Coming to you Live in 2026

Thank you for the overwhelming positive response to IPA LIVE. IPA LIVE programs will be aired monthly on Zoom on the second Wednesday (with some exceptions, as necessary). Programs will be scheduled for 90 minutes, airing from 7-8:30 pm. When possible, programs will be recorded and available to members.

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Upcoming IPA Live events

Check back for more programming to be added soon!

Mar. 11 2026 7 p.m.

Usher in spring with us! Join IPA LIVE on Wednesday, March 11 at 7 pm, for an Open Mic filled with fresh ideas, renewed energy, and hopeful inspiration. Bring something to share — or simply come listen and enjoy. RSVP to ipa@iowapoetry.com with March in the subject line.

Feb.19 2026
7 p.m.

From Submission to Selection: Poetry Editors on Contest Success
What makes a poem rise to the top of a contest stack? Three experienced poetry editors share real-world advice, submission strategies, and editor insights every contest-submitting poet should know. Join Kelli Lage, Assistant Poetry Editor for Bracken Magazine, Steve Rose, Assistant Poetry Editor for Lyrical Iowa, and Dawn Terpstra, Editor for River Heron Review on (date) for an engaging discussion.

Jan. 14 2026
7 p.m.

Steve Rose explores: If a Rose were called a Petunia would it Smell the Same? The answer: not exactly. Bring a poem or two to revise and also have a copy of a favorite poem by someone else at hand.

Past IPA Live events

2025

March 10, 2025: Poetry Palooza preview with Pat Boddy, Diane Glass, and Palooza featured poet Jane Wong.
June 10: Lyrical Iowa Student Reading Celebration!
July 9: Generative workshop with Deb Marquart and Open Mic
August 13: Teacher Panel: Teresa Lawler hosts educators Ann Coombs, Joy Drake, and Haley Moehlis
September 17: Dawn Terpstra on creating poetry of place
October 8: Annual Lyrical Iowa Adult Reading Celebration with judges Matt Mason and Robbin Farr
November 12: Robbin Farr, editor of River Heron Review leads a generative/craft workshop
December 10: Winter's Night Open Mic hosted by Dawn Terpstra

2024

January 10, 2024: Kelsey Bigelow, "Uncovering your poem" workshop
March 13: Poetry Palooza! organizers share upcoming activites!
April 9: Iowa's Poet Laureate Vince Gotera and Iowa Student Poet Ambassador Lola Nakashima-Brooke
May 8: Kelly Madigan and Karen Gettert Shoemaker from Larksong Writers Place
June 12: Student Reading Celebration!
July 10: Generative writing workshop with Dawn Terpstra
August 14: Annual Teachers Panel hosted by Teresa Lawler
September 11: Ana McCracken on the Ames Writers Collective
October 8: Lyrical Iowa 2023 winners, Pushcart nominees; judges Vince Gotera, Christine Stewart-Nunez and Michael Dylan Welch
November 12: Steve Rose, "Revision, getting inside your readers' head" workshop
December 11: Open Mic session of December/winter/holiday poems

2023

January 11, 2023: New Year's Poetry Resolutions: Education, Submissions, Creating a Chapbook or Collection
February 8: Generative workshop and poems of compassion with James Crews
March 8: Learn more about Poetry Palooza!
April 12: Iowa's Poet Laureate Deb Marquart and Iowa Student Poet Ambassador Johnnie Each
May 10: Poetry of Spring & Summer Reading
June 14: Student Reading Celebration!
July 11: William Bortz on experiences with the submission and publication process. Hosted by Kelsey Bigelow.
August 9: Annual Teachers Panel hosted by Allison Berryhill
September 13: Open mic Poetry of landscapes-place, regions, interiors, self, past, future
October 12: Lyrical Iowa 2023 winners, Pushcart nominees; meet new judges, Michael Dylan Welch and Vince Gotera
November 8: Haiku Targets workshop with Michael Dylan Welch
December 14: Open mic Poems for celebration and holidays

2022

January 12, 2022: Ekphrastic Writing and History Enthusiasts - Grant Wood Writers Forum and IPA Collaborate!
February 9: Online Reading: Poems with Love
March 9: Honing the Craft: Titles, Endings, Line Breaks and Craft Resources
April 13: Catching Up with Iowa Poets
April 27: Online Reading in Honor of National Poetry Day
May 11: Ecopoetry and Nature Poetry
June 8: Teacher Panel
July 13: Online Reading: Lyrical Iowa Student Winners and Iowa Student Poet Ambassador
August 24: Summer Reading
September 14:re-scheduled
October 12: Lyrical Iowa and the 2023 Iowa Poetry Contest
November 9: What's up? A plethora of live poetry events!
December 14: Reading: Poems in Celebration and Grant Wood Forum

When and How to Join In to Listen

Reserve the second Wednesday of the month from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Login information will be distributed to those who RSVP in advance to ipa@iowapoetry.com. In the subject line please write RSVP WORKSHOP for mini-workshop events, RSVP READINGS to listen to the readings. Login information will be emailed prior to each event.

How to Sign Up to Read

IPA LIVE! also features the voices of IPA poets. Members will have an opportunity to share their poetry during a series of online topical readings (see the schedule below). Poets who would like to read on the monthly topic should sign up by email at ipa@iowapoetry.com. In the subject line write POETRY READING and indicate in the body of the email the topic. Plan on sharing 3-5 poems (depending on length). We would like to hear from 6-8 poets per session. Sign-up is first come, first served, unless a poet has not yet read during the year; we would like to hear from as many Iowa poets as possible. See the calendar for reading topics below.

Email and Facebook Reminders

Monthly reminders will be emailed to IPA members who have email addresses. If you would like to make sure you're on the email list or to update your information, please email ipa@iowapoetry.com. Please join and check the Iowa Poetry Association Facebook page for reminders about upcoming monthly workshops and reading topics.

If you have questions, please email Dawn Terpstra at dterp@me.com, or call 641-521-1837.