Hudson Valley Writers Guild Annual Meeting: Poetry Contest Winners’ Reading, November 12

The genre for the 2022 HVWG writing contest was poetry & at the annual meeting most of the winners were there to read their winning poems. Interestingly enough all the winners this year were women writers; I haven’t done a “scientific” study of this trend, but it does seem to me, based as poetry collections published in the last few years, more women than men poets are publishing their work, perhaps making up for lost time.

The first group of readers were the those who had scored “Honorable Mentions.” First reader was Cathy Lautenbach, who had read at open mics in Albany & Schenectady back in the mid-1990s & early 2000s. She had moved & earned an MFA in writing in New Orleans, & recently returned to the Capital Region; her first poem, which sounded like a pantoum, was for NOLA; she also read a fascinating piece that she described as an ode to libraries titled “From What I’ve Read About Surviving,” filled with trees, stillness alone, even sailors carrying books. Another piece was titled “A Sermon at the Park,” then her honorable mention poem “Sonnet Before Dying.”

Laura Henebry confessed that this was the first time she has read her work in public. She began with her honorable mention poem “My Mother Tells Me Jesus Saves While Sipping Lemonade,” then a poem about depression & boredom, & another on a relationship gone bad. Perhaps she’ll be motivated to come out to some of the local open mic venues & read more of her poems.

Krisanna Scheiter is an Associate Professor at Union College. She also began with her poem that earned an Honorable Mention, “German Girl,” about the experiences of her grandmother who escaped Germany just before World War II. Other poems she read were “Vignettes of Trauma & Recovery” in multiple parts, then a poem titled “The Prayer,” & a new work-in-progress “This Place Was Not Built for Us.”

Phyllis Hillinger also won an honorable mention but was unable to attend the event so HVWG President Faith S. Green read Phyllis’ poem “Low Tide at Solana Beach.” 

At this point we took a break & had an opportunity to talk with some of the poets. Then on to the main prize winners. 

The 3rd Prize went to Caroline Grondahl for her work “A Poem about Credit Card Debt,” which I heard her read at the NYS Writers Institute Book Festival reading in September. Caroline could not be here for this so her poem was read by HVWG Co-Vice President Mary Panza.

2nd Prize was awarded to Nancy Klepsch for her poem “My Mother was Effortlessly Cool” that I have also heard at local readings, perhaps at the 2nd Sunday @2 Open Mic (at Collar City Mushrooms in Troy) that Nancy co-hosts with me each month. She also read today poem like a blue symphony beginning “Blue is a hard color…” then a tender, descriptive poem “Ocean Lover.”

The 1st Prize winner was Columbia County poet & artist Margaret McDermott who began with her winning poem with the marvelous title “Wading in Cloud Pools.” Other poems she read were “Bones,” “Questions for the Troll” about a homeless person & a dog living under a bridge, then “Proximity” which also included a dog.

It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon, how could it not include imaginative & engaging poetry since they were all Prize-winners? You can find more information about this year’s winners, & past contests at www.hvwg.org — & check back for information about the 2023 writing contest.