Poetry To Go

History of Poetry to Go Spans Over Two Decades

Founded in 2000 by our Denver Branch, National League of American Pen Women, we sponsored PTG contests from 2000 to 2008, and published two anthologies of winners: Poetry to Go 2000-2002 and Poetry to Go 2003-2005. In 2009 and 2011, the Poetry Society of Colorado successfully assumed sponsorship and ran contests. They added the tradition of designating honorable mentions. Since 2014, The Columbine Poets, Colorado’s state-wide poetry society, has sponsored Poetry to Go annually. Questions may be directed to anitajg5@aol.com.

Contest Celebrates Winners

Every year, the sponsoring organization chooses as many as 32 winners, plus honorable mentions, from several hundred entries by teenagers. Up to 800 placards displaying the winning poems travel inside RTD (Regional Transportation District) buses, usually in the fall (August/October). Contest results are available after June 30 at Columbine Poets for Colorado.

Thanks!

Big thanks to RTD. Big thanks to all our teen authors for representing their generation so eloquently. Big thanks to the Denver area teachers who have supported and guided their students’ entries year after year. Thanks to Denver Branch members and the original PTG committee: Susan Arndt, Phyllis Brees Eberhard (deceased), Sandy Chapman, Joice Fairchild, Ann Klaiman, and Marie Kriss. Thanks to Poetry Society of Colorado and their PTG committee, and thanks to current members of the Columbine Poets for continuing and supporting PTG. Thanks to B&R Screen Graphics. Thanks to all our sponsors through the years. And thanks to Jane Carpenter, Denver Branch Member, who, all those years ago, saw poetry on buses in Seattle and thought Denver buses should have poetry, too.