SPECIAL CONTESTS
Special contests are sponsored by Austin Poetry Society patrons at different times throughout the year. Poets must be Austin Poetry Society members to enter. Only one poem may be entered per contest. Later changes or additional poems will not be considered.
NOVEMBER CONTEST - “Spoken Word”
Sponsor: Ben Nash
Subject: Any
Style: Any form/style to be performed in one minute or less
1st Prize: Janelle Curlin-Taylor & Thomas F. Smith
2nd Prize: Joseph Herring
Rules: Participants will read their own poem or a famous poem. Each reading must be 1 minute or less. Members and non-members are welcome to participate in this contest held at the Ruiz Branch Library on Saturday, November 16th, at 1:30pm. No one needs to sign up in advance.
Voting will be in-person or via zoom in a private message.
2024 ANNUAL CONTESTS
Here are the winners of the The Austin Poetry Society's Annual Awards contests for 2024.
1. The Austin Poetry Society Award
Sponsor: The Austin Poetry Society
Any subject, any form, 28-line limit.
Judge: Paul Genega
1st Prize: "A Texas Sonnet" by Irene Keller
2nd Prize: "Cowboy Killer" by Jesse Taylor
3rd Prize: "The New Paul Bunyan" by Susan Rogers
4th Prize: "I'd Like to Walk with You" by Thomas Smith
5th Prize: "The Clearing" by Michael Alkus
Honorable Mention: "SYZYGY" by Jasmeen Kaur
2. The President's Award
Sponsor: Mary Jane Philpy-Dollins
Subject: Lost love.
Any form, 28-line limit.
Judge: Bradley Strahan
1st Prize: "Summer in Tennessee" by Jasmeen Kaur
2nd Prize: "In Saint-Veran" by Thomas Smith
3rd Prize: "If Only" by Susan Martinello
Honorable Mention: "Love Lost" by Susan Rogers
3. Down But Not Out
Sponsor: Thomas F Smith
Any subject.
Form: Petrarchan Sonnet, 14-lines.
(Think “How Do I Love Thee?” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning)
Judge: George R. Leake III
1st Prize: "Visiting the Lake District" by Garrison Martt
2nd Prize: "Ruling the Roost" by Jerri Hardesty
3rd Prize: "Impossible Love" by Jack McCabe
4. The Journey Award
Sponsor: Greg Silver
Subject: A descriptive journey.
Any form, 40-line limit.
Judge: Marilyn Lamin
1st Prize: "Over Niagara Falls" by Susan Rogers
2nd Prize: "Friday to Friday" by Ailana Larson
3rd Prize: "Journey From the Start" by Thomas Smith
Honorable Mention: "Orient Express (A Film Noir)" by Garrison Martt
5. The Fun Award
Sponsor: Benjamin Nash
Subject: Fun and Enjoyment.
Any form, 35-line limit
Judge: Lily Luminous
1st Prize: "I Do Believe I Like Myself" by Michael Alkus
2nd Prize: "Haiku if I Could" by Thomas Smith
3rd Prize: "Alternate Realities" by Jerri Hardesty
Honorable Mention: "Insight Became Fun" by Jack McCabe
6. The Future Contest
Sponsor: Benjamin Nash
Subject: Future Possibilities.
Any form, 35-line limit.
Judge: Chris Spurgeon
1st Prize: "2024 Year of the White Raven" by Susan Rogers
2nd Prize: "Reintroduction" by Jesse Taylor
3rd Prize: "Turned Around" by Kevin Lindberg
Honorable Mention: "The Doorway" by Michael Alkus
7. The Art of Poetry
Sponsor: Sergio Elizondo
Subject: The art of writing poetry.
Any form, 30-line limit.
Judge: Mary Jane Phipy-Dollins
1st Prize: "Most Poets" by Garrison Martt
2nd Prize: "How I Write" by Jesse Taylor
3rd Prize: "Craft Tip #3: Where Will You Find a Poem to Write" by Thomas Smith
8. Lyric History
Sponsor: Garrison Martt
Subject: Any historical event.
Any rhyming poetry, 30-line limit.
