The Southern MN Poets Society (SMPS) is a group of poetry-loving and poetry-generating people. We are a chapter of the League of Minnesota Poets.
Meetings are almost always free and held at the Emy Frentz Guild (523 S. 2nd Street, Mankato, Mn) and the public is welcome.
SMPS is a part of several fun community events: Image and the Word, Eisteddfod and the Mankato Poetry Walk and Ride
You are welcome to any SMPS event. Most events are free. You can bring your own poems and share if you want, but there's never any pressure for you to talk or read.
Poetry and Wine Evenings - Fourth Thursdays
Featured readings by one or two poets, followed by an open-mike reading. Bring your favorites! The fourth Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm.
Lunch and Poetry – SMPS Meetings
YOU are invited to our SMPS meetings on the second Saturday of each month at 12:30 (bring your lunch)
Agenda: Eat, speaker or panel talking about poetry, sharing of poems, critique workshops or other fun poetry-related activities.
For more information about SMPS, contact Derek Liebertz, SMPS President, (507) 344-8709 or info@southernmnpoets.org.
Join the Southern Minnesota Poets for our Fourth Thursday (every month) poetry reading.
Gustavus Adolphus professor Philip Bryant will be sharing selected poems.
See for a bio and Philip's book: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/61703.Philip_Bryant
Open mic poetry will also be presented.
Free beverages and light snacks are provided.
Arts by the River in Mankato is an art and music festival running June 8 from 10 to 6pm and June 9 from noon to 5pm at Riverfront Park. SMPS will have a table at the event where all SMPS poets (you must be current with membership dues) can sell books. SMPS members are encouraged to come read on the main stage each day.
We are hoping to announce the winners of the Mankato Poetry Walk and Ride Poetry contest during this event - so if you have submitted poems, be sure to watch for the announcement time and come out to the park. We'd love to have some winners come up and read their winning poems!
For more information and directions to the festival, see http://www.artsbytheriver.com/
Signed up to work at the booth Saturday: Derek, Yvonne, Meredith, Craig, Sue, Henry, Jose
Signed up to work at the booth Sunday: Sue, Henry, Derek (we could use 2-3 more on Sunday)
Sign up to work at the table and read on the stage by contacting Derek Liebertz at bajanorthwest@yahoo.com.
Joellen Preston is going to help make some poetry-on-a-sticks for us - she could use help with selecting poems for this and gluing things together.
