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