Limerick contest brainstorming

May 24, 2010 1:16 PM

Help me brainstorm a limerick contest.

I'm planning on having exactly this sort of contest in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. If you were to consider entering, what would encourage you to do so? If you were to host such a thing, what categories of limericks would you look for? What partners and sponsors might you consider? What would you do to celebrate it? Would you publish the poems? Where and how?

Whatever you think might make this fun, pitch the idea in. It's in the brainstorming phase, and I could use your crackling, fevered, thunderous imaginations.

posted by Astro Zombie to writing & language (8 answers total)

Well, I would definitely call it "A Night in Nantucket."
posted by jbickers at 1:26 PM on May 24, 2010

There once was a contest of limericks
Astro Zombie pulled out all the big tricks
Buckets and titties
In the Twin Cities
And don’t forget dirty politics
posted by agatha_magatha at 1:36 PM on May 24, 2010

I was once in a spoken limerick contest and it got really, really raunchy. I was embarrassed having kids nearby and I don't get embarrassed easily. Just warning ya.

Your sponsors depend on how you want to spin it. From the condom store to the book store. Is it live? Or is it chapbook?

Okay, advice. Make them written. Make categories (politics, etc.). Self-publish a chapbook from it and have a publication party with local actors reading them out loud.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 1:38 PM on May 24, 2010

OK, I was doing the rhyme scheme off the top of my head and got it wrong--so obviously a refresher on the rules would be good.

I'd do different categories like politics, raunchy (unless you want family-friendly), pop culture---more categories and smaller rewards=more winners, more happy people.

At my work, we've sponsored poetry contests from folks (with a Transportation theme as we are a transit agency) and then actually published the winners as posters on the trains. I think we did an earthday-themed contest as well.

If you want sponsors, you could ask that everyone enter a limerick that has a positive message about the sponsoring company...

It would be fun to have folks reading pre-written work--but it would be hysterical to have them think up some on the spot (I've done this with Haiku).
posted by agatha_magatha at 1:47 PM on May 24, 2010

I would give separate prizes for "clean" and "dirty." I would also give prizes for topics. "Best Limerick To Use the Word 'Orange.'"
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 2:12 PM on May 24, 2010

Or if you wanted to make it harder (and, arguably, more fun), have a double dactyl contest instead. And absolutely publish the results, online if nowhere else.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 3:04 PM on May 24, 2010

Per agatha_magatha's last comment, I think having an "improv" contest would be a fun component of it. You give a topic — "BP oil spill", "LOST finale", etc. — and they have three minutes to come up with a limerick based on the topic.
posted by Alt F4 at 5:39 PM on May 24, 2010

Oh ... sorry. I was in "live event at a bookstore" mode, rather than "people write them down and send them in" mode. Still ... if you have a party, improv.
posted by Alt F4 at 5:40 PM on May 24, 2010