Deadlines: February 16 - March 31

2/27: Lynn DeCaro Poetry Contest +
Individual Poems: Open to Connecticut high school students.

2/28: Chistell Writing Contest +
Individual Poems and Short Stories: Theme of courage. For writers who have not yet had their poems or short stories published in a major publication.

2/28: Toronto Book Awards +
Honors authors of books of literary and artistic merit that are evocative of Toronto. Total prizes of C$15,000 will be awarded.

3/1: The Binghamton University Milton Kessler Poetry Book Award ++
Entries must be received by this date
Honors books published in 2004 by authors over 40.

3/1: Judith Siegel Pearson Award +
Individual Poems: Best creative or scholarly work on a subject concerning women.

3/1: Mattia Family Poetry Contest +
Individual Poems: Poems of 200 words or less, any subject. Submit online.

3/1: North Carolina State University Poetry Contest +
Individual Poems: Open to North Carolina residents with no published books.

3/15: Sunken Garden Poetry Festival's Young Poets Competition ++
Individual Poems for initial entry. Finalists will be asked to submit a chapbook. Open to Connecticut high school students.

3/25: Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition for High School Students +
Entries must be received by this date
Individual Poems: Open to any student who was in grades 7-12 as of September 2004.

3/30: The BP Nichol Chap-Book Award ++
Prize is for the "best poetry chap-book in English published in Canada."

3/31: National Translation Award +++
Published Book: Honors a work of translation published in English by a US publisher in 2004. Entries must be submitted by the publisher.

3/31: Word Works Young Poets Competition +++
Individual Poems: High school students in the Washington, DC region may enter.

See our complete list of free poetry contests by deadline date

Key to Ratings
Highly Recommended: +++
Recommended: ++
Neutral: +

All deadlines are postmark deadlines unless otherwise specified.

FREE CONTESTS WITH ROLLING DEADLINES
We have found eight free contests with rolling deadlines. These typically accept entries at any time of year. See them now at:
http://www.winningwriters.com/winfree/contests/indexbydate.htm


Sponsors' Messages

A Pure and Simple Faith
A first book of Christian inspirational poetry by Ruth Y. Nott is now available for review or purchase. Reflecting the author's style which she calls "word-dancing with God," this 66-page work allows her faith and love to shine through while also acknowledging the doubts we all sometimes feel. In her poetry, Ruth emphasizes that, in a world filled with temptation, disappointment and heartache, God's love and support are still available to us all. For more information, contact the author at nottruth@yahoo.com and visit her website at http://www.creativewordspoetry.com.


Lucidity Ozark Poetry Retreat 2005
Lucidity Poetry Journal sponsors its 13th annual poetry retreat April 5-6-7 at Eureka Springs, Ark. Program includes lectures, workshops, readings and awards. Registration $35. Hotel rooms $45. Email Ted Badger for details at tedbadger1@yahoo.com.


Utmost Christian Poetry Contest - Last Call
Postmark Deadline: February 28
C$2,700 in cash prizes are offered in our 5th annual contest, open to poets of Christian faith. Prizes are: C$1,000 first prize, C$250 second prize, C$150 third prize, 10 prizes of C$50 each for honorable mention, 12 merit prizes of C$25 each for special achievement, C$100 Young Poet's Award, C$100 Formal Poetry Award, C$100 for best rhyming poem, C$100 for best poem by a Canadian citizen, and US$100 for best poem by an American citizen. (All cash prizes in Canadian dollars except for the American Merit Award.) Four Winning Writers Awards will also be made, consisting of a year of online access to the Poetry Contest Insider database (value US$19.95). Entry fee is C$15 per poem (non-Canadian entrants please send US$15 per poem), with maximum of 7 entries per contestant. Entrants must follow contest rules and use the official entry form available at www.utmostchristianwriters.com. This contest is sponsored by Utmost Christian Writers Foundation, a registered non-profit association.


Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry 2005
Postmark Your Entry Between March 1-March 31
Honoring the memory of a celebrated poet and a beloved teacher, the Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry is awarded annually and is sponsored by the University of Utah Press and the University of Utah Department of English. The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize and publication, plus a reading in the University of Utah's Guest Writers Series. Visit our website, www.UofUpress.com, for prize submission guidelines. Address submissions to:
The University of Utah Press
c/o The Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry
1795 East South Campus Drive, Suite 101
Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9402


Amnesty International Poetry Competition
Entries must be received by April 30
This competition is organized by the local AI group in Reading, UK. We offer prizes of 250 pounds, 100 pounds and 50 pounds for poems of up to 40 lines (any subject). There is also a Human Rights prize of 100 pounds for poems promoting our campaign to Stop Violence Against Women, and an under-16s prize of 100 pounds. The judge is Jane Draycott. The entry fee is 2 pounds for the under-16s, 4 pounds for all others, and you can enter online using PayPal. For details please visit our website at:
www.amnestyreading.co.uk


Annual Milton Dorfman Poetry Prize
Postmark Deadline: April 30
Sponsored by Rome Art & Community Center, Rome, NY. First Prize $500, Second Prize $250, Third Prize $150. Judged by Michael Burkard, poet and professor at Syracuse University. Open to the general public.
??? Entries must be original and unpublished. Type your entry on 8.5" x 11" paper, with your name, address and phone number appearing on the back of the entry. Entry fee: $15. Make checks payable to Rome Art & Community Center. US funds only. No entries will be returned.
??? Winners will be notified by telephone no later than May 31. Winning entries will be published in regional publications and read during the awards ceremony. Mail entries and fees to:
??? Milton Dorfman Poetry Prize
??? c/o Rome Art & Community Center
??? 308 West Bloomfield Street
??? Rome, NY 13440

Questions about the Dorfman Prize? Please call Chris Galin, Office Manager, at 315-336-1040.


The Writecorner Press E. M. Koeppel Short Fiction Contest
Postmark Deadline: April 30
First prize is $1,100. If the winner is a student, an additional $500 will be added (proof of student attendance required). Editors' Choice Award, $100. Entry fee for first story: $15. Additional stories are $10 each. Maximum story length 3,000 words. Stories must be unpublished. Any theme, any prose style acceptable. No email entries accepted. See complete guidelines at:
http://www.writecorner.com/award.html


You're Hired...To Visit The Rose & Thorn
The Rose & Thorn Literary E-zine invites YOU to discover contemporary and literary works you will love. Submit poetry and prose. Join our interactive community of writers and readers on our message boards where we are debuting a spanking new contest. Why not find out why we were recently named one of Writer's Digest's 101 top websites for writers? We publish the best of the web in fiction, poetry and nonfiction. Come see beautiful art and hear amazing new voices that will leave you wondering what took you so long to find us. Sign up now for our free, information-packed newsletter and receive new markets, contests and writing tips every other month. Try us - you'll like us!
http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/

Subscribe to our FREE bimonthly newsletter:
http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/SignUp.html

Don't forget to check out the "ANNOUNCEMENTS - CONTESTS" section of our Bulletin Boards:
http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/Board/viewtopic.php?t=183&sid=c89ea866d7daf6dc48d13c36e73923ee


Try Poetry Contest Insider, Winning Writers' Expert Online Database
Poets sometimes ask why they should pay for a contest directory when there are some free ones on the web. Here's what makes Poetry Contest Insider different:

Comprehensive. Most free directories list perhaps 50-150 poetry contests. We profile over 650. You have a much better chance of finding specialized contests that suit your work well. Each profile reports all the rules for a contest whenever possible, so you don't have to research further or send away for them.

Searchable. You can search our contest profiles by name, contest type, prize, fee, deadline, location, experience level, genre and more. Go straight to the contests that interest you without wasting time.

Expert Guidance. We tell you which contests we recommend, and how highly. We spotlight contests that are good for emerging poets, and contests that are good for poets with more experience. Concentrate your time, effort and entry fees on the contests that can do you the most good.

Contest Backgrounds. We link to the work of contest judges and recent winners. See for yourself if a contest has been choosing work that appeals to you.

Constantly Updated. Deadlines, addresses and rules change frequently. Printed annual directories are weeks or months out of date the moment they hit the stores. Many websites aren't much better. We update Poetry Contest Insider nearly every day to get you the most accurate information possible.

