Massachusetts Statewide Poetry Calendar

Winners will read from their manuscripts:
First Place - Richard Fox, "Skating On The Edge Of Flesh"

Second Place - Jeff Walt, "Each Morning I Rise Like A Sleepwalker And Rot A Little More"

Third Place - Jennifer Freed, "On Their Anniversary She Whispers His Name"

Honorable Mention - Marsha Kunin, "In The Garden Of The Blind Barbarian"

Join the winners of the 2017 WCPA Annual Poetry Contest: The Frank O'Hara Prize for a reading of their work and the work of contest judge, Lori Desrosier. There will be an opportunity to mingle over refreshments as well.

This year's winners include: First Prize - Richard Fox, Second Prize - Jeff Walt, Third Prize - Jennifer Freed, and Honorable Mention - Marsha Kunin. Contest Chairperson, Robert Steele, will moderate the ceremony.

Lori Desrosiers' books include The Philosopher's Daughter published by Salmon Poetry in 2013 and Sometimes I Hear the Clock Speak, Salmon Poetry, 2016. Her poems have appeared in Contemporary American Voices, Best Indie Lit New England, String Poet, Blue Fifth Review, and many other journals and anthologies. She is Editor-in-Chief of Naugatuck River Review, a journal of narrative poetry, and WORDPEACE, an online journal dedicated to peace and justice, and serves as an editor for several other publications. She teaches Literature and Composition at Westfield State University and Poetry in the Lesley University M.F.A. graduate program.

After reading work from over 20 local and regional poets, jurors Maura Snell and Cynthia Franca have selected 25 poems by 13 writers for inclusion in a chapbook which features both the art and poetry and is generously published by The Tishman Review. These poets will read their work at the closing event for Art on the Trails 2017, a Plein Air Poetry Walk, on Sunday, September 24th beginning at 4 pm. Refreshments will be served. The chapbook will include the selected poems and the art installations that inspired them will be available for sale on that day. All proceeds of the sale of these books will help fund future Art on the Trails exhibitions.