Ode to the ZIP Code Poetry Contest Deadline Extended
Still Time to Send Us Poems Inspired By Your ZIP Code
FEB. 27, 2021 — Your ZIP Code matters. It’s not just an address, it’s an identity.
Entries are currently being accepted for the sixth annual Ode to the ZIP Code poetry contest, a partnership of The Fair Housing Center, The Arts Commission, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Toledo City Paper, and Toledo Area Parent. The Fair Housing Center is a member of the Toledo Community Coalition.
This free poetry contest invites local residents to submit short poems inspired by their ZIP Code, where the number of words in each line of the poem is determined by the corresponding digit of their ZIP Code. All ages and neighborhoods are welcome.
The contest has received more than 100 entries to date but organizers are seeking additional submissions to round out the youth category. The deadline has been extended and entries will now be accepted through March 1 at https://toledocitypaper.com/
Participants can contact their Library for help completing the online form.
Winners selected from youth (11 and under), young adult (12-17), and adult (18 and older) categories will be awarded cash prizes. Top poems will also be published in Toledo City Paper and Toledo Area Parent. All entries will be juried, and finalists will be featured in a special virtual event in April.
April is both National Poetry Month and Fair Housing Month. The Ode to the ZIP Code event is a fun and creative way to engage the community in talking about how our life experiences are shaped by where we live. Inspiration for the contest came from the O, Miami Poetry Festival and WLRN-Miami Herald News, the originators of the “zip ode” concept.
