Texas Poetry Ballots

TEXAS POETRY BALLOTS

In September 2020, as the general election approached, TXPOETRYBALLOTS invited Texas writers to submit poems they wished to accompany their ballots. This call was open from September 16-November 3, 2020. 41 accepted poems were published daily from the first day of early voting in Texas, October 13, through general election day, November 3, 2020.

THE POEMS

Read the Texas Poetry Ballots poems.

THE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Well-acquainted with the power of poetry to express our hopes and heartaches related to all matters of personal and public life, we asked for submissions that communicated in the special language of poetry what a simple ballot or vote cannot do alone. We wanted to share what Texas poets would say about why they vote, what their ballot means to them or is responding to, who they dedicate their vote to, as well as their struggles with and faith in the promise of democracy itself. Other matters of concern and feeling were also possible of course.

CONTRIBUTORS

Matthew Arnold - Jerry Bradley - Paola Brinkley - Hal C. Clark - Sherry Craven - Margo Davis - Jesse Doiron - Chris Ellery - Casey Ford - Christian Garduno - Lyman Grant - Renae Brumbaugh Green - Jean Hackett - Katherine Hoerth - Gretchen Johnson - Kathryn Jones - Ulf Kirchdorfer - Christopher L. Morrow - Tom Murphy - Meg Oldman - Juan Manuel Pérez - Moumin Quazi - Carol Coffee Reposa - Marilyn Robitaille - Sumera Saleem - Jan Seale - Herman Sutter - Jeffrey L. Taylor - Loretta Diane Walker - Nate Wilbert - Donald Mace Williams - Steve Wilson - Antoinette F. Winstead