NFSPS
The National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) is a non-profit organization, exclusively educational and literary. Its purpose is to recognize the importance of poetry with respect to national cultural heritage. It is dedicated solely to the furtherance of poetry on the national level and serves to unite poets in the bonds of fellowship and understanding.
The NFSPS sponsors fifty annual poetry contests with cash prizes totaling over $6,000, including a grand prize of $1,000. It also sponsors the Stevens Manuscript contest for a collection of poems by one poet, with a cash prize of $1,000 plus publication, the BlackBerry Peach Poetry Awards, with total cash prizes of $1,750.00, plus publication, the BlackBerry Peach National Slam Championship, and the College Undergraduate Poetry competition, which awards two $500 prizes, plus publication.
Strophes is the national society's official newsletter. It is published quarterly with national news but also with state societies' news. It announces numerous contests and lists the national board members and state presidents. The summer issue provides names of judges and winners for the national contests. Annual conventions are conducted for business, instruction, and fellowship. Poets who attend share poetry, ideas, and inspiration, which they carry home to their local organizations. The Federation Library Collection is housed at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. In addition to the Encores (prize poem anthologies which contain winners of the national poetry contests), the collection includes books and materials provided by organizations and individuals.
The emblem of the Federation is the Athenian Greek coin insignia that appears on all NFSPS publications and has been incorporated into the design of the medal (see above) which is presented to NFSPS presidents at the end of their terms. The members of the Federation are members of an NFSPS affiliated state organization. Any poet wishing to know the location of his or her state society may contact the Membership Chair of NFSPS for this information.
Honorary Chancellor - Diane Glancy
Executive Board: The Executive Board shall be comprised of all elected officers of the NFSPS and the immediate past president. This body shall serve as the governing body of NFSPS. [NFSPS Bylaws, Article VI-Executive Board, Section A.]
Elective Board
President: Steven Concert, 49 Kitchen Ave, Harveys Lake, PA 18618 steven.concert@nfsps.net
1st Vice President: Jessica Temple, 103 2nd Ave SW Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
College Undergraduate Poetry Competition Chair , Youth Chair jessica.temple@nfsps.net
2nd Vice President: M. Palowski Moore, Judges Chair judgeschair@nfsps.net
3rd Vice President: Susann Moeller, Membership Co-Chair smoeller@nfsps.net
4th Vice President: Peter Stein, (address and email not available) peter.stein@nfsps.net
Learning Coordinator
Chancellor: Kelsey Bigelow, BlackBerry Peach Chair kelsey.bigelow@nfsps.net
1st Vice Chancellor: Mary Beth Bretzlauf
2nd Vice Chancellor: Val Szarek
Treasurer: Yvonne Cariveau treasurer@nfsps.net
Secretary: Brenda Wildrick secretary@nfsps.net
Immediate Past President: Paul Ford paul.ford@nfsps.net
Presidential Advisors Chair, Learning Central
Appointive Board
Strophes Editor: Julie Cummings, 5858 Pintail Way, Frederick, CO 80504-9668 stropheseditor@nfsps.net
Contest Chair: Julie Cummings, 5858 Pintail Way, Frederick, CO 80504-9668 contestchair@nfsps.net
Board Liason to State Societies: Russell H. Strauss 18 S. Rembert, St. Memphis, TN 38104 RSTRpoet@cs.com
Encore Editor: McKenna Hall
Historian: Nancy Baass, 408 E. Warren AVE., Victoria, TX 77901-4847 nancy.baass@gmail.com
Legal Councelor and Parliamentarian: Susan Stevens Chambers, 57310 166th Lane, Good Thunder, MN 56037 schambersmediator@yahoo.com
Librarian: Catherine L'Herisson, 518 Grinnell Drive, Garland, TX 75043 - catherinepoet@juno.com
Poetry Day/Poetry Month Liaison: Amy Jo Zook, 3520 State Rd. 56, Mechanicsburg, OH 43044
Publicity Chair: Bernadette Perez, 19645 Hwy 314 Belen, NM 87002 bpburritos@aol.com
Stevens Manuscript Competition Co-Chair: stevenschair@nfsps.net
Strophes Associate Editor: Julie K. Shavin julianza@comcast.net
Youth Chair: Jessica Temple jessica.temple@nfsps.net
NFSPS Website: admin@nfsps.net
Past NFSPS Presidents:
*Cecilia Parsons Miller, *Clinton Larson, *Robert D. West, *Edna Meudt, *Marvin Davis Winsett, *Max Golightly, *Hans Juergensen,
*Russell Ferrall, *Jean Jenkins, *Catherine Case Lubbe, *Glenn Swetman, *Carl Morton, *Alice Briley, *Wauneta Hackleman,
*Jack Murphy, *Barbara Stevens, *Henrietta Kroah, *Jerry Robbins, Pat Stodghill, *Wanda Blaisdell,*Ralph Hammond, Amy Jo Zook, Susan S. Chambers, *Clarence P. Socwell, Madelyn Eastlund, Budd Powell Mahan, *Doris Stengel, Nancy Baass, Russell H. Strauss, Jeremy M. Downes, Eleanor Berry, *James Barton, Julie Cummings, Paul Ford, and Joseph Cavanaugh
*deceased,
Past NFSPS Honorary Chancellors
Joseph Auslander, John Crowe Ransom, Glenn Ward Dresbach, Jesse Stuart, Grace Noll Crowell, Jean Starr Untermeyer, Loring Williams, Harry M. Meachum, John Williams Andrews, August Derleth, William E. Stafford, N. Scott Momaday, Richard Armour, Richard Eberhart, James Dickey, Judson Jerome, John Ciardi, Robert Coles, Richard Shelton, Marcia Lee Masters, Robert Penn Warren, Richard Wilber, William E. Stafford, Rodney Jones, Tess Gallagher, Michael Bugeja, David Wagoner, Maxine Kumin, Naomi Shihab Nye, Li Young Lee, Lewis Turco, Ted Kooser, Natasha Trethewey, Peter Meinke, Jo McDougall, David J. Rothman, Lance Larsen, and Ihor Pavyluk
To promote inclusivity and spread love, peace, and positivity among our members, the National Federation of State Poetry Societies does not discriminate based on age, color, ethnicity, race, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy, religion, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, or any legally protected classification in its practices, programs, or activities, and does not tolerate such discrimination, in written, spoken or other formats, from any participant.