19th Annual

Poet’s Seat Poetry Contest

Open to residents of Franklin County.

Two categories:  Adult and Young Poet (ages 12-18)

Guidelines

Submit up to three of your poems.  Number pages of multi-page poems.

Indicate “Adult” or “Young Poet,” and Young Poets write poet’s age on the front

of sheet where poem appears, lower right hand corner, circled.

No identifying information on front of sheet.

All poets, on reverse side of poem, write name of poet, address, telephone number,

and e-mail address ( if available).  Poems will not be returned.

Submit on white paper, printed clearly in ink or typed in plain typeface; no staples.

Include SASE for notification of receipt of entry, or notification will be via email.

Only unpublished poems may be submitted.  Previous first place winners may not submit poems (youth can, if entered in a new age category!).

Awards

First Prize, Adult:  Poet’s Seat Chair for one year, name engraved on plaque, hand-crafted, poet’s ceramic platter, $20 book store gift certificate, plus gift certificate for one night’s stay at Poetry Ridge B&B.  All other prizes:  2nd and 3rd Place Adult, as well as top 4 Youth Poems (Youth poems judged in separate categories, ages 12-14 and 15-18):  hand-crafted poet’s ceramic mug, $20 book store gift certificate.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library. 

Awards ceremony:  Thursday, April 29, 2010, 7 p.m.

Capen Room, Stoneleigh-Burnham School, 574 Bernardston Rd., Greenfield

Send entries to: Poet’s Seat Contest, Greenfield Public Library, 402 Main St., Greenfield, MA 01301

Deadline:  March 8, 2010 (postmark)

The adult first prize winner will receive stewardship of the Poet’s Seat chair, with their name on a plaque listing all the previous winners, as well as a handcrafted Poet’s Platter and a gift certificate to a local bookstore. All other winners will receive a handcrafted Poet’s mug along with a gift certificate to a local bookstore.

The Poet's Seat Poetry Contest has been sponsored by the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library annually since 1990. The competition is held in honor of Frederick Goddard Tuckerman who resided in Greenfield from 1847 until his death in 1873 and was considered by his contemporaries -- Emerson, Thoreau, and Tennyson -- to be a gifted poet. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he shunned law in favor of botany and writing poetry. Although he never achieved wide public acclaim, his poems are often included in anthologies of noted American poets.

For more information contact Hope Schneider (413)775-1833 or Cynthia Snow (413)625-0105.