About Us
The Georgia Poetry Society is an active society, dedicated to the composition and appreciation of poetry across the state of Georgia.
Our Officers and Board
OFFICERS
- Barbara Barry-Nishanian, Macon, Ga – President President@georgiapoetrysociety.org
- VACANT – Vice President VP@georgiapoetrysociety.org
- Alice Johnson – Secretary Secretary@georgiapoetrysociety.org
- VACANT – Treasurer Treasurer@georgiapoetrysociety.org
BOARD MEMBERS
- Elizabeth John – Member Outreach Chair
- VACANT – Education Chair
- VACANT – Reach of Song Editor
- Sharon Schroeder – CSRA Affiliate
- Lucinda Clark – Past President and NSFP Liason
- Jill Jennings – Member-at-Large
- Bookstore – bookstore@georgiapoetrysociety.org
- Contests – contests@georgiapoetrysociety.org
- Membership – membership@georgiapoetrysociety.org
- Reach Of Song Editor – roseditor@georgiapoetrysociety.org
- General Contact – info@georgiapoetrysociety.org
Upcoming Events
January Open Mic 2025
January 16, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Our Events
Quarterly Meetings occur 4 times a year in January, April, July and October. We usually meet on a third or fourth Saturday of the month. Meetings usually go from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m, approximately. They are located at various sites around the state. Everyone is welcome whether a member or not. At events where lunch is provided, lunch reservations are required. Go to the Current Newsletter page to select the latest newsletter with all the upcoming meeting details and other poetry news.
The following are some of the things you can expect when you attend one of our Quarterly Meetings:
- Announcements
- Open mic morning and afternoon for poetry readings, usually limited to one poem per person
- Guest poets giving workshops and reading their poems
- Recently published members reading their poems
- Fall Contest winners awards and readings (January)
- Youth Contest winners awards and readings (April)
- Chapbook Contest winner reading from their new book (April)
- National Federation of State Poetry Societies contest winners from Georgia awards and readings (July)
- Presentation of our annual anthology The Reach of Song (July)
- Presentation of Awards For Excellence, member poems selected for publication in The Reach of Song (July)
- Fellowship with other poets from around the state, especially at lunchtime
- Opportunities to purchase GPS and member publications: anthologies and Chapbook Contest winners. Members are also invited to place their books for sale.
Our Mission
The Georgia Poetry Society has a three-fold mission:
- To stimulate a love and appreciation for poetry in everyone, poets and listeners alike;
- To further the practices of poetry writing and reading, by providing contests and publication opportunities through our anthologies and chapbooks; and,
- To provide opportunities for all poets whether young, new or established, to study, practice, hear, and read good poetry through our Quarterly Meetings and our Poetry In The Schools program.
Our History
For over forty years, the Georgia Poetry Society has sought to increase the enjoyment, composition and performance of poetry across the state. Founded in Atlanta on August 30, 1979 by Edward Davin Vickers and Charles J. Bruehler, the organization has grown from its thirty charter members to a current membership of approximately 200 poets and supporters of poetry.
Early in its existence the Society began offering contests, established its annual anthology The Reach of Song, established a newsletter, and began a major emphasis on youth work. These activities remain an integral part of GPS functions.
In 1986 the Georgia Council for the Arts awarded us our first supporting grant. Three years later we instituted the Charles Dickson chapbook competition. Another chapbook competition was held in 2010 to honor Ed Vickers, resulting in Under A Hundred..
In 1996 substantial monetary support from the Coca Cola Company enabled us to stage the official Coca Cola 1996 Centennial Olympic Games Poetry Contest, the first such competition in modern Olympics history. We published the contest-winning poems that year in a volume titled Poetry in Motion.
In 1999 GPS hosted the convention of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies in Atlanta on the theme “A Peach of a Convention,” drawing nearly 250 attendees from all parts of the country.
In 2004, we celebrated our 100th quarterly meeting, 25 years of service to the Georgia state poetry community.