- This event has passed.
Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest Opening Event
April 30 @ 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Sonnet Contest celebrates National Poetry Month and Ted Haaland’s Legacy
The Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest invites you to celebrate the opening of this
year’s contest and National Poetry Month on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, from 6:30-9:00 pm at the
Blue Heron Coffeehouse (162 W 2 nd St.). Light refreshments will be served. This event is free and
open to the public. Live music by Flutistry will accompany social time starting at 6:30pm.
At 7:00pm, we will celebrate the life and legacy of the contest’s benefactor and former director,
Ted Haaland who passed away on February 17th. Ted spent the years following the death of his
beloved Maria writing poetry every day. Under his leadership, a small, local contest spread
around the world, with the 2023 event receiving 700 sonnets from poets in 43 US states and 16
other countries. Ted’s friends and admirers are invited to say a few words and/or share a poem in
his honor at this event. Friends are also invited to attend a memorial service for Ted on Friday,
May 3rd at 10am at Hoff Funeral Home in Winona.
About the Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest:
The Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest is an annual event that welcomes entries from around the
world to Winona. Prizes totaling $3,200 are awarded in four categories: Top Four, Regional,
Youth, and Laureates’ Choice.
The contest honors the memory of Maria W. Faust: a Winona State University graduate in
Communications; a twenty-year resident of Winona; an avid supporter of varied local arts; and a
lover of poetry. Maria’s husband, Ted Haaland, is the contest’s benefactor, with the goal of
keeping Maria’s love of poetry alive in our community and beyond.
The judges’ panel includes Winona’s Poets Laureate James Armstrong, Ken McCullough and
Emilio DeGrazia, and Leslie Schultz of Northfield, MN. Heidi Bryant is the managing director of
the contest. Great River Shakespeare Festival and River Arts Alliance are partners.
To learn more about the Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest, please visit sonnetcontest.org or email
[email protected]. Information about National Poetry Month is available at
poets.org/national-poetry-month.