Wanted: 100 great young poets to help light a hundred candles for the "Hokie" victims of April 16, 2007

      The lone assassin at Virginia Tech revealed the darker side of his mind in his creative writing classes. The plays and stories he wrote were often filled with blackness and terror, so much that many fellow students refused to stay in the same classroom with him. Creative writing for him nourished the bitter stew of anger in his mind.

But we also know that creative writing classes in colleges can unleash students'  imaginations and generate many powerful, helpful emotions, helping them better understand relationships with parents and friends and their own attitudes. It becomes a way of "thinking with ink" in solving personal problems, and looking into the future. Composing a poem becomes the "Poetry of Life."

Now we would like to harness that force for good with a new "Young Poets" contest for poets between the ages of 16-24. One hundred of the best poems and poets would be selected, with their work published on the Internet and in book form. Thirty percent of the profits of this book will be donated to Virginia Tech to honor this faculty, students and this great school - continuing to recover from the the terrible trauma of April 16.

The Rules

1. Write a poem about your feelings, your life, your concerns, what makes you happy, and what makes you sad - a poem about your life. Open to everyone 16-26 years of age. Word limit: up to 400 words

2. Submit your best poem by email  or snail mail to Young Poets, P.O. Box 3651, Williamsburg, VA 23188. Deadline for entries is January 31, 2008.

3. The poems must not contain violent scenes, language or pornography. They are meant to express the Poetry of Life that will insights of others in their own lives.

4. All  poets selected will receive "Top 100 Young Poets" Award Certificates. All poems submitted will be considered for publication on the web with the top 100 poems published in a new paperback book, "Young Poets" with brief bios of the poets. Thirty percent of the profits from the sale of the book will go to Virgina Tech to honor the Hokie spirit of faculty and students. The book will also be available as a free download on this website with a direct connection hyperlink to Virginia Tech for everyone who wants to make a contribution directly to that college's general fund.

Judges of this poetry contest:

Aileen Judd, Editor of "Young Poets" and Senior, College of William & Mary

Paul Plawin, Past President of the Society of American Travel Writers and former Careers Editor of Kiplinger's Changing Times magazine

Hal E. Gieseking, Former Consumer Editor of the Reader's Digest's Travel Holiday magazine and former on-air contributor to CBS Morning News