About Poetry Palooza
Poetry Palooza's Misson
We are a committee of the Iowa Poetry Association. We formed to advance awareness and appreciation for poetry and poets through educational events that celebrate the written and spoken word. We are dedicated to nurturing creativity, encouraging understanding, and enriching lives by making the cultural and communication benefits of poetry accessible — especially to underserved communities.
We provide free poetry events to the community all year long, including:
-
Poetry Palooza in April
-
Poetry on the Prairie in November
-
Poetry & Pie in the Park
-
Various pop-up events
Executive Committee
Co-Chair
Pat Boddy
Urbandale, IA
Pat Boddy's poetry often foregrounds the need for conservation policy and climate justice. In retirement, Pat hiked the Dark Divide of the Cascade Mountains as writer-in-residence with Portland-based Signal Fire. She has a passion for the transformative power of poetry, enjoys reading her work aloud and even more so hearing and reading the work of others. Along with Diane Glass and other supportive friends, she hosted a new poetry group's inaugural pop-up event: Poetry & Pie in the Park. She's a professional engineer, former deputy and interim director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, past director of Polk County Conservation, Sr. Partner Emeritus of RDG Planning & Design and in an earlier life, an award-winning broadcast journalist. Pat holds a B.J. (Journalism) from the University of MO-Columbia and B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering and water resources from ISU. She is one of the many founders of Poetry&, a non-profit dedicated to nurturing community, creativity and healing through poetry.
Co-Chair
Diane Glass
Des Moines, IA
Diane Glass is a poet, teacher, storyteller, and community volunteer. Her book of poetry, The Heart Hungers for Wildness, draws from her life experience and her work as a spiritual director in paying attention to and celebrating what truly matters and endures. Her career history includes serving as Vice President of Marketing for the Des Moines Register, teaching at the Mind & Spirit Counseling Center, (formerly the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center), and founding Tending Your Inner Garden for women. She lives in Des Moines with her husband Jeff Means and cat Penny.
Coordinator
Kelsey Bigelow
Des Moines, IA
Kelsey Bigelow is a poet and speaker based in Des Moines. She spends her time working as a mental health poet sharing this therapeutic tool with audiences of all ages across the world. She is the author of four poetry projects, including her latest book "Far From Broken." Her work is published with several small presses and journals. Kelsey is a 2024 Pushcart Prize nominee, a 2023 Button Poetry Video Contest Finalist, and a 2023 Central Avenue Poetry Prize finalist. As a performer, Kelsey has worked with organizations such as The Mayo Clinic, NAMI, Planned Parenthood, and more. Videos of her work can be found on Button Poetry, Write About Now, Ghost Poetry Show, and elsewhere. She's the founder of the Des Moines Poetry Workshop, the chair for the Iowa Poetry Association Poetry Slam, a teaching artist in the Des Moines community, a director for the BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Slam, and a founding member of the 2025 io-what poetry slam team.