The League of Minnesota Poets (LMP) is a non-profit state-level poetry association in the U.S. state of Minnesota, which is affiliated with the

National Federation of State Poetry Societies The National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Inc. (NFSPS) is a national organization of state poetry societies in the United States. It was established in 1959 and now includes affiliates in 32 U.S. states. The federation hosts conferences a ...

(NFSPS). The organization conducts monthly and annual contests, promotes poetry, publishes poetry books and organizes periodic meetings, workshops and festivals.

History

In 1933 Minnesota poets Robert Cary and Irl Morse began published ''Poetry of Today'', a column in the ''

St. Paul Pioneer Press The ''St. Paul Pioneer Press'' is a newspaper based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It serves the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the east metro, including Ramsey County, Minn ...

'' with the goal of generating interest in a state poetry society. The effort was successful, and on February 10, 1934, a group of poets met at the Lowry Hotel in St. Paul and established the League of Minnesota Poets. By the end of the year, there were 74 members. The organization incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2014. In 1935 the society held the first non-member poetry contest and published the first collection of poetry from the membership, titled ''Year Book''. The group began publishing the quarterly ''Moccasin'' bulletin with news and event information, but in 1936 this was converted into a literary poetry magazine, and the group inaugurated the ''LOMPlighter'' newsletter to replace the bulletin. In 1982 the LMP ratified a proposal to name a Poet Laureate with a five year term. According to a 2006 article in the '' Mankato Free Press'' an effort was made by the Mankato chapter of the League of Minnesota Poets to revive the custom of holding a local Eisteddfod, a Welsh literary and cultural festival with adjudicated competitions for poets, writers, musicians, and others. The tradition, which had been brought to the Mankato area in the 1860s by early

Welsh-American Welsh Americans ( cy, Americanwyr Cymreig) are an American ethnic group whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Wales. In the 2008 U.S. Census community survey, an estimated 1.98 million Americans had Welsh ancestry, 0.6% of the total U.S ...

pioneers, had fallen into abeyance during the 1950s. During the 2006 Cambria Eisteddfod, however, at the Morgan Creek Vineyards in New Ulm, Brainerd poet Doris Stengel was awarded the

Bardic Chair The Chairing of the Bard () is one of the most important events in the Welsh eisteddfod tradition. The most famous chairing ceremony takes place at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, and is always on the Friday afternoon of Eisteddfod week. Winne ...

by Archdruid John Calvin Rezmerski. But, following Rezmerski's death in 2016, the custom of Eisteddfodau in Minnesota again fell into abeyance.

Activities

The League hosts an annual contest cycle, and distributes cash prizes for winning poems. The organization also sponsors events, meeting and conferences related to poetry and poetry-writing. In 2020 the LMP sponsored a Pandemic Penpal Poetry Project to connect poets with residents in congregate living who were cut off from visitors by quarantine requirements.{{cite web, url=https://www.mnpoets.org, title=League of Minnesota Poets, accessdate=4 November 2020

References

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External links

*{{Official, https://www.mnpoets.org/ Eisteddfod Poetry organizations Literary societies 1934 establishments in Minnesota Non-profit organizations based in Minnesota 501(c)(3) organizations Arts organizations established in 1934