September 19th – 6:30pm to 8:00pm By Way Books and More (399 Canal Street Brattleboro, Vermont) will feature Poetry Society of Vermont members Kent & Siobhan Young for an evening of poetry and photography with their latest collection of seasonal nature photos and writing.
The collection, titled Sunshine and Shadows, reflects on seasonal changes “from summer sunshine to autumn shadows that precede winter and a return to spring…” The Commons News
PSOV member Samantha Kolber is publishing her fiction debut on December 1st with “What She Stole” a lyrical coming-of-age novel about a young woman named Eloise Goldstein who struggles to feel loved and find her voice amid a chaotic household. Eloise, shaped by the dichotomies of memory and trauma, uses writing, mothering, and bodywork to heal.
“What She Stole is a well-executed literary coming-of-age novel, and Eloise is a protagonist we want to root for…Sharon is brilliantly written as a mother Eloise can never quite read…Kolber immerses readers in the settings, from the hot seaside boardwalk beneath Eloise’s bare feet to winter trees outside an English classroom inspiring her first poem. Well written and extremely thoughtful, readers who enjoy true, pure literary fiction will adore this.”
—Jamie Michele for Readers’ Favorite, 5-Star Review
You can pre-order a signed copy of “What She Stole” online from Bear Pond Books. Be sure to support member authors by purchasing a copy of their book(s.) Also, look for member books in your local independent bookstore( if not available, suggest they support Vermont poets and stock them.)
The results for the 2026 Summer Contests & Troubadour Awards are in! This season, 71 PSOV poets submitted an impressive 254 poems across seven contests. Our nine wonderful judges—including seven for the Summer Contests and two for the Davis & Peach Troubadour Awards—shared how honored and delighted they were to read such remarkable work. A heartfelt thank-you to every participating poet for making this summer a resounding success, and to our dedicated judges for generously giving their time and expertise.
Continue Reading 2026 Summer Contests & Troubadour Awards Results
PSOV member Sharron Darrow editor of “THE COUNTRY IN THE MIRROR: Poems of Protest and Witness” will be reading along with many acclaimed poets from Vermont and Canada.
October 10, 2026 1pm to 5pm
93 Caswell Avenue, Derby Line VT 05830 USA
1 Church Street, Stanstead QC J0B 3E2 Canada
Cross-Border Poetry Join us for an inspiring afternoon of poetry, community and unity at the historic Haskell Opera House, a unique cultural landmark built directly on the border between Canada and the United States. Cross-Border Poetry will bring together 18 acclaimed poets from Vermont and Canada for three engaging poetry sessions. The featured writers include Poet Laureates, as well as winners and finalists for the Griffin Poetry Prize, the Vermont Book Award, the Governor General’s Literary Awards and other major honours. Breaks between the sessions will give guests an opportunity to meet the poets, connect with fellow literature lovers and browse books available for purchase. Saturday, October 10, 2026 1:00–5:00 p.m. Haskell Opera House Derby Line, Vermont / Stanstead, Quebec FREE EVENT Presented by the Centre des Arts de Stanstead.
Congratulations to Carla Schwartz, member of the Poetry Society of Vermont and the New England Poetry Club. Carla is also a regular attendee of the monthly PSOV Online Poetry Group meetings.
The New England Poetry Club is proud to announce the results of our 2026 contests! Samuel Washington Allen Prize, selected by Kirun Kapur Winner: Carla Schwartz, “Elegy Sequence for Charles Coe”
NEPC will host an online winners/finalists reading on Sunday afternoon, October 18, beginning at 2:00 pm EST. Here is the registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/rGMNpY7nQBOav_FitfD77g and a recording of this reading will be uploaded to the NEPC’s youtube channel.
I wrote these poems after the loss of my dear friend Charles Coe. Our friendship meant a lot to me so I was writing quite a few poems soon after his passing and for the next months going. It only occurred to me as I was making some submissions to the New England poetry club contests that I could use these poems as an eight-poem sequence for the Samuel Washington Allen Prize submission. I was so honored and surprised when they notified me that I had won. ~ Carla Schwartz
The Samuel Washington Allen Prize is awarded to a long poem or poem sequence of three to ten pages (single-spaced). This prize honors the legacy of the African-American poet, translator, professor, and former New England Poetry Club leader, Samuel Washington Allen, who also published as Paul Vesey.
There's flowers now on Linn Street
And the new moon just above
They tore down all the houses
Where we used to make love
But, they'd been long abandoned
When we went there, anyway
And I can still smell the lilacs
In the corner of The Dream Cafe.
(Dream Cafe by Greg Brown)
Some days, I walk out into the world and it is not already made up. There is a protean quality about the day.
Take last Friday, for instance, when I thought that I would check out “Lunch with the Poets” at the Innovation Cafe on Lakeside Avenue in Burlington.
Continue Reading One Friday at the Innovation Cafe
Dear Poetry Society of Vermont Member,
The Fall Poetry Contest for 2026 will open on September 1st and entries will close on September 30th. PSOV members may submit one poem for this contest. Please take the time to look at the PSOV Submission Guidelines (concerning length, font, etc…)
In the past, I’ve noticed that many contributors enter their poems but neglect to vote on their top ten choices. Savoring other poets’ works is an integral part of membership choice. By taking the time to do so, deepens one’s understanding of how diverse and unique other voices bring to PSOV. To participate fully in the Memberships’ Choice Vote also represents the respect for others who represent the society. In addition, it gives you a full appreciation of what the Editorial staff faces while culling poems during open submission outside of the Spring and Fall Membership contests.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to write to me at ex***********@********************nt.org .
May your entry secure a slot in the next edition of The Mountain Troubadour.
Sincerely,
David Hartnett
PSOV Executive Secretary
Special Note: The Fall Workshop and Fall Poetry Contest are now separate events. Be sure to follow the instructions listed above and if you have any questions or need help with your submission contact David at ex***********@********************nt.org.
September 27 @ 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Poets build poems with words. How well a poem holds up depends on the strength of the words and how well they join to construct the poem. In this class, we will read out loud a series of poems that emphasize the importance of Diction and Syntax, which are ways poets build with the material of words. Then, you will have the opportunity to read one of your own poems, which you might be struggling with in terms of word choice and order, and receive feedback from the group. Finally, we will do a short generative exercise together that puts into action what you will have learned about diction and syntax.
Free for Poetry Society of Vermont members. [Become a member here. ]