Poetry Contest Insider makes it easy for you to make quick, informed decisions about which contests to enter.

Our customers say,

"I am extremely impressed as a new subscriber with your enterprise. For the past 20 years I have edited and published a national poetry journal ( Lucidity ) and wondered why no one had ever assembled a list of ongoing contests. That you have done extremely well, plus sharing clues about where not to submit. I shall recommend you to my readers. Bravo!"
Ted O. Badger, Editor, Lucidity Poetry Journal, Texas

"Poetry Contest Insider is a fabulous resource. It's easily accessible, well organized and fun.... This has already become one of my two Must-Have's, along with Poet's Market. Be sure I'll be renewing. Thanks for the wonderful resource!"
Bridget Cougar, California

"Very satisfied with service, all personal contact and quality exceptional."
Niki Nymark, Missouri

"The immediacy and specificity of online information makes your service so efficient that I can make better use of my time - that is, I can spend more time writing poetry. :-)"
Leisha Wharfield, Oregon

Read more testimonials from our subscribers

Try Poetry Contest Insider free for 10 days. Access all our 650+ contest profiles. If you like it, you'll pay just $5.95 for three months of access. If not, cancel and owe nothing.

Special Announcements

Tamarack Award 2005
Postmark your entry between March 1-May 16
$10,000 will be awarded for an original, unpublished work of short fiction. Maximum length: 4,000 words. No entry fee. We highly recommend this contest, which is sponsored by Minnesota Monthly. Residents of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan may enter. More information:
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/mnmo/static/edit/tamarack.html


Looking for Collaborative Fiction Writers
http://thelostkeys.blogspot.com/
Join my interactive fictional blog about living in South Florida. Pick up on the story line of a character and start your own narrative. Stay in South Florida for the most part. I'm using Minor as my point of view. The first section titled The Lost Keys is a backgrounder.

_____________________________
Update on New Resources

This newsletter is light on new resources while we complete our new Winning Writers website. We appreciate your patience. In the meantime, we urge you to explore the resources at WriteSuccess. Mary Anne Hahn finds great sites for writing jobs, markets for writers, contests and grants, ezines, discussion groups, workshops and research sites:
http://www.writesuccess.com/sites_for_writers.htm


More Sponsors' Messages

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InstantPublisher.com will take your manuscript over the Internet from any Microsoft Windows-based program. Publish a book in trade quality from 25 to 5,000 copies in about 7-10 working days. Ideal when you want to publish books to give as gifts, sell at events and readings, or sell from your website. Specify the kind of book you want to print and get an instant price quote. Customers say, "the published book is exactly what I had envisioned. And the cost was so reasonable, I'd recommend InstantPublisher.com to anyone." "I experimented with several different short-run and POD printers during my 90-day adventure from self-published to major book deal, and I have to say that the quality of your books was BY FAR the best. When sending press kits to the media, and anyone we wanted to impress, we'd always send your books, which we affectionately referred to as 'The GOOD books."'
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WriteSuccess Newsletter
Sign up now for WriteSuccess's free biweekly newsletter for freelance writers. Editor Mary Anne Hahn has a knack for finding the most interesting literary sites and markets. It's easy to feel lonely as a freelancer. Mary Anne's inspiring attitude and success notes from readers create a sense of community.
http://www.listpartners.com/cgi-local/subscribe?4338


2005 War Poetry Contest
Postmark Deadline: May 31
We seek original, unpublished poems on the theme of war. Submit 1-3 poems, up to 500 lines in total. $3,000 in prizes will be awarded, including a first prize of $1,500. The entry fee is $12. This fee includes free online access to the Poetry Contest Insider database for three months, a $5.95 value. Submit online or by mail. For complete guidelines please see:
http://www.winningwriters.com/annualcontest.htm


Margaret Reid Poetry Contest for Traditional Verse
Postmark Deadline: June 30
The Margaret Reid Poetry Contest seeks poetry in traditional verse forms, such as sonnets and haiku. $2,000 in prizes will be awarded, including a top prize of $1,000. The winning entries will be published. The entry fee is $5 for every 25 lines. Submit online or by mail. Winning Writers is assisting with entry handling for this contest. Guidelines:
http://www.winningwriters.com/margaret.htm


