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 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.

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.

The Woodbury Community Library’s bi-monthly Poetry Evening is Friday, August 7th, from 5:30-7:30. A light meal is provided, followed by readings and discussion of poetry. Share your own poems or favorites from another poet. 

by daithí

“I come down from Canada

Come down hard on the wrong side of the law

But I was young, never hurt no one

Found my way, kept my face to the sun

Down from Canada”🇨🇦 *

At a time when rumors fly about Canadian fires and, yet again, tariffs are tossed at our neighbors to the north, a gathering of poets took place at the Haskell Library on July 24. Jean-Blaise Bourque shared the podium with Sharon Darrow. Jean-Blaise began with a bilingual introduction, alternating between  French and English. He spoke about the community around Derby Line, where family and friends overlapped the arbitrary boundary set by two countries. In fact, the Haskell Library was first built  in 1901 to serve neighbors from both sides of that line. 

Sharon Darrow, the editor and initiator of  The Country in the Mirror (Rootstock Publishing, April 21, 2026), had invited poets who contributed to the anthology to read their poems. The book was an intentional labor of love during these dark times in which we live. Some poets also shared the poems of other contributors who could not attend. We found ourselves in the sanctuary of mutual trust, respect, and defiance to inhumane and incomprehensible acts of our current political regime state-side. The overall feelings that the readings evoked were of solidarity along the lines that count: reaching toward mutual respect and that ever-elusive goal of justice and peace that most people strive toward.

“One old man, well he treat me kind

The old man had a heart of yellow pine

We never know no easy, never got no where

Just the end of a saw

and the cry of a logger’s prayer

To get home tonight…”*

It was a celebration of poetry and how verse can revisit and rebuild a renewal of the best possible world in which to share our resources. If anyone doubts the power of exorcism of evils through both individual and collective poetic discourse, the gathering of poets at the Haskell Library, the proof was evident at the shared readings.

Some man tried to take our land

In a suit of silk and and soft uncalloused hand

But the old man laughed and he turned away

Said ‘the clay you stand on

Is where I’ll sleep some day

But it ain’t today'”…*

* lyrics from Patti Casey’s “Down from Canada,”

 all rights reserved from Long Shot Music.

Join us as we celebrate the official release of our latest anthology, the The Mountain Troubadour (published by Rootstock Publishing, 2026)! Whether you are a featured poet, a dedicated member, or a lover of the written word, we welcome you to join us for this special celebration. All members in attendance can pick up their complimentary print copy of the 2026 edition.

a message from PSOV Executive Secretary…

Dear Vermont Poets,

On August 8th there will be a Gathering of Voices at the Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro, VT. The Poetry Society of Vermont would love to invite you (members and non-members) to read your poem during one of two open mic sessions at this Summer Festival –names will be randomly selected from the list of Vermont poets who sign up ahead of time and will be given 3 minutes at the podium to read. If you wish to enter into the Open Mic Raffle, complete the form linked below no later than July 24th:

Open Mic Sign Up: Gathering Voices Open Mic sign up form

We will let you know if you are selected prior to the event and in what order. We hope your name is drawn from the proverbial hat. Hope to see you all there on August 8th. It will be an awesome occasion all around.

first Ekphrastic Collaboration Exhibit

We are excited to share Julie H. Fonte’s announcement of Stone Valley Art’s upcoming Ekphrastic Collaborative Exhibit. You may recognize several Poetry Society of Vermont members in the list of poets and artists who responded to the call for submissions in this wildly creative event offering writers and visual artists an opportunity to collaborate and have fun!