Russell's NFSPS Critiquing Challenges

What is an NFSPS Critiquing Session?  Former President Russell Strauss picks a handful of NFSPS contests for us to write poems for — deliberately picking different subjects/forms so we can “stretch our wings” a bit and practice. PST-West Tennessee has a critiquing session as part of its regular meeting; participants (and attendees) will offer comments; we can then revise our poems for submittal to Nationals next March.  Because these are NFSPS contests, please watch NFSPS contest requirements for line limits, form, etc. (click here for the NFSPS contest site). In March, Russell holds a drawing and offers money prizes for participants, based on the number of critiquing sessions you participated in. 
 
The session is open to all PST members, whether you are present or not.  Russell Strauss has selected the following critiquing challenges for 2020/2021:
 
November
NFSPS #9 Arizona State Poetry Society Award
Subject: When the Door Opens. Form: any.  40 line limit
 
December
#21 Poetry Society of Indiana Award
Subject: A Daily Ritual.  Form: any.  40 line limit.
 
January
NFSPS #22 Nevada State Poetry Society Award
Subject: 2020, a year to forget?  Form: any.  40 line limit.
 
February
NFSPS #15  Poet's Work Award
Subject: Life as Other.  Form: Persona Poem.
 
March
NFSPS #5 Georgia Poetry Society Award
Subject: Life in the Future, beyond Earth or on it.  Form: Any rhyming form; slant acceptable, no nonce forms, identify form on entry.  40 line limit.
 
This year, because of COVID, we’ll be managing our challenge critiquing a bit differently. 

1. If you plan on attending PST-West Tennessee’s meeting, email Lori Goetz at poetrytennessee@gmail.com so I know to email you copies of the critiquing poems.
2. If you are submitting a poem, email the poem to Lori Goetz (poetrytennessee@gmail.com) no later than 5 pm the Wednesday before PST-West Tennessee’s meeting (the first Saturday of the month). 
3. If you are out-of-state/in another chapter and would like to participate in the critique, let Lori know, so she can send you the Google Meet link.
4. Lori will consolidate all poems into a single file and email to all participants for review prior to the meeting.
5. Poems will be (a) read aloud at PST-West Tennessee’s meeting and (b) shown onscreen at the meeting for editing.  Those who requested copies will have their own copies for review.
6. If the poet is not in attendance at the meeting, a marked-up copy of the poem will be emailed-back to him/her after PST-West Tennessee’s meeting with comments/questions, grammar suggestions, etc.  If the poet is in attendance, and can make changes/edits from the review, then no transmittal will be necessary (please let Lori know if you captured all the edits).

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