Now & Then magazine is accepting entries for the 2002 Now & Then Appalachian Poetry Competition for new and published poets.
“It gives the poets an outlet and some recognition,” said Jane Woodside, editor of Now & Then which is a product of the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at ETSU.
Woodside said the contest helps fill the void of available publication opportunities for poets.
The contest, which alternates with a fiction contest and is held in even-numbered years, also stimulates the production of poetry.
Woodside said writers often submit work because of their respect for the judge.
It is encouraging to have a noted writer read their work.
The contest also introduces readers and the staff of to the talented writers who live in Appalachia.
“It gives us a way of getting to know some of these poets,” Woodside said.
Michael McFee is the judge of the 2002 poetry competition.
McFee is the author of six poetry collections including Earthly, published in 2001, and is the recipient of awards including the Pushcart Prize and a writing fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
He is currently a Bowman and Gordon Gray distinguished associate professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Woodside said the strength and appeal of poetry is how succinctly and vividly it expresses its subject.
Poets, she said, reach deep in their souls to express themselves and record their impressions.
“It finds a way to really say what needs to be said in as few words as possible,” she said.
She said she has heard people say they look for solace and answers in poetry, and the other art forms cannot provide that comfort.
“The art form that they have reached for in the aftermath of the World Trade Center bombings has been poetry,” Woodside said.
Woodside encourages all poets to enter the competition.
The poems cannot have been published in another venue and must pertain to the Appalachian region.
The Appalachian region includes parts of 13 states extending from New York to Mississippi.
The poem is considered Appalachian if the author is originally from the region, currently lives in Appalachia or if the poem content relates to life in Appalachia.
Cash awards will be a $500 first prize, the University of Virginia’s College at Wise $250 Second Prize and the ETSU department of English $100 Third Prize.
In addition, the winners will be published in the summer 2002 First Person Appalachia issue of Now & Then.
Woodside said poets should not hesitate to enter the competition.
She said they have little to lose and could end-up the winner.
“They might be surprised,” she said.
Entries must be postmarked by March 1, 2002.
For complete guidelines, call 439-5348.

Author