Rock Canyon Poets, in participation with KRCL 90.9 FM, is seeking Utah poets to feature for the ongoing Poetry Still Happens series. The series gives a platform to poets living and working in Utah to share audio of an original poem.

What we are looking for

• Contemporary poetry
• Spoken word/slam poetry
• Poems focusing on current events and social justice issues are preferred

Audio guidelines

Recordings are limited to 4 minutes in length and should include the following:

• 30 seconds or less: introduce yourself and tell us something about you (short bio, make sure it is in first person) and/or where the poem you will be reading was published (if applicable)
• Reading of a single poem, up to 3 minutes
• 30 seconds or less: tell us where to find you online (social media or web site), your most recent book

Example: “Hello, my name is Robert Frost. I’m a poet living in Salt Lake City. The title of this poem is “The Road Not Taken” and it was originally published in The Atlantic Monthly. [READ POEM]. This is Robert Frost and my most recent book is The Boy’s Will. You can find it on my web site RobertFrostPoems.com or follow me on Twitter and Instagram.”

How to record 

Use your smartphone’s voice memo app or another digital recording device. An easy way to record audio using the built-in voice memo app on your smartphone. Be sure to check the audio settings on your phone and app before recording. For the iPhone, set it to lossless. For Android phones, use the highest quality available. Either wav or mp3 files work, as long as it results in 44100 hz, 16-bit, mono or better.

NOTE: Try a few practice recordings to determine the best placement of the phone’s microphone in relation to your mouth — usually a 45-degree angle and two inches away is best.

For more tips, check out: How to Record a Poem Like a Pro

How to submit

Upload your audio into the cloud (Google Drive, for example), then send the download link to rockcanyonpoets@gmail.com. Please include an author photo and any website/social media information for you or your work. If the topic of the poem is in relation to a current event or social justice issue, please let us know in the body of the email.

You should receive a response within a month or two.

Then tune in on KRCL RadioActive for new Poetry STILL Happens mini-features, played throughout the month and featured on their web site and Facebook, as well as the Rock Canyon Poets web site and Facebook. Follow both to make sure not to miss a thing!