The Stafford Challenge 2025-26 Anthology

About the Anthology

A collection of over 200 poems from a global community of poets who committed to writing a poem a day for a year.

Featuring original work by acclaimed poets including Naomi Shihab Nye, Kim Stafford, Kelli Russell Agodon, Vince Gotera, and more, this anthology showcases just a fraction of the thousands of poems written between January 17, 2025, and January 16, 2026, by members of The Stafford Challenge community. Inspired by the daily writing practice of William Stafford, these poets—from seasoned voices to those discovering their craft—dedicated themselves to a yearlong poetic journey. Whether they wrote every single day or simply showed up as life allowed, each poem here stands as a tribute to that commitment.

This collection is a celebration of the creative spirit, dedicated to anyone who has ever felt the deep pull of language, creativity, and the desire to express something potent and true.

Mary Anne Abdo, Jeanne Adwani, Kelli Russell Agodon, Stefan Albrektsson, Brianne Alcala, Virginia Lee Alcott, Jonathan Andres, Ann Arbor, Josefina Augusto, Suzanne Austin-Hill, Lana Hechtman Ayers, Kate Ballew, Syd Bartman, Reva Basch, Amy Baskin, Regina Beach, Christine Beauchaine, Brittany Bergin-Foss, Robert Birch, Phaedra Bishop, Jocelyn Boor, Jonah Bornstein, Aham Brahmasmi, Kara Briggs, Amy Brock, Phyllis Brown, Simone Brutsché, Linda Budan, Kendall Cable, Jillian Calahan, Samuel Calhoun, C.A. Carpenter, Andrea Carr, Margery Chellberg, RJ Clarken, Tim Conroy, Mary Jo Cook, Susan Michele Coronel, Glenda Cowen-Funk, Holly Crosson, Colette Crown, Theresa Cushing, Donna D’Orio, Jane Daniel, Laura Daniels, Jeanice Eagan Davis, Allison deFreese, Michelle DeRose, Tamera Dobbins, Barbara Edler, Leslie Enzian, Karin Evans, R.G. Evans, Helena Fagan, Lisa Farthing, Indrani Fausch, Shelby Fisk, Mary Eichhorn Fletcher, Beate Foit, Rich Follett, Nancy Fowler, Holly Freifeld, Judith-Kate Friedman, Linda Meg Frith, CMarie Fuhrman, Trina Gaynon, Geri Geasland, Linda Gelbrich, Fred Gerhard, Page Getz, Sarah Jane Gilliam, Greacian Goeke, Tanya Gogo, Linda Goin, Paul Goldman, Becky Goodwin, Vince Gotera, Carol Griffin, Tina Gross, Tom Guldin, Jan Haag, Amy Hadley, Susan Haifleigh, Lisa Hajda, Jim Hanlen, Lisa J Hardy, Margaret Hartsook, Christina Hauck, Joal Hetherington, Bob Hoeppner, David Hoffmann, Sarah Katreen Hoggatt, Jared Horn, RJ Equality Ingram, Holly Jahangiri, Kimberly Johnson, Libby Falk Jones, Dottie Joslyn, Leatha Kendrick, Pamela Kenley-Meschino, Anne Kellas, Liz Kingsley, Paulissa Kipp, Cynthia Kittredge, Dianne Knox, Pauline Kochanski, Shirley Koepsell, Jeff Lacey, Christine Lamb, Christina Valentine Larsen, Susan Lasater, Brenda Laurel, Bethany Lee, M.E. Lee, Michele LeNoir, Jeffrey Levy, Lisa Lindsay, Susan Littlefield, Mike Luster, Tasha Lynn, M. L. Lyons, Jone Rush MacCulloch, Dory Maguire, Dorothy Power Marshall, Catherine Martell, Sharon Mast, Carol May, Karen McCaskey, Christina L. McCleanhan, Jackie McClure, Jay McCoy, Tod McCoy, Megan McDonald, Fran McManus, RSM, Wendy McVicker, Julia Meylor Simpson, Jean Voneman Mikhail, Paula Baughman Miller, Jennifer H. Monaghan, Kate McCarroll Moore, Dina Moreno, Chandra Tyler Mountain, NanLeah, Bonnie Naradzay, Camille Norvaisas, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jenny Olson, Diane O’Neill, Donna Padgett, Aniya Papaya, Jane Pearson, Catherine Perkins, Mary Louise Peters, Kevin Peterson, Sandra Place, Dela Posey, Jennifer Pratt-Walter, Vanessa Proctor, Quigley Provost-Landrum, Laura Puryear, Dr Q, Melissa Rankin, Kathryn Reilly, Kaci Rigney, Richard Robbins, Todd Robinson, Shelly Rodrigue, Brian Rohr, Sarah Rohrs, John Rolston, Jennifer Rood, Marcia Rutan, Carrie Sanford, Sarah Sansbury, Leslayann Schecterson, Dennis Schmidling, Kay Schwartz, Julie Sevilla Drake, Lisa Shahon, Abbie Shanahan, Sheryl Shapiro, Ron Shapiro, Erin T. Sim, Andy Smith, Jennifer Susan Smith, Sherry Weaver Smith, Liane Sousa, Perry SK Spring, Tim Sroka, Michelle St. Romain Wilson, Kim Stafford, John Stickney, D. Yohanna Storm, Jessica Swafford, John Swainston, Nicole Sybesma, Julie Taylor, Melisa Thomas Bush, Kathryn True, Gail Hathaway Tupper, Lesley Tyson, Carol Tyx, J.O. Whisper Vaughn-Edwards, Mary Vee, Jayne Vondrak, Michaelle Washington, Sharon Waters, Laura West Hall, Crystal White, Jennifer Rose White, Chris Whitney, Brenda Wildrick, Hiram Williams, Melody Wilson, Carl Woestwin, Jan Worth, Anya Zamiar, Marianne Murphy Zarzana, Michael Zinkowski

The Stafford Challenge is a yearlong international poetry project inspired by the daily writing practice of poet William Stafford. Launched on January 17, 2024—Stafford’s birthday—by poet and storyteller Brian Rohr, the challenge invites participants to write a poem every day for a year. In the inaugural year, over 1,150 poets from 28 countries and 49 U.S. states (plus DC) signed up to participate. Now in its third year with over 1,450 participants, this challenge is a celebration of daily creativity, community, and the belief that poetry can help us navigate and make meaning of the world around us. The project is free to join and welcomes writers of all levels. Click here to learn more.