Many are published in paper.
But in Appleton, poets have a unique opportunity to be published in concrete; to inspire passersby who aren’t necessarily seeking out thoughtful verse.
They have a chance to make their words a piece of our community.
The city’s public works department is seeking submissions for the seventh year of its Sidewalk Poetry Program. Those chosen will have their poems stamped into sidewalks around the city.
Poems must be submitted by Feb. 21, 2020 to paula.vandehey@appleton.org. The city will announce the selections on March 18.
The program is open Appleton residents and students of the Appleton Area School District.• The poems can be previously published or unpublished, as long as it’s the original work of the entrant.
Poems must fit within a maximum of 10 lines to include title. They must be held to 35 characters per line including spaces and 225 characters overall including spaces.
Subject matter must be appropriate for the general public and applicants may submit one poem per year.
Year by year, the city’s sidewalks are becoming a deeper poetry book.
Appleton’s program began in 2014. The idea was borrowed from a St. Paul, Minn. artist who started the effort in the Twin Cities.
Though it’s special to simply come across one of the poems while on a walk, it could also be fun to make a day of it. Click here for a list of locations of Appleton’s sidewalk poems.
