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 2021/2022:
 
November: #7 Stone Gathering Award (PST-WT Meeting date, 11/20/21, critique poems due 11/17)
subject: Food and Food Ways;  form: Prose, 40 line limit

December: #24 Nevada Poetry Society Award
Subject : any,  Form Rondino, 32 line limit

January: # 31 Utah State Poetry Society Award
Subject: Double Vision form any. 50 line limit
,
February: #14 Alabama State Poetry Sociiety Award
Subject: Breaking the Rules. Form: Choose a form but break it. Modify an existing form to make it your own/ Note form and modifications on entry. 50 line limit.

March:  #50 The Poets Northwest Award
Subject: the Geography of Fire, form any, 36 line limit.
(Russell's note on this last one: No, I do not have any idea what the geography of fire might mean. We will figure it out together.}, 
 
While we are still meeting remotely: 

1. If you plan on attending PST-West Tennessee’s meeting, email Lori Goetz at poetrytennessee@gmail.com so we 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. 
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 meeting 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. We encourage poets to participate, so that they can learn from the critiques of their poems and from others in the critiquing session.  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.

IF PST-WEST TENNESSEE MEETS IN PERSON, then the review will occur in person, and a critique will be mailed to any out-of-town members.

​Not a member, but interested in joining us?  Click here for more information.