Literature For Christmas!

If you’re looking for some great presents for your literary friends, look no further! Our recent featured writers have got you covered.

You can find Darren Edwards on Amazon with his engaging book about the Supernatural Lore of Southern Utah. He also just published a poetry book called The Flood and the Fire (message Darren for more information about purchasing it).

Judith Hale Everett’s series The Branwell Chronicles has all seven volumes available and she recently published a short story anthology with several other Regency romance authors (see judithhaleeverett.com for more information).

Kenzie Beckstead’s premier poetry book, Religious Trauma in the Key of Poetry, is also available on Amazon.

Look forward to the Kickstarter launch of Marianne Hales’ book Halfway to Heaven: Poems Crafted in Utah’s Wild Places. Ordered books won’t be shipped until January, but you will get a special card for under the tree if you indicate that the purchase is a gift.

Dayna Patterson’s Virtual Reading at Provo Open Mic

The founding editor-in-chief of Psaltry & Lyre, Dayna Patterson, will be reading at Provo’s Speak For Yourself Open Mic on Thursday, August 20th but you don’t have to be in Provo to hear her. In fact, she won’t be in Provo either. Due to public health concerns, Speak For Yourself hasn’t met in person since March and has been gathering virtually on the popular conferencing platform Zoom. Patterson will be joining the group this Thursday at 7:30 pm to read from her new book, If Mother Braids a Waterfall.

Respond to the Facebook event at Speak For Yourself Open Mic (https://www.facebook.com/events/627979771188981/) to receive the login information or look for a link the evening of the performance on Facebook (Speak For Yourself Open Mic group) and Instagram (@mariannewriter).

Patterson is the author of Titania in Yellow (Porkbelly Press, 2019) and If Mother Braids a Waterfall (Signature Books, 2020). Her creative work has appeared recently in EcoTheo, Duende, Gulf Coast, and The Carolina Quarterly. She is the founding editor-in-chief of Psaltery & Lyre and a co-editor of Dove Song: Heavenly Mother in Mormon Poetry. She was a co-winner of the 2019 #DignityNotDetention Poetry Prize judged by Ilya Kaminsky, and she has been a Sustainable Arts Fellow at Mineral School Artists Residency. daynapatterson.com

Provo Poetry 2018 Contest Winners Announced!

Congratulations to all our winners in the first annual Provo Poetry contest! We received over 500 poems! It was difficult whittling them down to the top ten short poems and the top ten micro poems, but we did it! Then we sent those finalists off to our judge Lance Larsen and he selected the winners. We also selected 58 of the contest entered poems to be included in our POEMBALL machines. See the list of winners and finalists below.

Please come help us celebrate with all the finalists for a feature poetry reading at Speak For Yourself Open Mic on Thursday, May 10 at 7:30pm at Enliten Bakery and Café in downtown Provo.

And make sure to watch for the micro poem winners and finalists poems at the Utah Valley Marathon! There poems will be printed on special race bibs for runners to wear during the race coming up on June 9, 2018.

SHORT POEM WINNER OF $100 CASH!

Mike Mortensen for his poem: “The Day’s Manna”

Two honorable mentions receive a $10 gift certificate to Pioneer Book:

Dennis Clark for “Sand-barite rosette”
Rob Carney for “For Your Essay, Define Greatness”

Short Poem Finalists (in no particular order)

Olivia Snow
Michael McLane
MacKenzie Cook
Maurine Haltiner
Susan Foster
David Lindsay
Madalyn McRae Gunnell

MICRO POEM WINNER OF $50 CASH!

Rob Carney for his poem: “Is That What You’re Wearing?”

Two honorable mentions receive a $10 gift certificate to Pioneer Book:

Maurine Haltiner for “Hot August Days”
Susan Foster for “Maestoso”

Short Poem Finalists (in no particular order)

Aiden Deletant
Dennis Clark (2 poems)
Ned Snell
Rob Carney (additional poem)
Steven Duncan
Susan Foster (additional poem)


Want to know more about Provo Poetry? Follow our websiteFacebook, or Twitter. Open mic poetry readings happen the second Tuesday of every month at Pioneer Book. Click here for more information.