Goldenrod Poetry Festival

The Goldenrod Poetry Festival is sponsored by the English Club, and is a yearly event. All students are welcome to submit their own original works of poetry. The top ten poets participate in a private workshop with a visiting poet (which changes each year), who also gives a reading during the Goldenrod Poetry Festival. This event is free and open to the public.

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Clay D. Matthews, 2026 Guest Judge

The 2026 Goldenrod Winners were:

1st Place: Shayla Reynolds, "Song"

2nd Place: Diego Monje-Alcaraz, "Creation Myth of My Third World Country"

3rd Place: Christina Colovos, "You seek atonement, somewhere"

 

Gaylord Brewer, 2025 Guest Judge

The 2025 Goldenrod Winners were:

1st Place: Christina Colovos, “Numbers.”

2nd Plade: Breanna Leber, “Familiar Fire.”

3rd Place: Alli Sadler, “Sometimes We Ask for It.”

 

Katerina Stoykova, 2024 Guest Judge

The 2024 Goldenrod Winners were:

1st place: Nia Douglas

2nd place: Drew Condella

3rd place: Jess Hughes

 

Emily Schulten, 2023 Guest Judge

The 2023 Goldenrod Winners were:

1st place:bowling green, december 11th – Christian Butterfield

2nd place:I made a lover out of cheap apartment walls – Miriam Story

3rd place:AWOL – Bobby Coffee

 

Whitnee Thorp was the 2022 guest poet.

The 2022 Goldenrod Winners were:

1st Place: Miriam Story -- "Legacy Counting the Rings in a Tree Trunk"

2nd Place: Kayla Spears -- “Would I Betray Feminism for a Paycheck?”

3rd Place: Heather Neidlinger -- “Who We Were.” 

 

Mackenzie Berry was the 2021 guest poet.

The 2021 Goldenrod Winners were:

1st Place: Kayla Spears

2nd Place: Noah Powers

3rd Place: Adam Woodard

Honorable Mention: Kaity Kot

 

Erin Slaughter was the 2020 guest poet.

The 2020 Goldenrod Winners are:

1st Place: Noah Powers

2nd Place: Ella Corder

3rd Place: Sarah Olive

 

Savannah Sipple was the 2019 guest poet.

The 2019 Goldenrod Winners were:

1st place: Samantha Williams

2nd place: Natalie Turner

3rd place: Aimee Edens

 

Nathan Spoon was the 2018 guest poet.

The 2018 Goldenrod Winners were:

1st place: Adrian Sanders

2nd place: Iman Zaghariet

3rd place: Cassidy Townsend

 

Maggie Woodward was the 2017 guest poet.

The 2017 Goldenrod Winners were:

1st place: Natalie Rickman

2nd place: Emily Houston

3rd place: Heather Borders

 

Gary McDowell was the 2016 guest poet.

The 2016 Goldenrod Winners were:

1st place: Josh Arend

2nd place: Taylor Reyes

3rd place: Bridget Yates

 

Saeed Jones was the 2015 guest poet, who was present via Skype. 

The 2015 Goldenrod Winners were:

1st place: Derek Ellis

2nd place: Jared Johnson

3rd place: Isiah Fish