in Salem.

The Roanoke Valley Branch of the National League of American Press Women sponsors the poetry contest every year. The 2008 contest marked the eighth year the organization has awarded prizes.

Scholarship Available

Roanoke Valley Branch—National League of American Pen Women

Scholarship Requirements:

The Roanoke Valley Pen Women will grant a scholarship of a minimum $100 to a woman age thirty or older who has either returned to college or entered college for the first time, and who is taking one or more classes for credit in the arts, letters, or music at a college or university within 75 miles of Roanoke.

The money is to be used either for supplies (textbooks, art supplies, paper, software, etc.) or for other expenses related to college attendance.

Women interested in receiving the grant for fall 2008 must apply to the Roanoke Valley Pen Women on or before May 2, 2008. The application should include the following:

1. Statement of interest:
Contact information at top of page: name, address, phone, email.
A paragraph explaining the recipient’s reason for taking the class or returning to school.
A paragraph explaining the recipient’s career goals.
2. A work sample in one of the following:
Letters: an example (2-10 pages) of either published or unpublished fiction (short story, novel excerpt), non-fiction (article, essay), poetry (three poems) or a combination thereof.
Arts: CD or DVD of jpegs of artwork (paintings, drawings, sculpture, pottery, fiber art, photographs, etc.).
Music (composer, performer, choreographer): CD or DVD of performance.
Applicants who want work samples returned should provide a self-addressed mailer with sufficient postage.
3. Verification of class enrollment or college acceptance (a photocopy of acceptance letter, student ID, or receipt for payment of tuition).

The scholarship recipient is encouraged to report back to the Roanoke Valley Pen Women, either by mail/email or as a guest at a future Pen Women meeting to inform the membership how the scholarship helped her accomplish a goal.

Send applications to Becky Mushko, 8 Listening Hill Road, Penhook, VA, 24137 or to Peggy Shifflett, c/o Cottage Curio, 622 Colorado Street, Salem, VA 24153.