Poetry Contest Open to High School Students

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Aspiring high school poets can showcase their creative talents by participating in the UB Poetry Contest, sponsored by the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).

The contest, designed to offer encouragement and motivation to young poets and drawing upon the highly talented faculty of the UB Department of English, is open to all current high school students. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Carl Dennis, writer-in-residence in the UB Department of English, will serve as judge.

Winning poets will read their work and prizes will be awarded at a special Poetry Awards Ceremony to be held April 9 in the Center for the Arts on UB's North (Amherst) Campus.

The first-place winner will receive $200, the second-place winner will receive $100, the third-place winner will receive $50 and four fourth-place winners each will receive a $25 gift certificate to Borders or Chapters. Honorable mentions also will be awarded.

All winners will receive an autographed copy of "Practical Gods," Dennis' collection of poetry that won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize.

All entries must be in English, no more than 25 lines, and typed in a 10- or 12-point font on a single sheet. Only one poem per contestant may be submitted.

A completed entry form must accompany each poem. The forms may be obtained at the CAS Web site at http://cas.buffalo.edu/outreach/poetry/index.html. No email or fax submissions will be accepted. Entries must be mailed to Michele Bewley, UB Poetry Contest, University at Buffalo, CAS Dean's Office, 810 Clemens Hall, Buffalo, N.Y. 14260.

Entries must be postmarked by the close of business on Feb. 7. Winners will be notified by mail no later than March 18.

For further information, contact Bewley at mrbewley@buffalo.edu or 716-645-2711.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York.