The work of six Jefferson poets will be included in Lyrical Iowa 2013.
Lyrical Iowa 2013 will showcase the work of 368 poets, as compiled by editor Lucille Morgan Wilson. Selected from nearly 2,000 entries in the Iowa Poetry Association’s annual contest, choices were made by qualified judges from Maine, Connecticut, New York, North Carolina and Washington, as well as Iowa. Included will be poems by Lorene M. Conner, Kathleen Hankel, Walter Harrison, Colleen O’Brien, Victoria Riley and Hollie J. Roberts, all of Jefferson.
Submissions came from 76 Iowa counties across the state, from Rock Rapids to Burlington, from Shenandoah to Decorah. Many were first-time entrants, with nearly 60 of them – approximately 18 percent of the adults – having poems selected for publication in this edition. Riley was a first-time entrant. The other Jefferson poets have been selected previously, some of them many times.
Content and form of the poems is as varied as vocations and backgrounds of the writers. Several focused on the unusual drought conditions in Iowa during the past two years, others celebrated the memories of parents or grandparents, protested national tragedies or poked fun at our human frailties. The winning poem in the National/World Events category dealt with guns and mental health issues, while others explored the personalities of Lance Armstrong, Richard Nixon, and Queen Elizabeth. Readers will chuckle at the short humorous verses and enjoy many of the Poems for Children as much as children of the intended audience, from advice “not to bite a dinosaur” to the frog who lost his playmates when he was grumpy.
Lyrical Iowa 2013 is scheduled for distribution in late December. The 183-page book, featuring a full-color photo cover of a Decatur County Century Farm can be ordered from the editor, Lucille Morgan Wilson, for $10 per copy, postpaid to anywhere in the United States. Send payment to: Iowa Poetry Association, 2325 61st Street, Des Moines, IA 50322.
Simultaneous with announcement of the 2013 winners is the Jan. 1 opening of the 69th annual contest. Rules are available online at http://www.iowapoetry.com or by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Editor at address above. Deadline for entries is Feb. 28, 2014.
The Iowa Poetry Association is a non-profit organization. Contests are open to anyone with an Iowa residence and there is no entry fee or membership requirement. Each year the collection of high-ranking poems is offered at cost but book purchase is never a condition of publication.