Tom Howard/John H. Reid Poetry Contest
Postmark Deadline: September 30
Open to poems in any style, theme or genre. $2,000 in prizes will be awarded, including a top prize of $1,000. The winning entries will be published. Early submission is encouraged. The entry fee is $5 for every 25 lines. Submit online or by mail. Winning Writers is assisting with entry handling for this contest. Guidelines:
http://www.winningwriters.com/tompoetry.htm


Your Poems and Pictures on Apparel, Cards, Gifts and More
CafePress.com makes it easy to put your words and images on shirts, greeting cards, postcards, mugs, magnets and posters. Order them for yourself or for gifts, or sell them online at a profit. CafePress makes each item to order, so you don't have to commit to a large batch all at once. It's quick and easy to set up your store, and there's no set-up charge. We've been getting a kick out of our Judge Jendi mugs. Get started here:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/storeref.aspx?refby=winwrit


Poet's Market - 2005 Edition On Sale
We recommend Poet's Market: 1,800 Places to Publish Your Poetry ($16.49 at Amazon). Published each August by Writer's Digest, this is the best annual directory of journals, magazines, book publishers, chapbook publishers, websites, grants, conferences, workshops and contests. Helps you find publishers who are looking for your kind of work. Also recommended: Writer's Market for works of prose ("the most valuable of tools for the writer new to the marketplace," says Stephen King in On Writing).


Write Ways to Win Writing Contests
John H. Reid, a widely published Australian novelist and award-winning poet (under the name Tom Howard), has written a witty and practical guide to finding the best contests for your work. Topics include identifying the judges' tastes, "popular" versus "literary" styles of writing, preparing a professional-looking manuscript and avoiding scam contests. Though his examples are drawn from fiction, poets will also find this guide indispensable. Order it now for $14.99 from Amazon.


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Office Depot - February Coupon
Save on all your writing supplies at Office Depot. Free delivery in select areas when you order $50 or more. This coupon expires on February 28.
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Public Service Announcement

ProLiteracy Worldwide Responds to President's Proposed Cuts in Funding for Adult Literacy Programs

Syracuse, NY, February 10, 2005 - ProLiteracy Worldwide, the largest organization of community-based adult literacy programs in the world, today expressed concern over the Administration's proposal to reduce funding to adult literacy programs by 64 percent in 2006.

The budget calls for a total of $200 million in adult basic and literacy education state grants, down from the $569.7 million requested in FY 2005. Many programs serving adult learners would see their budgets slashed from 50 percent to 75 percent under the proposal; some programs could be forced to close their doors altogether.

"Most adult literacy programs cannot serve everyone on their waiting lists with the public and private funding they receive now," said Robert Wedgeworth, ProLiteracy president and CEO. "While the Administration wants no child to be left behind, it appears willing to leave many adults without the reading, writing, math and comprehension skills they need to support their families and take part in this country's democratic process," he noted. "This is ironic because statistics show that children are more likely to be successful readers when their parents are successful readers."

Wedgeworth also said it was ironic that the Administration is seeking to cut back adult literacy funding several months before the US Department of Education is due to release its follow-up to the 1993 National Adult Literacy Survey that indicated between 40 and 44 million US residents over the age of 18 fall into the lowest level of literacy skills. The National Assessment of Adult Literacy, scheduled for release later this year, is likely to show that adult literacy continues to be a significant issue in the US.

Research shows that low-level literacy skills can be linked to every significant social problem facing the US today:

* According to the National Institute for Literacy, 43 percent of functionally illiterate adults in the US live in poverty.

* More than 60 percent of incarcerated adults in the US do not have adequate reading or writing skills.

* The health care industry attributes a $63 billion annual loss to low literacy.

"Adult education and literacy programs are the frontlines in the fight against these issues," Wedgeworth said.

