Poetry Month adds songwriting contest

The RWC English Department will once again host its annual poetry writing contest as part of the college's celebration of National Poetry Month in April, but this year will offer an exciting new addition, a songwriting contest.The songwriting contest is the first contest of this kind at RWC, according to RWC English Professor Rhonda Pettit, who coordinates RWC's observance of National Poetry Month. Both the poetry and the songwriting contests are open to college and high school students.

The grand prize for the songwriting contest is a Fender/Squier electric guitar donated by Willis Music in Florence, Kentucky. There will be a grand prize, and two honorable mentions, to be awarded at the Poetry Caf on Monday, April 30.

The songwriting contest was designed to complement the RWC poetry writing contest, which is open to RWC students, employees, and high school students in the Cincinnati area. Winners of all contests will be presented their prizes and given a chance to perform their work at the RWC Poetry Cafe.

Richard Hague, an award-winning Appalachian poet living in Cincinnati and teaching at Purcell Marian High School, will be the featured poet at the Caf. This event will be in Room 100 SAHB, from 6-9 p.m.

Also as part of the Poetry Month celebration, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will be performing Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in the RWC auditorium in Muntz hall on Friday, April 20. A reservation is required, so call Debbie Thomayer at 513-745-5655.

If you want teacher's materials, go to www.cincyshakes.com/education/index.html.

The Poetry Caf will also have free food and drinks, poetry readings, the songwriting awards and readings, with musical guests.

The rules for the poetry contest are as follows: You can submit up to three poems, one page per poem. All submissions must be typed. You must also put your name, phone number, address and email address on the right corner of each page. Prizes will be awarded on April 30.

Special Rules for the Songwriting contest: A recorded form of the song (on CD or cassette tape only), and a typewritten form. You must have the song titles of all the songs on your submitted pieces, along with your name, address, phone number, email address and school affiliation. If there are any other performers besides you on the recording, you must list their names. Participants can send up to three songs performed by the songwriter or other group. You can submit a song in any genre, theme, or style.

Submit your songs in a submissions package (CD or cassette, typed lyrics of songs, and typed identity sheet) to Professor Rhonda Pettit, Department of English And Communication, UC Raymond Walters College, 9555 Plainfield Road, Blue Ash, Ohio 45236.

The songs will be judged anonymously by the RWC faculty for quality of lyrics, music, and the interplay between the two. Judges are not obligated to pick one of the contestants if none are forthcoming. The decision of the judges is final.

If you do not follow the requirements, you will not be considered. The Poetry Caf will not be able to accommodate very large or loud bands. If you submit a non-acoustic song, (heavy metal, punk, garage, indie, punk, etc.) plan on performing an acoustic version of your song. If you have questions, contact Professor Pettit at Rhonda.pettit@uc.edu,/a>.