April is my birthday month! And the villanelle is my favorite form. So this month, the contest prompt is to write a villanelle incorporating at least one of the following:
Glitter
Peonies
Oolong tea
The beach
A word in a language other than English
Spaghetti carbonara
Craftsman furniture
Cedar Point
Email your poem to allyson@allysonwhipple.com by 11:59 pm on April 20th. The winner will receive a gift certificate to the independent bookstore of their choice, or I will make a donation in their honor to a nonprofit.
View complete contest rules and past winners here.
While I mostly write in free verse, most of my poet friends know that I love form. In fact, even in my free verse, I usually incorporate some formal aspect… Something that my MFA thesis advisor and I butted heads about on a regular basis! Even though I don’t regularly write with rhyme and meter, I do enjoy incorporating some formal structure into my work. Sometimes that means only writing in tercets, or repeating a specific word, or making the poem fit a predetermined shape. I find the challenge a major source of inspiration.
Starting this April, I’m launching A Year of Forms. Whether it be meditation, writing, or some other endeavor, I’ve found long periods of practice and study to be invaluable. I’ve decided I want to spend the next year of my life studying form, and I want to study it with you!
While I’ve created a yearlong program, I know that might not work for everyone. To that end, I’ve divided the workshop into four themed series. That way, you can still get the benefit of some longer structured study. Single workshop sessions are also available. Finally, if you’re looking for one-on-one critiques, I’m offering optional private sessions to supplement the program.
Check out the program page for details. I look studying form with you this year!
I received a record number of entries this month! I think that the theme of equanimity resonated with a number of readers. This month, I am excited to announce that we have our first international winner!
Photograph of Ojo Taiye by Downtown Studios
Ojo Taiye is a Nigerian poet whose work appears in the Rumpus, Glass Poetry Journal, and a number of other places. His poem, “Hereditary Blues,” has a subtle connection to the theme. I appreciated the way his work made me pause and think.
Due to challenges related to international transactions, this month, I made an exception and gave the prize directly to Ojo himself. I definitely didn’t anticipate having international poets enter this contest, so I didn’t anticipate this issue. But I think it’s a good problem to have!
Hereditary Blues
for some years now, you lay out your blue-coated pills & thank them for their taste buds: the dilating seas that neatly occupy your bed with a living dream. the sky today is made of your lover’s breath. you realize your love for him is like a city on fire: mother of all balm & each growing desire is a wing shaped by time. you dream of homeland only in your poems. this is always what you wanted: to hold your breath when no one else will. all day you watch for the mail—lost in the reverie for some news from a distant place. you are an un-happy thing—a grey country quietly waiting for the catastrophe of its own beauty. haven’t you travelled enough—to end the chore. to be lost in a suspension of time. it maybe the coldest month of the year— & you are an odd spot of calm misled by want. how your imprecise side stayed up to watch the sun eat the moon. this morning you woke up to snows & skies of laughter not enough—
March is the month of the spring equinox. My favorite equinox memory is when my 9th grade geography teacher brought Double-Stuff Oreos for all of her students, because they had equal parts light and dark. (Apparently the true balance of this particular cookie has been debunked, but it remains a wonderful memory nonetheless.)
For the March contest, create a poem that incorporates the theme of equanimity. You can do this any number of ways:
Write a poem in which the content is concerned with equanimity;
Write a concrete poem representing equanimity;
Use, bend, or break the rules of a poetic form to create a sense of equanimity.
I am so excited to see what you come up with!
Email your poem to allyson@allysonwhipple.com by 11:59 pm on March 20th. The winner will receive a gift certificate to the independent bookstore of their choice, or I will make a donation in their honor to a nonprofit.
Another month, another delayed contest result. This time it was the fault of the Texas Snowpocalypse! I’m glad to be on the other side of that and getting things back on track.
This month’s winner is Peter H. Schmidt. His golden shovel, “Rise Up,” draws from John Gillespie Magee’s “High Flight,” as well as “My Shot (Rise Up Part)” from the musical Hamilton. Peter asked me to make a donation to an organization helping homeless people in Austin; I selected Caritas of Austin, an organization dear to my heart, to receive a $25 donation in his honor.
Rise Up What does it mean to rise up Is it enough not to give up Is hope caged the rage the Phrase of the heart too long Denied a fair start, delirious Furious infamous self-injurious burning Away as respect is due, blue Notes all through, I’ve Never stopped, won’t be topped Won’t take my eyes off the Sky, gonna do, not die, wind-swept I will climb clouds to heights Flights of eagles at my feet with Stars so close I’ll make it easy For all eyes to see: my amazing grace
I can’t wait to see what y’all write for this month’s poetry contest! There are two prize options: 1) A $25 gift certificate to the independent bookstore of your choice, or 2) A $25 donation to the literacy nonprofit, aid organization, or public library of your choice. Please see the Monthly Contest Page for complete rules (there aren’t many) and past winners. This month’s deadline is Friday, February 20th.
Prompt The golden shovel is a form invented by poet Terrance Hayes. He created it in homage to Gwendolyn Brooks. In honor of Black history month, the February contest is to write a golden shovel related to environmental or climate issues. Feel free to be creative with the source text. My friend E. Kristin Anderson has a series of golden shovels based on Ke$ha songs.
