Events

Don’t Miss Our September Meeting!
The September 2024 meeting promises to be really special.  We will gather in person at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville.  Among the featured speakers will be winners of the Randall Jarrell Poetry Prize, Lena Shull Poetry Contest, Brockman-Campbell Book Award, Susan Laughter Meyers Poetry Fellowship, and NCLR Jaki Shelton Green Performance Poetry Prize.  The event will conclude with an ecopoetry walk led by Bill Griffin.  For further information, to register (free) and order your lunch, click here.  For information about the Arboretum, click on: https://www.ncaboretum.org.

PAST MEETINGS

May 18, 2024
The 2024 Sam Ragan Awards Day was celebrated at Weymouth Center for the Arts in Southern Pines.  In the morning, talented student poets, fourth graders through undergraduates, read their winning poems, assuring all that the future of poetry in North Carolina is bright.  After an open mic and lunch on the sunny grounds, a tribute to outgoing President Alana Dagenhart was delivered.  Then adult winners of ten Pinesong Awards contests read their poems, capping a splendid day of poetry and community.

March 16, 2024
Dr. Taylor Byas presented a workshop in the morning called “Sestina Says: Texture and Dialogue in the Sestina Form,” followed by open mic.  The afternoon session featured a Publishing Panel with Terry L. Kennedy from The Greensboro Review and Rhett Trull from Cave Wall.

January 20, 2024
The January meeting was held virtually and featured readers from the Poetry in Plain Sight program in the morning emceed by Sam Barbee, followed by open mic moderated by Regina YC Garcia.  Following lunch, Jose Hernandez Dias led a spirited workshop entitled “Prose Poetry with Prompts.” 

September 16, 2023
The September meeting was held at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh.  In the morning, the NC Contest Showcase featured winners from NCWN’s Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition, NCPS’s Lena M Shull Book Contest, The Brockman-Campbell Book Award, the Susan Laughter Meyers Poetry Fellowship at Weymouth, and The North Carolina Literary Review’s Jaki Shelton Green Performance Poetry Competition.  In the afternoon, Allan Michael Parker and Felicia van Bork provided an inspiring poetry workshop.

May 13, 2023
At Awards Day 2023, David Radavich was introduced by Alana Dagenhart as the 2023 Pinesong dedicatee and read from his work.  Jonathan Giles introduced the 2023 student prize-winners, who presented their poems, followed by and Ashley Lumpkin introducing the adult prize-winners.

March 18, 2023
AE Hines read poetry in a segment called “Writing from the Broken Places,” followed by an interview and conversation with Dr. Rebecca Godwin.  The meeting also reveled in a broad range of fine work in the open mic, energetically emceed by Regina Yvette Carter Garcia.

January 14, 2023
Kimberly L. Becker gave a presentation on “Poetry as Ceremony,” including a reading of her poetry.  After open mic, emceed by Regina Yvette Carter Garcia, and followed by lunch, Dasan Ahanu led a craft workshop on writing performance poetry.

September 17, 2022
This special meeting celebrated the 90th anniversary of the North Carolina Poetry Society with a fabulous array of poets and poetry.  Winners of the Randall Jarrell Poetry Prize, Brockman-Campbell Book Award, Lena Shull book Contest, and Susan Laughter Meyers Poetry Fellowship all read their work.  Joseph Bathanti honored Kathryn Stripling Byer, Shelby Stephenson honored Marty Silverthorne, and David Radavich read poems in tribute to Susan Laughter Myers.  After lunch, Joan Leotta led a workshop on poetic story-telling.

May 21, 2022
After a welcome by President Celestine Davis to our annual Sam Ragan Awards Day, Lynda Rush-Myers emceed the program, which included a tribute to Lenard D. Moore, this year’s Pinesong Dedicatee.  Jonathan Giles introduced the students to read their prize-winning poems.  Following open mic and a break for lunch, Ashley Lumpkin honored the adult contest winners.  

March 19, 2022
The morning session featured poems from the state-wide Poetry in Plain Sight Program, moderated by Program Director, Sam Barbee, followed by an extensive open mic period.  After Lunch, Lavonne Adams led a craft workshop on the “Poetry of Place.”

January 22, 2022
Following a moving tribute to the late David T. Manning by Bill Griffin and Shannon Ward, David Radavich moderated a morning session of Poetry of Provocation and Witness, featuring Destiny Hemphill, Hannah VanderHart, and Lenard Moore.  After lunch, Shannon Ward, Sheila Smith McKoy, and Ashley Lumpkin read more Poetry of Provocation and Witness.

September 18, 2021
The September meeting featured readings by the winner of the Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition, S. L. Cockerille, along with Catherine Carter and Lucinda Trew (honorable mention).  The winner of the Brockman-Campbell Book Award was Dave Manning, with Dannye Romine Powell and Michael Gaspeny (honorable mention).  Anne Maren-Hogan won the Lena Shull Book Award.  In the afternoon, Melissa Crowe led a workshop on poetic line breaks.

