Poetry in Plain Sight: A Statewide Poetry Initiative
Please note: Due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, submissions will be accepted until October 25th, 2024.
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 Although the bus program is no longer active, poetry posters have been on continual display in over twenty storefront locations since January 2013.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
November 12, 2024 – Poetry Hickory will feature Poetry in Plain Sight Poets at Taste Full Beans.
Venues
In 2024-25, poems will be placed in windows in the following locations:
Asheville: Five Little Monkeys Quilting
Boone: Farm Cafe, Mast Store (billboard in back of Candy Barrel), Appalachian Tees (Julie), Boone Mall (in both entrances), Wonder Pelvic Health Physical Therapy, Boone Bagelry, West King Street Public Bulletin Board, Huzzah Books, Watauga Arts Council
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, 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
Sparta: Alleghany County Public Library, Muddy Creek Music Hall, Three Crows Metalworks, The Cellar on Evergreen
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. Due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, submissions will be accepted until October 25th, 2024 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 Zoho Form: https://tinyurl.com/25-26PIPSSubmitHere. Format 1-3 poems into one document, .doc or .docx file type. Adhere to the guidelines provided below.
Selected poems will be announced in December 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). Poems must be under 20 lines, including line breaks.
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.