The Blue Skunk Poetry Series is named for the literal translation of Mankato, the home base of RockSaw press. When naming the town, the intention was to name it Mahkato, which in Dakota meant Blue Earth. However, thanks to a typographical error, it was named Mankato. Or, Blue Skunk. No one’s capitalized on the error in the literary world, so we thought we would.

May we now introduce you to the Blue Skunk Poetry Series in its first year. This competition will be annual and the final judge will be a poet of stature. This year’s judge is Steve Gehrke, author of Michelangelo's Seizure and The Pyramids of Malpighi.

There is no specific theme to the contest, but it should be known that RockSaw Press has a soft spot for anything about the Midwest or blue collar working. However, quality always wins out. We want to see the best work you’ve got.

The winner, along with publication, will receive 20 copies of the chap and $100. The prize amount may go up depending on amount of submissions.

For submission guidelines, please check our submission page.

Blue Skunk Poetry Series