May 8, 2021
On this Sam Ragan Awards Day, Sherry Pederson  Sherry honored David T. Manning as the 2021 Pinesong dedicatee.  Johnathan Giles, Student Contests Director, and Joan Barasovska, Vice President for Programming, introduced the student contest winners.  Following the lunch break, Craig Kittner, Adult Contests Director, introduced the adult contest winners.  

March 13, 2021
Sam Barbee provided an overview of the Poetry in Plain Sight community outreach program and introduced the featured poets who participated in this year’s cycle, who read their work.  After open mic and lunch, Pam Baggett led an engaging workshop called “Earthed Lightning: Crafting Beautiful, Powerful Poems.”

January 16, 2021
After Bill Griffin read a poem by the late Tony Abbott, Clevette “Chynna” Roberts presided over a multi-faceted showcase with IllusionsPoets & Performing Artists, featuring K.P. Santiago, Angel H, III Will, Alisha Cratchy, Sean Ingram and Justin “Fantastic” Brothers.  After lunch, Melinda Thomsen presented a workshop called “Departure Points, Our Literary Influences.” She talked about “comfort reading,” which, like comfort food, we return to when we need soulful nourishment.

September 19, 2020
Ed Southern introduced winner of the Randall Jarrell Poetry Prize: Dannye Romine Powell.  Tina Barr was runner-up, while , with honorable mention going to Michael Boccardo and Mark Caskie.  Preston Martin  introduced the winner of the Brockman-Campbell Book Contest, Patricia Harper.  Honorable mention went to Kathryn Stripling Byer, Jessica Jacobs, and Robert Letters.  In the afternooon, Jason Gray led an interactive sonnet mini-workshop.

May 9, 2020
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sam Ragan Awards Day was held online this year.  Malaika King Albrecht introduced the meeting and Celestine Davis served as emcee.  Sherry Pederson introduced the 2020 Pinesong Dedicatee, M. Scott Douglass, editor of Main Street Rag Publishing.  Arianna Del Palazzo and Joan Barasovska introduced the Student Contest readers, and after lunch Craig Kittner introduced the Adult Contest winners. 

March 14, 2020
Because of the pandemic, on Saturday, March 14, we held our first-ever virtual meeting.  It was wonderfully satisfying.  Amber Flora Thomas, author of Eye of Water: Poems, gave a terrific presentation in the morning.  Open mic followed, with twenty poets reading their work.  After lunch, Kevin Morgan Watson gave an overview of Press 53, sharing some fascinating anecdotes garnered over the past fifteen years since he founded the press, plus specific tips for writers seeking to publish a book.  It was a remarkably uplifting day during a time of essential sheltering in place.  

January 11, 2020
In the morning, North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green discussed community-building through poetry.  She shared the stage with two members of SistaWRITE, Addy McCullough of Wilmington and Mel Bramble from Raleigh.  After lunch, Joseph Mills gave a talk focusing on discovering and expressing your authentic poetic persona and shared some of his work.

September 14, 2019
This meeting offered readings from a dazzling array of prize winners: The Randall Jarrell Poetry Contest (Alan Michael Parker), Brockman-Campbell Book Contest (Tina Barr), Lena Shull Book Award (Kathy Ackerman), and Susan Laughter Meyers Poetry Fellowship (Benjamin Cutler), along with the runners-up and honorable mentions.  Following lunch, Kevin Morgan Watson and colleagues read excerpts from Susan Laughter Meyers’ posthumous collection, Self-Portrait in the River of Dejá Vu (Press 53, 2019).

May 11, 2019
Our May meeting this year was celebrated as both Awards Day and Sam Ragan Day.  Prize-winning student and adult poets read their work to a packed audience, and Ruth Moose was honored as this year’s Pinesong Dedicatee.  As always, the day offered a feast of good words, proud parents and teachers, and camaraderie.

March 9, 2019
For our early spring gathering, two dynamic poets from Asheville, Nickole Brown and Jessica Brown, read their poetry.  This married couple presented engaging poetry steeped in nature, personal experience, and cultural history.  Following open mic, lunch, and time in the book room and the beautiful gardens of Weymouth, Nickole and Jessica led a hands-on workshop called “The Art of Revision: Tips & Tricks for Pushing the Boundaries of Your Poems.”  Another meeting to savor.

January 12, 2019
Our winter meeting featured  Len Lawson, the winner of the Susan Laughter Meyers Poetry Fellowship at Weymouth, reading his work and Jacinta V. White, who researches rural Southern African American churches and cemeteries. As a teacher of poetry and healer, Jacinta has worked with nearly fifty organizations using poetry as a tool for healing.  In the afternoon, Dan Albergotti, professor of English at Coastal Carolina University, led a workshop on free verse.  Dan explored the mystery of the free verse line  in order to help the participants become better readers and writers of poetry.

