I am beginning to run out of adjectives to describe this contest

A mind-blowing update, ramblers. Mind-blowing.

Today, during fifth period, I received a phone call from Poetry Magazine. They had found our blog - the visitor count doesn't lie people - and were pleased to see their magazine promoted as a reward for good writing. They even offered to send me a coupon for the free subscription to subsidize the cost for me, which I greatly appreciate. And... they asked me to send them an update on our winner. So!

The contest becomes more competitive...

I will award TWO subscriptions to the magazine. One, at random, selected lottery style. After today's meeting, we already have one sonnet in, and two more that are very near completion (Remember, your submissions do not have to be sonnets, but it helps in the lottery. See previous post). And the other contest winner will be the best poem that comes in from a CURRENT Poetic Rambler (sorry Adam, Kathleen, et. al.). This will be the one that I send along to Poetry. I've mentioned to a few of you already - I don't know much more incentive I can gather...

I will likely enlist a second or third judge from the English Department to help me make the decision.

Remember, the ultimate point is to bring in as many poems as possible, so we have more stuff to critique, and more original work for our 2009 publication. Bring me your poems! Post them anywhere here on the blog, or bring me a copy - either in person or via email.

Good luck, all!

Poetry Challenge #2 - INCREDIBLE UPDATE

OK, so our goal to have new poetry flowing in has hit a drought. And I haven't heard any response to the sonnet challenge. So let's raise the stakes.

This challenge goes out to all Poetic Ramblers, past and present. Get me a poem, either in hand or posted on the blog by December 1st (Hey, what do you know, that's the same due date as the current Collab contest. Curious.) and you will be entered into a lottery to win a one-year subscription to Poetry Magazine, the most significant poetry magazine in the US. A subscription usually goes for $35, so this is the greatest prize we've ever offered.

Here's how the winner will be chosen: For every poem that I get, your name goes in a hat. If it is a sonnet, your name goes in twice. At the end of the contest, I will draw one lucky winner. Two noteworthy points: 1) This is not a prize for the BEST poem, so there's no reason to hold back, and 2) Seniors, if you like the poems that you come up with, submit them as well to the Collab contest. You could get a total of $65 in prizes for a single poem, which when you adjust it to the general pay scale in the everyday workspace, that's around three million dollars.

Oh, and one last and major caveat: I will not award a prize if I receive fewer than five poems.

Happy writing!