Darrell Nicholson, seated, and Dr. Ken Wolfskill review entries for the "New Poets Review" to
make selections for the next edition of the college catalog.
Entries sought for ‘Poets Review’
This year, the poems of 10
unknown poets are being read in
all 50 states and overseas thanks to
an unusual source—the Chowan
College 1988-89 catalog.
The 16-page literary supplement
within the catalog is called “New
Poets Review” and is the brain
child of Ken Wolfskill, chairman of
the Department of Language and
Literature, and Darrell Nicholson,
registrar.
Each year since 1975, "New
Poets Review” has contained the
poems of 10 poets who have won
the honor through a poetry contest
conducted by Wolfskill and
Nicholson.
Each fall, contest rules are sent
to over 500 colleges and univer
sities across the nation. “We get
around 400 entries a year, most
from college students and
professors,” stated Nicholson.
“The winners include students and
professors from some good
schools,” he added.
Keen Competition
Commented Wolfskill, “The
competition is real stiff. Op
portunities to be published are not
real broad. We have received some
really good poetry. Generally we
come up with 10 poems that we
think are outstanding. We don’t
publish anything that isn’t
publishable. One year we
published only nine poems.”
“Every serious poet likes to be
published,” noted Nicholson. “This
provides an avenue for the new and
mostly unknown poets to express
themselves. This is a start. This
gives poets a chance to have an
audience.”
Nicholson is himself a published
poet. His poems have appeared in
a number of regional and national
literary publications. Wolfskill’s
writings have been published in
professional and literary journals.
Nicholson expressed the opinion
“this is an activity the liberal arts
college should support. It’s good
that the college is willing to com
mit some of its resources to this ac
tivity.”
Many Entries
Wolfskill pointed out that entries
come from all over and some from
“name” poets. He and Nicholson
said the latter include well known
North Carolina poets Shelby
Stephenson and Anthony Abbott,
whose poems have appeared in
“New Poets Review.”
Nicholson said “New Poets
Review” has boosted the careers
of a number of poets. He said they
have gone on to have poems
published in other publications. He
said several have even had books
of their poetry published.
He said the circulation is the
number of catalogs printed each
year. The 1988-89 edition which is
currently in use had a printing of
16,000.
“The catalog has a universal cir
culation,” Nicholson explained.
“An employee of the Nigerian em
bassy in Washington, D.C. sent
word that she was impressed with
it.”
The “New Poets Review” is
taken seriously by the literary
community, Wolfskill and
Nicholson said. “Sam Ragan of
Southern Pines has mentioned our
New Poets Review in his column
several times,” stated Wolfskill.
Nicholson said the late Guy
Owens of Raleigh also made
positive comments about the
poetry section. Nicholson noted,
“It’s a pleasant respite for persons
who think a catalog is dull. It’s nice
to have a section that is
ma nifesting inner beauty. ’ ’
“Good Idea”
“Parents attending orientation
comment that it’s a nice idea. One
time in my office I overheard two
parents arguing over a poem. The
wife told me she didn’t know that
her husband was interested in
poetry,” Nicholson said.
Wolfskill said the 10 poems in the
1988-89 catalog are from nine
states: Maine, Massachusetts,
Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Califor
nia, Rhode Island, Delaware, and
Kentucky, the home of two win
ners.
He said entries this year have
already come from Virginia, North
Carolina, Indiana, Oregon, West
Virginia, Dallas and Houston,
Texas, and South Carolina. The
contest deadline is March 1, 1988.
Farewell gift to residence director
Dean of Students Clayton Lewis presents a monogrammed mug
as a farewell gift to Pamela Jane Riddle of Goldsboro, who serv
ed as residence director in Jenkins Hall, adviser to the Student
Government Association, and director of student activities. Miss
Riddle, who accepted a position at East Carolina University, was
replaced by Elizabeth Stark of Henderson, a graduate of Peace
College and UNC-Wilmington.
PAGE 16—The Chowanicn, December, 1987