Chapter Happenings
New Mexico Poetry Society is made up of Chapters, groups of five or more NMSPS members who meet regularly, in person or electronically.
- For information about a particular chapter, click on the Chapter name below
- All Chapter meetings are free and open to the public
- Each Chapter determines its own meeting location, format, and programming. With COVID-19 restrictions on in-person gatherings still in place, most NMSPS chapter meetings and events are being held virtually, via Zoom. To attend a virtual chapter meeting or event, submit an invitation request below and the relevant chapter chair will email you an invitation with the link.
- NMSPS is a vibrant and dynamic organization. If there is no NMSPS Chapter listed below which matches your location or poetic interest, please contact the Membership Chair about Chapters in Formation.
NMSPS Chapters
Albuquerque
(meets in Albuquerque)
Rio Grande Valencia Poets
(meets in Los Lunas)
Silver City Poets
(meets in Silver City)
The Santa Fe Poetry Trails
(meets in Santa Fe)
Albuquerque Chapter
ABQ Chair
Hello Poets!
We are looking forward to another great year of meeting in person in 2025! Our meetings are held on the second Saturday of every month (September through May) from 10:00 a.m. until noon. Meetings are held at the North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, 7521 Carmel NE, Albuquerque (near Wyoming and Paseo del North NE). I am currently working up the schedule for this next period and will update this notice as slots get filled in. Currently scheduled meetings:
8 March, 10:00 a.m. — Janet Ruth (NMSPS Albuquerque Chapter Chair). Janet will be presenting on writing ekphrastic poetry and will be engaging some local artists/poets to bring in a couple of their pieces of art for potential inspiration.
12 April, 10:00 a.m. — David Meischen (Albuquerque Chapter member) will be using a selection of poems from Tony Hoagland’s posthumous collection, Turn Up the Ocean, with its focus on mortality, to inspire us.
10 May, 10:00 a.m. — Donald Levering (Santa Fe). “The Power of IF and Its Compadre WOULD.” This is how Donald describes what he plans to do:
“If can take you anywhere, if you’ve the verve in your words to go. Or it’ll take you where you’d pray to never be, like confronted with a MAGAmaniac’s stun gun.
If’s syntactic partner is often would, contracted to ‘d. If you were a woodpecker, would you come knocking? If Silverstein had a brontosaurus, would he name it Morris or Horace? If Dylan had a hammer…
Would Pessoa have his reasons if he says that rivers sing? What if you had seasons, would you paint the sky green? Would you lean into Kantner’s wind and tell it where you wanted to go, or put your head into his surrealistic pillow?”
Albuquerque Chapter members receive occasional emails, with information about meeting date/time/location, etc., from the Albuquerque Chapter Chair. If you are not a member of the Albuquerque Chapter, you can contact the chair to receive information.
Yours for More Poetry,
Janet Ruth
Handouts from previous Albuquerque Chapter workshops
⬇️ John Roche’s Workshop “Punctuating Poetry” (November 2023)
⬇️ Janet Ruth’s W.S. Merwin Workshop Handout (September 2023)
⬇️ Jesse Ehrenberg’s How to Use a Mic handout (from October 2022)
⬇️ Janet Ruth’s Villanelle Workshop handout (from May 2022)
⬇️ Jules Nyquist’s Sestina Workshop handout (from April 2022)
⬇️ Scott Wiggerman’s Ghazal Workshop handout (from March 2022)
⬇️ Shirley Blackwell’s Sonnet Workshop handout (from February 2022)
⬇️ David Meischen’s Limerick Workshop handout (from November 2021)
⬇️ Donald Levering’s Pantoum Workshop handout (from October 2021)
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Multimedia & Songwriting Chapter
Chapter Chair
Rio Grande Valencia Poets Chapter
We are currently meeting on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m., via Zoom.
Upcoming meetings in 2025:
March 5
April 2
May 7
June 4
July 2
August 6
September 3
October 1
November 5
December 3
🔔 To attend the next meeting of the Rio Grande Valencia Poets chapter, submit an invitation request below and chapter chair Kuan Tikun will email you an invitation with the Zoom link.
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Chapter Chair
Contact Lynne
SILVER CITY POETS Chapter
The Silver City Poets currently meet the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month from 1:00-2:00 pm at the Silver City Visitors Center at the corner of Broadway and Hudson.
Every 2nd Saturday, the Tranquil Buzz hosts a poetry open mic from 12:00-2:00 pm coordinated by Shelly Barnett.
Poetic Outlaws, an open mic format, meets the 3rd Friday of the month at 5:30 pm at The Lodge, Whiskey Creek Zocalo, 11786 HWY 180 East, Arenas Valley, NM 88022.
Check back for more updates. You can also check the NMSPS Calendar of Events for other local and statewide events.
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Chapter Chair
Contact Us
The Santa Fe Poetry Trails Chapter
Happy New Year to everyone from Santa Fe Poetry Trails! Here are some events taking place in and around Santa Fe in 2023.
JANUARY
Kristian Macaron Poetry Reading
Jan. 22
Kristian Macaron resides in Albuquerque, NM. Her writing is inspired by this colorful landscape and explores tales that derive from connections to her Hispanic/Lebanese-American heritage, but also her love for cryptids, portals, geology and time travel. Sunday, January 22, 2023 5:00 p.m. at Teatro Paraguas. More info here.
FEBRUARY
Creative Coffee Online
Feb. 1
Creative Coffee is an online mastermind group on Meetup for creative entrepreneurs that meets monthly. You’ll get time to share what you’re working on and get feedback, ideas and support from the group. The next meeting is on Wednesday, February 1, 2023, at 9 a.m. More info here.
Santa Fe Poetry Trails First Monday Open Mic/Feb 6
The Santa Fe Poetry Trails chapter meets for an open mic once a month. Open Mic on the first Monday, February 6, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. at Teatro Paraguas, 3205 Calle Marie. Marina creates a list of readers. You may also attend without reading, but you could read a poem written by another poet. In any case, welcome! Each reading slot is three minutes. More info here.
MARCH
Santa Fe Poetry Trails First Monday Open Mic
March 6
The Santa Fe Poetry Trails chapter meets for an open mic once a month. Open Mic on the first Monday, March 6, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. at Teatro Paraguas, 3205 Calle Marie. Marina creates a list of readers. You may also attend without reading, but you could read a poem written by another poet. In any case, welcome! Each reading slot is three minutes. More info here.
APRIL
Santa Fe Poetry Trails First Monday Open Mic
April 3
The Santa Fe Poetry Trails chapter meets for an open mic once a month. Open Mic on the first Monday, April 3, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. at Teatro Paraguas, 3205 Calle Marie. Marina creates a list of readers. You may also attend without reading, but you could read a poem written by another poet. In any case, welcome! Each reading slot is three minutes. More info here.
MAY
Santa Fe Poetry Trails First Monday Open Mic
May 1
The Santa Fe Poetry Trails chapter meets for an open mic once a month. Open Mic on the first Monday, May 1, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. at Teatro Paraguas, 3205 Calle Marie. Marina creates a list of readers. You may also attend without reading, but you could read a poem written by another poet. In any case, welcome! Each reading slot is three minutes. More info here.
Santa Fe International Literary Festival
May 19-21
The Santa Fe International Literary Festival will take place May 19-21, 2023, bringing together world-renowned authors, thinkers and passionate readers. The Festival connects writers, readers, and thinkers — from around the world and close to home — in the celebration of words and story. More info here.
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Virtual (Zoom) Chapter Meeting Invitation Request
Last updated on February 13, 2025