Judge: Paula Cloud
1st Prize: "It's in the Blood" by Ailana Larson
2nd Prize: "The Wreck of the Space Shuttle Challenger" by Thomas Smith
3rd Prize: "Kimono" by Michael Alkus
Honorable Mention: "Those Seven" by Jerri Hardesty
9. BLAST FROM THE
Sponsor: Thomas F Smith and Layne Hendrick
Subject: Any Topic.
Style: Villanelle (think “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night”)
19-Lines with traditional stanza breaks
Judge: Peter Schorn
1st Prize: "Beware the Setting of the Sun" by Thomas Smith
2nd Prize: "Change Will Come" by Jerri Hardesty
10. Cento Contest - CANCELLED, due to not enough entries
Sponsor: Susan Martinello
Any subject.
Style: A collage poem composed of lines from other poems.
A minimum of 10 lines, no more than 30 lines.
(Please list the poets quoted in order – after the poem).
11. Delicious Poetry
Sponsor: Anonymous
Subject: Food, beverages, meals, etc.
Any form, 30-line limit.
Judge: Kathleen Wakefield
1st Prize: "Sacred Food" by Jeffrey Taylor
2nd Prize: "Gribenes" by Bradley Strahan
3rd Prize: "The Story of Milk" by Susan Rogers
Honorable Mention: "Prognostication" by Jerri Hardesty
12. The Forces of Nature
Sponsor: Anonymous
Subject: Any powerful aspect of nature such as rivers, oceans, volcanos,
tornados or the resilience of weeds, etc.
Any form, 30-line limit.
Judge: Joyce Benvenuto
1st Prize: "Ode to Stone" by Jasmeen Kaur
2nd Prize: "A Greater Power" by Jerri Hardesty
3rd Prize: "Aurora Borealis" by Thomas Smith
Honorable Mention: "When Next the Shower" by Michael Alkus
13. Aloha Award
Sponsor: Ailana Larson
Subject: Any heartfelt theme.
Any form, no line limit.
Judge: Ailana Larson
1st Prize: "Bleeding" by Jerri Hardesty
2nd Prize: "Falling Asleep" by Jesse Taylor
3rd Prize: "Driving Past a Barn on Route 202 in Massachusetts" by Susan Martinello
Honorable Mention: "Aloha" by Janelle Curlin-Taylor
Honorable Mention: "Voodoo Cat" by Ben Pehr
14. Poetry of Presence
Sponsors: Jeffrey Taylor and Janelle Curlin-Taylor
Subject: As per the “Poetry of Presence” anthology: “good medicine
poems are mindful. Mindfulness is keeping our heads and hearts where
our bodies are. Moment by moment, we sustain a deep, nonjudgemental
awareness of our thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and
surroundings, right where we are.” Seamus Heaney’s “Postscript” and
Mary Oliver’s “When I am Among the Trees” are both good examples.
Any form, 40-line limit.
Judges: Jeffrey Taylor and Janelle Curlin-Taylor
1st Prize: "Another Life" by Jasmeen Kaur
2nd Prize: "Thunder and Roses" by Susan Rogers
3rd Prize: "Roses" by Kevin Lindberg/"Mindful Moments" by Garrison Martt
Honorable Mentions:
“To Understand the Whole” by Bradley Strahan
"The Woods in Autumn” by Thomas Smith
“Our Need to Know” by Jack McCabe
"Float On” by Jerri Hardesty
"Walking the balance beam in the mornings,” by Susan Martinello
“How Lovely Waiting in Early Autumn” by Ailana Larson
“Magna” by Michael Alkus
"The Places I Knew” by Greg Silver
The Austin Poetry Society Annual Awards Program for 2024 was held on Saturday, November 16th at the Ruiz Branch Library, 1600 Grove Blvd, Austin, Texas. This was also a Zoom meeting. Many people attended.
We received 144 entries for 14 contests. Twelve patron plus the Austin Poetry Society sponsored these contests. Eighteen poets entered these contests, which was almost half of our membership in August.
Forty-one cash prizes have been won (including one tie). There were also an additional 18 honorable mentions.