If you’re unfamiliar with this form, read the poem “Golden Shovel” by Terrance Hayes as a reference point. Notice how the line endings in both parts are made up from Brooks’ “We Real Cool.” Notice how Hayes uses the words in a more straightforward way in the first section, and focuses more on sound in the section section. (Note: you do not need to write a multi-section poem; go with what works for you.)
Email your golden shovel to allyson@allysonwhipple.com by 11:59 pm on February 20th. Please also send me the title and author of the poem or song you used as your source text. (Include a link if possible.) The winner will receive a gift certificate to the independent bookstore of their choice, or I will make a donation in their honor to a nonprofit.
After much delay, I’m finally excited to announce the winner of the January poetry contest! I received a record number of entries this month, and on top of that, I had to move unexpectedly after my landlord sold my house! It’s a relief to be getting settled in my new place and back into a routine.
Frost flowers A log’s jeweled heart Fused in glass
Thank you, Lisa! And thanks to everyone else who participated. I was especially heartened to see several entries from people who don’t consider themselves poets or writers.
Cover art from issue 52: Los dias oscuros 99 by Octavio Quintanilla
One of my (many) passion projects is serving on the board of Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review. It’s been an honor to help keep an independent print journal going during increasingly challenging times.
Borderlands is currently going through a leadership transition. This fall, the board realized that we needed to split our volunteer Administrative Director position into three roles. The work was just too much for one person, especially with their work considered an in-kind donation to the organization. To that end, we split the role into three: Administrative Director, Development Director, and Production Director.
We are looking for people interested in serving Borderlands in a volunteer capacity to help us continue to thrive. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and we have been going strong since 1992 largely with the help of committed community members.
You can find descriptions of all three positions here. Submissions are open until February 15th, 2021. To apply, please send a resume to allyson@allysonwhipple.com (you can address your email to the Board as a whole.)
Please also feel free to pass this information on to anyone you think would be interested! Even if these roles aren’t right for you, spreading the word is a huge help. One of the best things you can do is help the right people for the job find us!
(And of course, if you’re looking for other ways to help, you can always make a tax-deductible donation through our website. It’s never too soon to work on that 2021 tax deduction.)
It’s time for another poetry contest! I can’t wait to see what y’all send me this month. There are two prize options: 1) A $25 gift certificate to the independent bookstore of your choice, or 2) A $25 donation to the literacy nonprofit or public library of your choice. Please see the Monthly Contest Page for complete rules (there aren’t many) and past winners. This month’s deadline is Wednesday, January 20th at 11:59 pm.
Prompt Write a haiku with the following theme: inside/outside. You do not have to include the theme words in your poem; explore different ways of embodying the theme through language and image. Haiku can range from 1-3 lines. 5-7-5 syllable structure is not required. Please keep haiku to approximately 17 total syllables for the entire poem.
Email your haiku to allyson@allysonwhipple.com by 11:59 pm on January 20th. Given the brevity of the form, poems pasted into the body of the email are preferred. If you have unique formatting that requires submitting as and attachment, that’s fine.
I received a number of delightful holidays poems this month. In a year where I’ve felt out of touch with the holiday spirit (I didn’t even put up the tree), it was lovely to open my inbox and find poems from both good friends and distant acquaintances.
This month’s winning poem is “Christmas Cento” by Christa Pandey. She used the hymnal One Faith/Una Voz(2005) as her source text. In the poem, you’ll see numbers next to each line; these denote the page in the hymnal where the line originally occurred.
Christmas music is my favorite aspect of the winter season, and I have a special fondness for classical carols even though I’m not religious. I enjoyed seeing the ways in which Christa made something new out of traditional music.
As her prize, Christa chose a donation to Conspirare.
Christmas Cento
397 It came upon a midnight clear, 400 the darkness everywhere, 376 the silent stars go by, 397 o’er all the weary world 374 they traveled on together 400 amid the cold of winter.
397 Beneath life’s crushing load 397 the days are hastening on, 390 let nothing you dismay 379 nor thorns infest the ground, 383 wing your flight o’er all the earth 397 above this sad and lowly plain.
376 No ear may hear his coming, 380 silent night, holy night, 382 say what may the tidings be? 380 All is calm, all is bright, 390 all you within this place 380 sleep in heavenly peace.
374 Lo, when they had heard it 387 joyful all ye nations rise 383 ever more your voices raising, 392 the stars in the sky 382 and the mountains in reply 390 each other now embrace.
379 Let us our songs employ, 382 echo back their joyous strains, 379 let every heart prepare him room, 400 dispel in glorious splendor 376 the hopes and fears of all the years 390 when we were gone astray.
374 There shone a holy light, 383 brighter visions beam afar, 387 join the triumph of the skies, 383 sages leave your contemplation, 390 with true love and charity 404 the king of kings salvation brings.
378 O come let us adore him, 378 joyful and triumphant, 382 come adore on bended knee, 404 bring him incense, gold and myrrh. 387 Christ is born in Bethlehem, 379 he rules the world with truth and grace.
