Bess Streeter Aldrich Poetry Contest, 2025

To honor Bess Streeter Aldrich and her love for poetry while recognizing amateur poets and their talent for poetry.

Objective: To generate a poem written in the wholesome spirit of Bess Streeter Aldrich while utilizing a theme honoring Nebraska, small town living, family relationships, and/or children and their antics.

Eligibility (Four divisions):

·       Adult:  1st Prize $100; 2nd Prize $50; 3rd Prize $25

·       High School (Grades 9-12):   1st Prize $50; 2nd Prize $25; 3rd Prize $15

·       Middle School (Grades 6-8):  1st Prize $50; 2nd Prize $25; 3rd Prize $15  

·       Intermediate School (Grades 3-5):  1st Prize $50; 2nd Prize $25; 3rd Prize $15

*Teachers submitting entries are limited to 15 entries per class. Family members of Aldrich Foundation board members are not eligible.

Criteria/Scoring: Participants are limited to one entry. Poems can be up to 26 lines and they DO NOT have to rhyme. The form and style can be any the poet chooses to best express the theme, such as acrostic, sonnet, sestina, etc. Poetic devices such as figurative language and imagery should be used. For more details, see the scoring rubric located at bessstreeteraldrich.org.

Results: Winners will be notified by email in mid-May and invited to a recognition event. A winners’ list will be posted on the Bess Streeter Aldrich website (bessstreeteraldrich.org). Participants grant the BSA Foundation the right to reprint the poems, but they remain the property of the author.

Submission Process: Poems should be submitted here by midnight April 15, 2025. A submission link is also found at www.bessstreeteraldrich.org/. Questions about the contest can be directed to Kurk Shrader, Executive Director (email aldrichfoundation@gmail.com or call 402-867-4233).

*This contest is partially funded by the Syracuse Library Foundation.