Over the past eight years, young poets who have had the distinction of being among the winners in the annual Kent County Poetry Contest have typically been informed of their accomplishment by a very gracious lady, the contest's manager, Christine Stephens. At Festival each June, Christine would introduce the winning poets in each of the divisions. As the the reading drew near, Christine would be waiting near the door to meet the poets and their families. On countless occasions her warm and reassuring presence quieted the nerves of young poets there to read their winning entries. Recently Ms. Stephens resigned her position. She will be missed by many.
Christine Stephens
Earlier in the year, Rachel McGuinness from the editorial staff of Through the 3rd Eye had the opportunity to interview Christine Stephens.
1. What is your favorite part about working for the Kent County Poetry Contest?
My favorite part of the contest is calling the winners and hosting the awards reading. It's such a celebration.
2. What exactly do you do as manager of the contest?
I select the judges, facilitate the press coverage and the printing of Voices, and I host the awards reading.
3. How involved are you in the process? What role do you play?
As program coordinator, I'm very involved in the process. The Foundation is always there to answer questions, but they're supportive of my decisions regarding my choice of national judge, where we hold the awards reading, how to print and distribute Voices, etc.
4. How much time and effort do you put into the poetry contest each year?
I've tried to answer that question before. There's a flurry of activity November-January and March-June. It's detail- and people-oriented, a million things to do and keep track of.
5. What is the most rewarding part of being involved in the poetry contest?
I enjoy promoting local poetry and giving local poets some of the recognition they deserve.
6. Do you ever read any of the entries for the contest?
A part of my job includes the initial sorting of the poems, so yes, I read all the entries.
7. How did you become interested in poetry?
I can't remember a time when I didn't write. I became seriously interested in college when I won third place in a contest with a sonnet I wrote for a class.
8. Did you enjoy reading poetry as a child? If so who were your favorite poets?
I didn't start reading poetry seriously until I was in college. Favorite poets? Seamus Heaney, Lisel Mueller, Jorie Graham, Li-young Lee, Pablo Neruda, Rainer Maria Rilke, Rumi.
9. Who are your favorite poets now?
see above...
10. Do you write or have you written any poems yourself, and if so,
would you tell us about your own poetry?
I have an MFA in Poetry from WMU and was lucky enough to have won first place in the adult division of the Dyer-Ives contest back in 1994 (or '95?). I try for strong images, blunt honesty, fluid language. I revise to get rid of anything too self-conscious or pretty.... And revise and revise. Sometimes a poem just falls out whole. Those are gifts.
11. What style of poetry do you enjoy the most?
I like all sorts of poetry, as long as it's true and alive. It helps if it's well-crafted.
12. What advice do you have for aspiring poets?
Read contemporary poets, write poems for people you love. Maybe take a class--mostly for the community aspect of writing. Keep a poetry notebook where you save images, ideas, quotes, fragments, first lines, copies of favorite poems you've read, and drafts and drafts of your own poems. It's like a verbal playground on paper. And send poems to the Dyer-Ives contest!