Poetry Contest: 2015 Sue C. Boynton

Poetry displayed on a metal pedestal outside the downtown Bellingham Library

It’s that time of the year again!  Get your poems out and count your syllables.  Here are deadlines for the Sue C. Boynton poetry contest:

Submissions open: Sunday, March 1, 2015

Submission deadline: 6:00 pm, Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Winners notified by phone or e-mail: by April 30, 2015

Awards ceremony: Thursday, May 14, 201

The contest is named for Sue Crocker Boynton, an early resident of Whatcom County, Washington, who helped organize Bellingham’s PTAs and St. Luke’s Hospital Assistance League. Boynton came to Bellingham as a bride in 1906, taught classes at the YWCA and, in 1917, climbed Mt. Baker. Although she did not consider herself more than an amateur poet, she poured her emotions and thoughts into verse and inspired others to write.

Sue C. Boynton’s last public reading was in July 1976 at age 95 when she read a message from President Ford along with one of her poems for the Bicentennial program in the old City Hall. Sue Boynton died in 1981. The story of her life is told in The Sue Boynton Story by Dorothy Koert, published in 1982 by the Whatcom County Historical Society.

Get more information at the website

The Boynton Blog

Good luck!

Published by Shannon Laws

Shannon Laws is an award-winning poet, performer, and advocate for the arts. She has been recognized with two Mayor’s Arts Awards and the Dr. Asha Bhargava Memorial Award — Community Champion. Her work has been featured in numerous journals and anthologies, and she has captivated audiences at esteemed literary events, including the Jack McCarthy Evergreen Invitational Slam, SpeakEasy, Poetry Night, Kitchen Sessions, and the West Coast Tagore Festival. Beyond her writing and performances, Shannon actively fosters literary and artistic communities. Since 2022, she has curated Corridor, a monthly “found-art” zine project that showcases the work of more than 50 contributing poets and artists. She is also the founder and host of Poetry Club, an engaging discussion group established in 2015.

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