October 13, 2018
Thank you, poets, readers, members, Penick Village–all who made the Fall Membership Meeting 2.0. a tremendous success.  Even Mother Nature’s hurricanes, Florence and Michael, couldn’t stop the North Carolina Poetry Society from gathering this fall, although Weymouth had suffered damage and flooding. At Penick Village we celebrated the winners of the Susan Laughter Meyers Fellowship, the Brockman-Campbell Contest, and the Randall Jarrell Contest.  Joan Barasovska delighted us with a reading from her brand new book, Birthing Age.  Penick Village made us feel right at home with a delicious lunch and a roomy space where we could catch up, buy each others books, and share recent successes.

May 12, 2018
Following brief announcements, Awards Day began with a tribute to the late Bonnie Korta, who died unexpectedly this spring, including one of her memorable poems.  Michael Beadle announced the winners of the student awards, followed by Alice Osborn’s announcement of the adult award winners.  As is often the case, the beautiful weather at Weymouth in May perfectly matched the celebratory spirit of the readings attended by students, parents, teachers, and NCPS members.

March 10, 2018
Sam Ragan Day began with a presentation by Donna Wallace, President of Winston-Salem Writers, on the newly expanded, state-wide Poetry in Plain Sight program.  Members read ten moving tributes to the late Sally Buckner, a leading light in North Carolina literature.  Steve Cushman read poems from his Lena Shull Book Award-winning book, How Birds Fly.  Ashley (“Milli”) Lumpkin gave a dynamic reading of her poetry off the page and on the stage.  After lunch and socializing, Keith Flynn led a valuable workshop on poetry and music.

January 13, 2018
Our winter meeting featured a tribute to Sally Bruckner, a beloved literary figure in North Carolina who passed way recently, followed by a presentation on the newly established Susan Laughter Meyers Poetry Fellowship by Pat Riviere-Seel and by Susan’s sister, Janice Laughter Sullivan.  Adrian Rice gave a lively reading in the morning, followed after lunch by a sestina workshop led by Mimi Herman.

September 16, 2017
On this beautiful fall day, we heard Alice Osborn read Lisa Zerkle’s Randall Jarrell Prize-winning poem, followed by readings by Alan Michael Parker and Julie Funderburk, winners of this year’s Brockman-Campbell Award.  North Carolina Poet Laureate Shelby Stephenson and Michael Beadle delivered a tribute to the late Kathryn Stripling Byer, the first female Poet Laureate of North Carolina.  Five poets–Bill Blackley, David Manning, Alan Michael Parker, Barbara Presnell, and David Radavich–offered a tribute to Susan Laughter Meyers, a beloved former NCPS president.  After lunch, Philip Shabazz gave an energetic reading to conclude a truly memorable day.

May 27, 2017 Awards Day
Our annual Awards Day featured students and adults reading their prize-winning poems, featured in this year’s issue of Pinesong, edited by Leslie Rupracht.  Michael Beadle presented the student prizes, while Richard Allen Taylor emceed the adult awards.  This year’s Pinesong is dedicated to Kathryn Stripling Byer, our wonderful former North Carolina Poet Laureate, who passed away only a week later.  We were fortunate to hear Susan Lefler’s stirring tribute and Kay’s own greetings to the Society.  What a memorable celebration of a poetic soul who will be sorely missed.

March 18, 2017 Sam Ragan Day
Peter Makuck and Marjory Wentworth, Poet Laureate of South Carolina, gave wonderful readings of their poetry and participated in spirited discussion afterward.  The open mic session once again featured accomplished poetry and a wide variety of expression.   There was a strong sense of camaraderie and community.

January 21, 2017 Meeting
Maureen Sherbondy read her poetry and Michael McFee presented a mix of poetry and a discussion of careful revision at this delightful meeting.  The meeting also included a particularly rewarding variety of poets at open mic.  Jan Harrington was celebrated as this year’s winner of the Lena Shull Book Contest for a new poetry collection.  Her book, Waiting for the Hurricane, will be published by Saint Andrews University Press.

September 17, 2016 Meeting
Our meeting on September 17 offered a feast of varied poetic voices, with the winners of the Randall Jarrell Poetry Contest and the winners of the Brockman-Campbell Book Award sharing their work.  After a high-quality open mic and lunch on the beautiful grounds of Weymouth, Alice Osborn suggested ways to launch our poetry in the world with her workshop on social media and marketing.

May 28, 2016 Awards Day
Thanks to everyone who participated in our May 28 annual Awards Day!  It was a festive occasion for poetry written by our student and adult prize winners.  Special thanks to Michael Beadle, our Student Contests Coordinator, and to Richard Allen Taylor, our Adult Contests Coordinator, for doing a splendid job organizing and presenting the prizes.  The Weymouth gardens were at their finest on a gorgeous day perfect for good poetry and fellowship.