The Connecticut Poetry Society was founded on October 4, 1974, at the Hartford Public Library. The meeting was called to order by Cheryl J. King of Hartford, and it called itself the Connecticut State Poetry Association, with approximately 15 members. Meetings were held monthly at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford, and dues were $5 per year.

In 1975, CPS became affiliated with the National Federation of Poetry Societies. Stephen Torrey of Broad Brook was elected president.

In 1976, Ben Brodinsky was elected president, Brooks Lushington was VP, and Steve Torrey was Secretary/Treasurer. A list of subsequent presidents is attached.

In 1976, the first poetry contest, known as the Joseph E. Brodine Memorial Poetry Awards, was launched with prizes of $50, $30, and $20. The first annual picnic and “yellow pad” contest were held.

In 1977, the New Haven-Hamden Chapter started, and chapters at the time grew to include: Danbury, Darien, Fairfield, Manchester, Middletown-Portland-Cromwell, New Canaan, New Milford, Old Saybrook, Plainville, Stratford, Southbury, and Waterbury.

In 1978, Connecticut River Review published its first volume under editor Candace Catlin Hall. In 1979, Mahlon Hayden of Mansfield became the editor of CRR. Editor Virginia Brady Young took over in 1983.

By 1980, the Society had chapters in Hartford, Hamden-New Haven, and Danbury. Membership by 1981 was about 80. By 1984, chapters in Stratford, Waterbury, and Old Saybrook were added. A special issue “Connecticut Poets at Work” showcased works in progress.

In 1985, CPS was incorporated as a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, and a revised constitution was adopted. In 1986, the constitution (now called bylaws) was further revised to change the fiscal year from July 1 – June 30. The membership year switched to May 1 – April 30 (previously, members had renewed in the month they joined). Also in 1986, the publication Connecticut the Beautiful, poems on Connecticut by CPS members, was released.

The 1988 annual meeting was held on May 21 at Darien High School. The following year, it was May 21 at Harbor Park in Middletown.

CPS-sponsored contests included the Brodine-Brodinsky contest (1989), the Wallace Winchell contest, the Al Savard Contest, and the Connecticut River Review Contest.

In 1990, the DeCaro family endowed a contest for Connecticut high school students in memory of their daughter, Lynn.

In 1990, the Middletown Chapter published Collective Voices, the first journal of poems primarily by chapter members only. It continued for several years.

In 1994, total membership reached 175 from the beginning number of 18 members. Peter Ulisse and Ann Yarmal published the first Long River Run, a membership-only collection of poems with printing assistance from AETNA to commemorate the Society’s 20th year.

From 1993-1994, Norman Kraeft was President, followed by founding member Peter Ulisse and then Ann Yarmal. Other Presidents (in order as best we can determine) are Cheryl King, Steve Torrey, Ben Brodinsky, Ann Yarmal, Bryanne Nanfito, Joseph A. Ruef, Ida Fleming, Meg Wood, Gerard Coulombe, Nina Kraus, Joan Ketrys, Sheila McGuinness, and Peter Holden.

In 2006, CPS President Joan Ketrys resigned after many years as President, and a new slate of officers was elected, including Christine Beck, President; Tony Fusco, VP, Connecticut River Review Editor, and Webmaster; Julia Paul, Membership; Ginny Connors, Contest Chair; and Lorna Cyr, Publicity. Guss Stepp remained as Treasurer until his death in August 2007, at which point Emerson Gilmore became Treasurer and then President.

CPS developed several important initiatives beginning in 2006. It established a website, ctpoetry.net, first under Ginny Connors and later was redesigned by Tony Fusco. It also set up an email address: connpoetry@comcast.net. The membership list was converted by Julia Paul to an email database so that members could be sent notices by email.

The Society also increased its visibility and participation in the National Federation of State Poetry Societies. Christine Beck became Contest Chair for NFSPS for the contest years 2009 and 2010 and attended the annual meetings, where she announced the awards.

