ORIGINAL POETRY CONTEST       

ELIGIBILITY: *Adults over 18; living within a 50-mile radius of St. Louis.

*Any person having won first prize in the contest twice within the last five years is ineligible for further cash awards but may be cited for honors.

RULES: *Submit TWO TYPED COPIES of TWO poems, which have never been published or won an award. 

*Use 8 1/2 x 11 paper with no more than one poem to a page. 

*Sign with pen name ONLY. 

*Type real name, address, e-mail address and telephone number on a separate sheet of paper and enclose with poems.  No manuscripts returned.

SEND TO: Marilyn Ortinau, 1156 New Ballwin Oaks Dr., Ballwin, MO 63021

PRIZES:  $400,  $200, $100

JUDGE: BILLY COLLINS

*Poet Laureate of the U.S. from 2001-2003 and Poet Laureate for New York State in 2002
*Published many poetry collections, the most recent published in 2011-Horoscopes for the Dead
*Recipient  of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation
*Recipient of Mark Twain Prize for Humor in Poetry
*Chosen Poet of the Year in 1994 by Poetry magazine
*Called "The most popular poet in America" by the New York Times
*Distinguished Professor of English at Lehman College

JUNIOR ORIGINAL POETRY CONTEST

ELIGIBILITY: High School Students in grades 10 through 12 in High Schools in St. Louis and the St. Louis area.

RULES: Submit TWO original poems. Send THREE copies of each poem, one poem to a page. Students should sign each poem in the upper left hand corner with a PEN NAME. On a separate sheet of paper, student should sign REAL NAME, STREET ADDRESS, ZIP CODE, EMAIL ADDRESS, NAME OF SCHOOL, TEACHER'S FULL NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS and seal in envelope with PEN NAME ON OUTSIDE.

Entries must be submitted through the school’s English Departmentand must follow the rules.  No manuscripts will be returned.

SEND TO:Betty Smith, Junior Poetry Contest, 555 Couch Avenue, Apt. #323, St. Louis, MO  63122, 314-394-1478

EMAIL: bettyjs@charter.net or jjkniest76@gmail.com

PRIZES: $100, $60, $40, $20 & $10

JUDGE: GEORGE BILGERE

*Author of five books of poetry:  The White Museum; Haywire; the Good Kiss; Big Bang and The Going                                                                        
*Won the May Swenson Poetry Award
*Awarded grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, The Ohio Arts Council,  The Society of Midland Authors, The Fulbright Foundation 
*Awarded 2009 Pushcart Prize
*Read his poetry at the Library of Congress twice and is a frequent guest on Garrison Keillor’s radio  show