The winner of the 2025 Winter in Variations: Bill Holm Witness Poetry Contest is Mernine Ameris with these poems: the silent winter, jacket weather during a north virginia winter, cupids’ first pantoum, Goliath, my uber driver, ode to crying in public, cuffing season for harpies like me ಠvಠ. Bio: Mernine Ameris’s work has been featured […]
The winner of the 2023 Winter in Variations: Bill Holm Witness Poetry Contest is Jayne Marek with these poems. What Did You Love About Sisley? Evensong Roll the Car You Might Want More New Friend A Second Storm Bio Note: Jayne Marek has published six poetry collections, with her next volume, Dusk-Voiced, due in 2024. Her […]
Kathryn Ganfield is the winner of the 2023 Paul Gruchow Contest for her essay “Tracks” Congrats Kathryn. She is a nature writer and essayist in the river town of St. Paul, Minnesota. Her work focuses on family, environment, and the climate in crisis. She is a 2022-2023 Mentor Series Fellow in nonfiction at the Loft […]
The titles of Jayne’s pieces are “Snow Day,” “Hungry,” “The Balance,” “Winter Pond as Window,” “Worry,” and “Woodcock Walk.” Since I lived for over 30 years in the upper Midwest, I have written a number of poems about that distinct ecology and climate, especially about the cold months. This set reflects the chilly joys of […]
Carla Gober-Park, of Redlands, CA, is the winner of the 2017 Prairie Poetry Prize Prairie Sampler contest with her beautiful submission “Prairie Poetry- Prairie Grasses.” Congratulations! Carla works as a professor and administrator at Loma Linda University in Southern California. Much of her writing focuses on nature and health, whether health of the land, people, […]
Alice D’ Allesio is the winner of the 2017 Paul Gruchow Contest for her essay “Tending the Valley.” Congrats Alice. She is a Middleton poet whose poems often reflect the wonder of the natural world, and/or the environmentalist’s vision. Social/political commentary and family/love relationships are also favorite subjects, rendered with a serious or light touch. […]
Ina Roy-Faderman is the winner of the 2016 Digging to the Roots Color Poetry Contest. Congratulations Ina! Ina Roy-Faderman’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in Right Hand Pointing, Clade Song, the Tupelo 30/30 Project and elsewhere; California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia named her “Elegy for Water” the winning poem of the Richmond Anthology of […]
Bill Holm was a frequent participant at Writers Rising Up’s workshops. He often read and lectured with fellow Minnesota author Carol Bly at Writers Rising Up’s events held at the Minnesota Landscape Abroretum. Carol and Bill would listen intently to each other. Bill overflowed with stories and memories, wisdom and experiences in the retelling of […]
Carol Bly's "Letters From the Country" was the inspiration for Writers Rising Up's new post card fiction submission opportunity in her honor. Often referred to as the "Lioness of Letters," Bly exemplified the moral certitude and sheer bravery necessary to tackle issues we still find ourselves addressing today, including abuse, misogony, and hypocricy. Now the […]
In 2016 Bug City: Make a Bug poetry submission will be a lot more fun for kids. Poems will again focus on the species at the Elizabeth Fries Ellet Interpretive Trail at the Richard T. Anderson Conservation Area. Poems must be in the shape of a bug. Examples of Shaped Poems can be found here […]