Perks of Joining IPA
Any resident of Iowa who writes or is interested in poetry is eligible for membership. Membership in Iowa Poetry Association runs annually from October 1st to September 30th of the following year. Dues should be paid on or about October 1st of each year.
New Patron-level members will receive a free copy of Lyrical Iowa!
1
Workshops
IPA offers a live monthly online series of mini-workshops and readings called IPA Live! Plus, IPA hosts a bi-annual hybrid writing critique and workshop every April and October free to members (non-members have a modest fee).
2
Contests
Every year, IPA runs the Lyrical Iowa competition with adult and student (K-college undergrad) divisions and contests. Winners and high-ranking poems are published in the annual anthology, Lyrical Iowa, and are invited to a winners' reading celebration. Pushcart Prize nominations are selected from the anthology.
Plus, IPA runs the annual IPA Poetry Slam season by hosting a series of qualifying poetry slams across Iowa. The top poets from each qualifier compete in the IPA Poetry Slam Finals every April during Poetry Palooza. The winners receive cash prizes, publication in Lyrical Iowa, registration to the BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Slam, and more.
3
Events
Members are invited to join poetry celebrations, performances, workshops, and pop-up events throughout the year. These include events organized by our committee, Poetry Palooza (e.g., annual Poetry Palooza in April, Poetry on the Prairie in November, etc.).
4
Newsletters
IPA members receive a monthly e-newsletter of upcoming events and news, and they receive a quarterly print newsletter.
5
Resources
K-12 teachers gain access to resources, including annual teacher panel discussions, lesson plans and suggestions, and outreach to high school poetry students in virtual mini-workshops.
6
Networking
IPA has outreach through Iowa's public libraries to promote poetry reading opportunities and to connect with poetry communities state-wide. Members are also invited to join the private Facebook group to share poetry successes, events, conversation, and more.