About ProLiteracy Worldwide:
ProLiteracy Worldwide, the largest organization of community-based adult literacy programs in the world, represents 1,200 local program affiliates in all 50 states and operates 97 partner programs in 51 developing countries. Through this extensive global reach, ProLiteracy provides the training, technical assistance, materials and other support that local literacy programs need to assist adults and their families to acquire or improve their literacy skills. These affiliates and partners work with more than 350,000 adult literacy students each year. ProLiteracy Worldwide has its headquarters in Syracuse, NY.

For more information, contact Rochelle Cassella, Director of Corporate Communications, 315-422-9121 x353, rcassella@proliteracy.org.

Learn more about ProLiteracy

Contribute to ProLiteracy


Advertise to 12,000 Poets and Writers
Promote your contests, websites, events and publications in this newsletter. Reach over 12,000 poets and writers for just $25. Ads may contain up to 100 words and a headline. Reserve now at:
http://store.yahoo.com/winningwriters/wiwrnead.html

Praise from Advertisers

"I want to thank all of you at Winning Writers again for providing such a wonderfully beneficial service for poets and writers.... The staff at Perigee is impressed with how many of our readers and contributors learned about our online publication through Winning Writers."
Ben Arnold, Co-Editor, Perigee

"The first ad I placed was for your October 15th [2003] issue and my web stats show clearly that it was a success.... You obviously have sincere and dedicated poets on your list."
Constance Campbell, Editor, Wild Plum

This month, Critique Corner plumbs last year's Wergle Flomp Poetry Contest entries for promising spoofs. B.F. Texino, Rebecca Sutton and Sue Scott help us explore the question, what can make a poem so bad it's great?

If you would like a chance to be critiqued, please email your poem to me at critique@winningwriters.com. Send the poem in the body of your email message (no attachments) and put "poetry critique" in the subject line. One submission per poet per month. Thanks!

Untitled ("I got this bag of oats...")
by B.F. Texino

I got this bag of oats for the goats
but it is not the sort of food for them, the goats.
So I make the list for all the animal to see
who it is that are wanting them, the oats
Here is the list now read it. The Chicken
The Dog The Monkey
The Donkey The Hog The Horse Rats and Mice in pit.
Now we will take some names away
because some animals says no way
no oats The Chicken? Sorry he must die for food
are not oats food says Jesus.
Sorry Jesus, We love Chicken! not oats.
The Dog? Good Dog! No Oats.
Monkey? Monkey-Devil Monkey-Devil
Monkey-Devil!
Guess who? Shut up Jesus!Sorry Monkey no oats.
The Donkey? Will Jesus ride the donkey to
Bethlehem? Yes? Thank you Jesus!
Yes oats! Bye Bye Jesus! Jesus Waves.

Copyright 2005 by B.F. Texino


Critique by Jendi Reiter

Nonsense poems are much harder to craft than is commonly supposed. Our standards are high. When we read gibberish, we want to be moved to shout, "Behold the miraculous workings of the human mind!"

As with the formal-verse parodies, incongruity is often a key ingredient of the humor of a nonsense poem. Craftsmanship, while harder to measure, is also a consideration. Gibberish that displays some emotional range, and that uses a variety of sentence structures, stands out from the heap. Again, contrast creates humor. The trick is to mimic the form of a poetic argument or narrative that moves from point A to point B, without actually saying anything that makes sense.

Texino's poem has a storyline that is both original and absurd: the speaker bought some oats, and is asking a motley collection of creatures whether they want any. It's a very strange barnyard that contains a chicken, a monkey and Jesus. This poem runs the gamut of emotions from affection ("Good Dog! No Oats.") to demented rage ("Monkey-Devil Monkey-Devil/ Monkey-Devil!"), from triumph ("Will Jesus ride the Donkey to/Bethlehem? Yes? Thank you Jesus!") to tragedy ("The Chicken? Sorry he must die for food"). All the ingredients of great literature...and it makes absolutely no sense....

critique continues

All three poems, their critiques and submission suggestions for humor poems appear in full at:
http://www.winningwriters.com/critiques/2005/0502-wergle3.htm

Read Jendi Reiter's award-winning poetry at:
http://www.jendireiter.com


Coming in the March 15 Winning Writers Newsletter
Best Free Poetry Contests for March 16-April 30