CPS re-established its annual holiday reading in December, held at Butterworth Hall on the University of Hartford campus. In 2010, it held two holiday readings – one at Butterworth Hall and the other at the home of longtime member Vivian Shipley in East Haven. It also reestablished its summer picnic reading at Vivian Shipley’s home.

The society sponsored several popular workshops, including one on getting published by Tony Fusco and Ravi Shankar, and one on writing from prompts by Maria Sassi.

CPS added a Hartford-area chapter under Chapter President Ginny Connors, which has met since 2006, first at Butterworth Hall on the University of Hartford campus, on the second Sunday of the month. The Guilford Poetry Guild became an Institutional Member, as did the Friends and Enemies of Wallace Stevens. In 2011, Christine Beck reinstituted a New Haven Chapter of CPS.

After several years of multiple poetry contests that were running at very little to no profit, it was decided to combine the Brodine-Brodinsky and the Wallace Winchell contests as the Connecticut Poetry Award to honor Brodine, Brodinsky, and Winchell. The prize was increased to $500, and with publicity in Poets & Writers Magazine and elsewhere, the new contest became profitable. In 2010, the entry dates for several contests were adjusted to space them throughout the calendar year.

In 2009, following four years as Editor of CRR and two years as Editor of Long River Run, the CPS-members-only journal, Tony Fusco turned over the reins. Lisa Siedlarz became Editor of CRR, and Emerson Gilmore became Editor of LRR. Their terms as Editors expired in April 2011. Pat Mottola became Editor of CRR, and Christine Beck became Editor of LRR.

At the annual meeting in April of 2011, President Tony Fusco stepped down, and Emerson Gilmore became President. In 2012, the Annual Poetry Blast event was begun with a program and book fair. The following year, Emerson Gilmore stepped down, and Tony Fusco became the President.

In 2016, the Board consisted of: President Tony Fusco; Secretary Christine Beck; Treasurer Michael Lepore; Newsletter Chair Ginny Connors; Editor of CRR, Pat Mottola; Contest Chair Joan Hofmann; and at large, Victor Altshul and Evelyn Atreya.

In 2016, Christine Beck started the Poets on Poetry (POP) program at the Hartford Public Library. Once a month a poet would present a program on either a poet or a poetic technique. These programs were open to the general public as well as to our CPS members. In 2018, the Poets on Poetry (POP) presentation series expanded to additional venues.

The Board consisted of: Co-Presidents Tony Fusco and Pat Mottola; Vice President Victor Altshul; Secretary Christine Beck; Treasurer Mike Lepore; Editor of CRR, Newsletter Chair Ginny Connors; and Contest Chair Joan Hofmann. Member at large: Julia Paul.

In 2019, Michael Lepore stepped down as Treasurer, and Mark Sheridan took over. In 2019-2020, longtime board member, past President, Secretary, and POP founder and Director Christine Beck resigned. Victor Altshul stepped up to become Vice President, Patti Fusco took over Membership, David Cundy handled publicity, and Debbie Gilbert became Co-Editor of the Connecticut River Review. New Chapters were founded by Christine Kalafus in Pomfret and a Haiku chapter online by Marita Gargiulo.

In 2020, Pat Mottola became President. Co-President Tony Fusco stepped down from that role and took on webmaster duties only. Jeanne LeVasseur became the new POP Director, and Kathleen McIntosh took over the duties of Contest Chair from Joan Hofmann. Because of the pandemic, CPS moved the POP programs to Zoom and conducted other business on the group meeting site. Some CPS chapters continued to meet via Zoom. The summer picnic was canceled. The Connecticut River Review was published as usual, and newsletters and contests also had no interruption. A new Chapter, The Shoreline, was started by Roger Singer, and a Ridgefield Chapter by Barb Jennes. The first Halloween Howl was held for the membership, also on Zoom. CPS begin holding monthly Open Mic’s which we called MOMs.