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NCWN Members & Faculty Sweep “Poetry in Plain Sight” Series

215 entries were submitted by 80 poets this year for North Carolina Poetry Society’s 2023-2024 Poetry In Plain Sight series. 

Of the 48 poems selected, 36 are written by NCWN members and faculty including: Jenny Bates, Lao Rubert, Shelby Stephenson, Priscilla Frake, Joanne Durham, John York, David Poston, Patricia Joslin, Paul Jones, Lucinda Trew, Pat Riviere-Seel, Michael Gaspeny, Joseph Mills, Maria Rouphail, Britt Kaufmann, Terri Kirby Erickson, Marylin Hervieux, Steve Cushman, Kenneth Chamlee, Les Brown, Jennifer Weiss, Jane Mary Curran, Karen Luke Jackson, Patricia Darcy, Janet Joyner, Caroline Cottom, Janet Ford, Nickole Brown, John Haugh, Mary Hennessy, Rita Lewis, Ralph Earle, Dannye Powell, Linda Phillips, Eric Weil, and Scott Owens.

Congratulations to all! 

Hannah Ringler, NCPS PIPS State Coordinator, writes in a press release for NCPS: “The judges commented on the consistent quality of the poetry, with several judges mentioning how difficult it was to narrow their choices down to 48. I applaud them for their judicious efforts and dedication.”

NCPS will hold a reading in April to celebrate the launch of this year’s program with the date to be announced in their March newsletter.

In 2023-2024, poems will be placed in windows around Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Burnsville, Wilmington, Durham, Greenville, and Raleigh. See the schedule below. NCPS would love for you to share photos of PIPS poems in the wild by tagging their Instagram page, @ncpoetrysociety


PIPS 2023-2024 Poems

April

Blue Stones – Jenny Bates

Piecing – Lao Rubert

Three Rooms and a Pantry – Shelby Stephenson

Poems Don’t Always Do What We Tell Them – Priscilla Frake

May

Flashes – Glenn Coats

Hide and Seek – Joanne Durham

Wisteria – John York

Blessing – Chris Abbate

June

Night Lily – Kelly Jones

Caprice at Folly Beach – David Poston

Today at Low Tide – Patricia Joslin

Endlings – Philip Kuhn

July

Red Vinegar Sauce – Paul Jones

your heart is a fist – Lucinda Trew

What the Moon Knows – Pat Riviere-Seel

Fast Break – Michael Gaspeny

August

Honey Sonnet – Joseph Mills

This small house, this big sky – Maria Rouphail

Mathematics of Change – Britt Kaufmann

Sponge Bath – Terri Kirby Erickson

September

The Dock – Marylin Hervieux

After the Funeral – Steve Cushman

A Pinch of Gray Fluff – Kenneth Chamlee

Coming Rain – Les Brown

October

Caveat Emptor – Jennifer Weiss

The Hourglass – Amber Watson

Tidal Marsh – Jane Mary Curran

The Heart Unfurled – Karen Luke Jackson

November

Easy Answers – Patricia Darcy

The cello – Janet Joyner

Dancer – Caroline Cottom

Late Autumn – Hongbing Zhang

December

New Ground – Janet Ford

Unexpected Duet – Nancy Martin-Young

What Separates Us – Nickole Brown

Smell Good Coffee and Consider? – John Haugh

January

January: When Too Much is Not Enough – Mary Hennessy

Night Walks – Spencer Brown

Deep Freeze – Emory Jones

Avocado in Waiting – Rita Lewis

February

The Shape of a Song – Michael Hettlich

Language – Jessi Waugh

The Dawn Steps Inside – Ralph Earle

Uncle Bob – Dannye Powell

March

Single Serving Size – Mary Spadoni

Cost Analysis – Linda Phillips

Webs – Eric Weil

Pansies – Scott Owens