Creative Support: April 2025
New books, events, workshops, and publishing advice for poets.
Waababaa As my eyes
inaabiyan search
mashkode the prairie
noongom igod ji-niibin I feel the summer in the spring
- Aazhidegiizhig, from the Chippewa Music II Bulletin 53 (1913)
Hello and happy April—aka National Poetry Month—poets. But isn’t every month poetry month?
Welcome to this month’s Creative Support—a curated roundup of noteworthy books, events, workshops, publishing opportunities, and advice for practicing poets.
First, some congratulations: Join me in celebrating Poet to Poet member Barbara Krasner, whose first full-length ekphrastic poetry collection just received a contract from Kelsay Books. “I am over the moon,” she writes. “Thanks for your classes and video recordings!” So happy to hear that they were helpful, Barbara. Hooray!
Are you a member with good news to share? Send it to me at hi at poettopoet.com.
New Books
Far Country, by Kyce Bello. “In her second collection of poems, Kyce Bello attempts to explore the unknowable—a landscape transformed by climate change, motherhood turned into crucible, the veils fluttering between the living and dead.” Poet to Poet interview forthcoming.
Monster Mash, by Susan Browne. “Susan Browne (Winner of the Four Way Books Intro Prize in Poetry judged by Edward Hirsch) has crafted her fourth collection of poetry into an incendiary inventory of life’s urgency and vitality in this late-stage capitalist moment.”
Encountering Dragonfly: Notes on the Practice of Re-Enchantment, by Brooke Williams. “Two decades ago, naturalist and environmental writer Brooke Williams had a powerful dream about a dragonfly, a dream that cracked open his world by giving rise to a steady stream of dragonfly encounters in his waking life. In the years since, he has delved deeply into the fascinating biology and natural history of dragonflies and made pilgrimages to see them (he now has 38 species on his life list) while also exploring their symbolic meaning and cultural significance.” Not a poetry collection, per se, but practicing re-enchantment is a poet’s work, no?
Workshops, Events & More
April 9, 12:00-1:00pm MT — Submissions Portals and Databases, how to navigate common submission portals and databases—and find the right opportunities for your work without overwhelm. This is the Monthly Class for Poet to Poet Members, led by me. Become a member to join this and upcoming classes, plus access to our virtual library of videos and resources that help you pursue publication with confidence. Can’t make the live zoom? No problem. Members have access to recordings!
April 12, 11-2pm ET — How to Revise a Poetry Manuscript. Virtual. $105. In this seminar, we’ll explore the balance between productive revision and perfectionist traps. You’ll learn strategies to approach your manuscript as a body of work, systematically, clarifying its driving themes, subject matters, voice, and stylistic choices. Hosted by Poets House in NYC.
April 19, 12:00-2:00pm MT — Poet to Poet Workshop: Build a Poetry Manuscript That Captivates Editors. Virtual. $155. Back by popular demand! This two-hour intensive guides poets through my proprietary method for creating a book that stands out to editors. How do I know this method works? Poets who have taken this class have not only gotten manuscripts accepted for publication, they have won awards like the Colorado Book Award.
Upcoming Deadlines
May 1 — Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize
May 15 — Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry
May 31 — Two Sylvias Press Chapbook Prize
June 15 — 42 Miles Press Poetry Award
Advice
“I used to think you couldn’t read subtle or spiritual poetry at a political rally, but in fact, you can bring all kinds of poetry anywhere …. It is the same with stretching your imagination about beings that are there, beings that were there before you, showing respect for the foxes that are in the hills, not far away. In one city block there are thousands of miles of spider webs; each orb-weaver spider has eight eyes.”
-Brenda Hillman, from Three Talks
Yours in poetry,
Radha
What a rich and resourceful post!
Thank you for sharing this helpful round-up of poetry-focused news and info!