Why Join UTSPS?
- Associate with others who share a love of poetry.
- Members meet in chapters around Utah, with activities that include reading and discussing each others' poems and learning about poetry and the craft of writing poems. Chapters periodically hold readings and workshops.
- Attend the annual Spring Festival (the UTSPS board is planning to hold the 2021 Spring Festival as an online event; check back on the Events tab for details about this new way to attend a poetry event safely)
- October Book Concert honoring the Poet of the Year (this is an every other year event, held in conjunction with the publishing of the Book of the Year)
- UTSPS members are automatically members of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) which offers contact with poets all over the U.S.
Opportunities to find outlets for your poetry:
- UTSPS conducts an annual contest with numerous categories which members may enter to receive cash prizes and recognition. Contests are judged blind by qualified poets outside the Society.
- UTSPS publishes our member poetry anthology, Panorama, every other year. Members are encouraged to submit a limited number of poems for consideration by the Editor to be included in the upcoming Panorama.
- Every other year (alternating with the publishing of the Panorama), UTSPS publishes the selected manuscript of an outstanding UTSPS poet. The selected manuscript was the winning entry in the Book Category of the contest.
- Every ten years (mid-decade), UTSPS publishes UTAH SINGS, a large anthology of poetry by UTSPS members.
- NFSPS also conducts an annual contest, judged blind, with top winners being published in their annual anthology, Encore. UTSPS poets regularly take many of the prizes in this NFSPS contest.
Educational Opportunities:
- Workshops are occasionally offered in which the techniques for writing poems are explored by competent and distinguished poets. For example, in conjunction with the Zion National Park Forever Project, UTSPS sponsors the annual Poetry in the Park workshop, typically on the first Friday in March. UTSPS also sponsors the Redrock Writers (a second UTSPS chapter in St. George) creative writing workshop, typically on the first Saturday in March.
- Well known poets and university instructors are invited to lecture and instruct at local and national events.
As a member, you are entitled to:
- Electronically receive the quarterly NFSPS Strophes newsletter.
- The Panorama anthology when published.
- The UTSPS Book of the Year when published.
- Utah Sings in the year it is published.
- The annual membership directory when printed.
- Email notifications of state contests, workshops, and other poetry events.
- Attend chapter meetings, workshops, festivals, and other events sponsored by UTSPS.
- Enter all categories of the annual contests sponsored by UTSPS and NFSPS, at lower fees.
- Attend the annual NFSPS convention (attendees pay all their own fees and travel expenses).
