Poetry in Plain Sight

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Poetry in Plain Sight: A Statewide Poetry Initiative

Launched in Winston-Salem in 2013, Poetry in Plain Sight brings North Carolina poetry and poets to the public.  Four poems are chosen for each of the twelve months and displayed on posters in street-visible locations throughout arts districts, bookstores, and downtown areas, connecting poets, poetry, and new audiences across the state. 

In its second year, Poetry in Plain Sight extended the Word Up! program created for Winston-Salem Transit Authority buses by the late Rodney Holman. Holman was a Board Director of Winston-Salem Writers and one of Poetry in Plain Sight’s prime movers. In 2014, Winston-Salem Writers received an Innovative Projects Grant from The Arts Council of Winston-Salem Forsyth County to install poetry posters in all WSTA buses. Although the bus program is no longer active, poetry posters have been on continual display in over twenty storefront locations since January 2013.

We’d love to see you share photos of PIPS poems in the wild on the NCPS Instagram page, @ncpoetrysociety, or on the NCPS Facebook page!

Current initiatives include audio recordings of program poems, tiny take-home poems, and a variety of readings across the state. Please see the schedule below to find a reading near you! If you’d like to host one, or are interested in becoming a Host City Coordinator, please email State Coordinator Hannah Ringler at ncps.pips.hannahr@gmail.com.

Additionally, in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives will now serve as a repository for Poetry in Plain Sight archives, including poetry posters (hard copies and electronic), as well as historical records from the program’s inception and development.

This program is a collaborative effort of the North Carolina Poetry Society, North Carolina Writer’s Network, Winston-Salem Writers, and Press 53 of Winston-Salem. The NC Poetry Society appreciates donations to the program, and all contributions will go solely to support PIPS in future years. If you would like to donate, please indicate the purpose of your payment on the NOTES or INSTRUCTIONS FOR SELLER line in your PayPal transaction. 

Readings

October 10th, 2023- Poetry Hickory hosts a Poetry in Plain Sight reading at Taste Full Beans

January 20th, 2023 – Poetry in Plain Sight poets from 2022-2024 will read during the morning session of the NCPS virtual meeting

February 2024 (exact date TBD) – Carteret Writers hosts a Poetry in Plain Sight reading in Morehead City.

April 6th 2024 – launch of the 2024-2025 Poetry in Plain Sight program, location to be announced

Venues

In 2023-2024, poems will be placed in windows in the following locations:

Asheville: Five Little Monkeys Quilting

Burnsville: The Burnsville Town Cener, The Book Annex, Plott Hound Books, Yummi Yarns, The Grapevine, Main Street Shoes, Maples Sweet Shop-Micaville, Toe River Crafts, and Celo Community Center

Charlotte Area: Atherton Farmer’s Market, Dilworth Soup Kitchen, Lexington Dilworth Apartments, Lucky Fish Seafood Market, Body Revive Massage, Club Pilates, Pet Wants CLT, Charlotte Center for Literary Arts, Cosmic Nails, Caribou Coffee, Green Brothers Juice and Smoothies, Park Road Books, Queens University, Paper Skyscraper, Charlotte Tattoo, CLTCH, Emmy Squared Pizza, Fuel Pizza, Vapors Elite Smoke Shop, High Life Smoke Shop Central, Midwood Guitar Studio, SADU Body Modification, Que Onda Tacos, and Dish Restaurant

Durham: At all library branches, Joe Van Gogh on Broad Street, Letters Bookshop, ZEN Succulent, Beanstalk, Monuts, Golden Fig Books, and Freeman’s Creative

Greensboro: Katherine Clay Edwards Library, Downtown Library, Benjamin Library, Scuppernong Books, and Salem Lake restrooms

Hendersonville: Mezzaluna, The Buzz, Underground Bakery, McFarlan Bake Shop, Brandy Bar, 3 Chopt Sandwich Shop, and Spice of Life

Hickory: Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse and Cafe, Hickory Community Theatre, Patrick Beaver Memorial Library, and Hickory Wine Shop

Monroe: Franklin Court Grill, East Frank Superette and Kitchen, Cork Ale

Raleigh: Oberlin Regional Library, The Raleigh Times, and Cary Library

Waxhaw: Waxhaw Reading Room, Burney’s Bakery, Waxhaw Antique Mart, Dreamchasers, Capricci’s True Italian, Provisions Waxhaw, Wingate University Library & Wingate University Resource Center

Winston-Salem: Delurk Gallery, 6th and Vine Wine Bar, Steel Group Architects, Wildlight Wellness, Artworks Gallery, Visual Index, Imagine Flowers, Sculptor’s Gallery, Body and Soul, Piedmont Craftsmen, WTOB, Cheesecakes by Alex, Moji Coffee, AFAS Center for the Arts, Broad Branch Distillery, Celestial Wellness, The Porch, Bookmarks, Forsyth County Public Library, The Remedy Cafe and Bar

Submissions

Poetry in Plain Sight is open to any poet who is a current resident of North Carolina.  Submissions will be accepted between September 1st and October 25th, 2023 and are free to paid-up adult members of the NC Poetry Society and poets 18 and under; it’s $5 for non-members using the Donate button on the bottom of this page. 

A donation to the program is an option with the same button.  Donations fund poster printing, mailing, and exciting expansions of the program.

Submissions: Each poet can submit one time in the submission cycle through the Google Form: https://tinyurl.com/PIPSsubmissions2023. Format 1-3 poems into one document, .doc or .docx file type.  Adhere to the guidelines provided below.

Selected poems will be announced in February 2024.

Guidelines

We’re looking for poems that catch the eye and are accessible to a wide range of readers. Poems with “breathing room” (plenty of white space) are more appropriate for our medium.

Line length should not exceed 40 characters (that’s about 4.5 inches in 12-point type, for you ruler-users). Poems must be under 20 lines.

There’s no restriction on theme, but poem content should be suitable for readers of all ages. 

Previously published poems are acceptable, as long as proper accreditation is provided in the submission.

The NC Poetry Society appreciates donations to the program, and all contributions will go solely to support PIPS in future years.  Please indicate the purpose of your payment on the NOTES or INSTRUCTIONS FOR SELLER line in your PayPal transaction.