Welcome to the Utah monthly edition of Poetry Happens, brought to you by Rock Canyon Poets. Each edition includes poetry happenings, calls, and other announcements coming up in Utah, with highlights specifically for Utah county. And tune in on KRCL RadioActive the first Monday of every month for announcements and feature poet reading!
UPCOMING EVENTS for Utah County
Rock Canyon Poets poetry reading & open mic every 2nd Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm at Pioneer Book in Provo, this month on February 11 featuring Kimberly Johnson!
Every Thursday – Speak for Yourself spoken word open mic at Enliten Cafe in Provo, at 7:30 pm
Saturday Night Slam Series, check their Facebook page for monthly dates, from 7 – 9 PM at the BYU Wilkinson Student Center in Provo
UPCOMING EVENTS for Utah
Poetry Series: Don Bogen and Paisley Rekdal – Presented by Westminster College at Kim Adamson Alumni House – Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Monday, Feb. 3 at 7:00 pm.
A Night of Poetry, featuring David Whyte – Presented by Jung Society of Utah at Libby Gardner Hall – University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Friday, Feb. 7 at 7:00 pm. Single tickets and meet and greet from $29 – $125.
Better Days 2020 – Official Gold Room Commemoration with Governor and Mrs. Herbert, Featuring Utah Poet Laureate Paisley Rekdal at the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm. Free tickets available to the public.
Robert Lopez & Patricia Smith – The University of Utah Guest Writers Series presents an evening of poetry with authors Robert Lopez and Patricia Smith at Finch Lane Gallery at the Art Barn, Salt Lake City, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020 at 07:00 pm – 08:00 pm. Q&A on Friday, Feb. 14 at 12:00 pm.
City Art Reading Series, typically the first three Wednesdays of every month at the Salt Lake City Downtown Library. Check their Facebook Events page for updates.
Bountiful Open Mic is a music/poetry open mic held the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every month at 8 pm; 55 North Main in Bountiful.
Sugar Slam at Wasatch Theater Co. in Salt Lake Cityat 8 PM. Check Facebook page for current dates.
Poetry in the Park Registration Deadline: Feb. 20, 2020. The 11th annual Poetry In the Park (PIP) workshop will be held Friday March 6th in Zion Park. Rob Carney, Utah Valley University English Department, will conduct the workshop. See PIP for workshop details. For PIP registration, go to the Zion Park Workshop Registration site.
Poetry Workshop – Lifelong Learning with instructor Danielle Susi, Saturdays from Feb. 22 through March 7, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. Tuition: $89 + Special Fee: $5 = $94.
Poetry Out Loud Competitions – Feb. 27 at 7:00 pm, at Marmalade and Feb. 29 at 10:00 am at Herriman High School. The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with the Utah Arts & Museums Arts Education Program to support Poetry Out Loud, which encourages Utah’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance.
Hibernian Poetry Night, featuring Irish poets – Presented by The Hibernian Society of Utah at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Salt Lake City, Saturday, February 29 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Haikus, Modernism and Stanton MacDonald-Wright – “Haiga Portfolio” (1965-1966) blends Eastern and Western influences, pairing vibrant modernist paintings with haikus written by some of Japan’s most influential poets. Presented by Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art at Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art, Logan UT, exhibit runs from August 24 – June 30, 2020.
CALLS FOR POEMS (Utah-based)
Red Butte Garden Call for Poetry – 6th Annual Spring Poetry Contest. Poets of all ages are invited to enter original, spring-inspired poems from January 6 through February 15.
2020 Agha Shahid Ali Prize in Poetry – Manuscripts must be in English and should be between 48 and 100 typed pages. Fee: $25. Deadline: April 15.
Provo Poetry POEMBALL Machine – Send in up to 10 short poems to be included in the POEMBALL Machines in Provo and Salt Lake City.
Utah Life call for poems: May/June 2020 issue will be poems on the theme of “Butterflies and Flowers.” Deadline March 1.
Western Humanities Review – open to submissions year round.
For more national submission calls, visit https://trishhopkinson.com.
If you have an event or announcement related to poetry in Utah, please contact us here and we will include it in our next edition.
Rock Canyon Poets 