Just Poets

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Just Poets is a Rochester, NY literary group formed in June 2004 by former Rochester Poets members D.M. Marbach, C.M. Stanek, H.B. Dill and L.D. Divers.

The group's mission is to celebrate poets and poetry. To those ends, it conducts workshops, readings, and networking within the literary community. Just Poets also works to increase public awareness and appreciation of poetry through readings, a speakers bureau, written articles, and sponsored talks, readings and workshops by established poets. In 2005, it co-sponsored (with the Arts Minor program at St. John Fisher College) a tribute reading to poet, editor and literary critic Hayden Carruth; in 2006, it co-sponsored (with the Language and Literature Department of Rochester Institute of Technology) poet Cornelius Eady.

The group publishes an annual anthology of member work, Le Mot Juste, printed by FootHills Publishing of Kanona, NY. The first issue was published in May, 2005 and was edited by the group's 2005 Executive Committee (Marbach, Stanek, Geraldine Hogan, and Dill).

The 2005 issue contains the work of members Frieda Arena, Anita Augesen, Ron Bailey, Margaret M. Baumler, Joy Bennett, Mary DiGennaro, Dill, Divers, Jen Eddy, Hogan, Pat Janus, Trish Johnson, Tim Kelley, Lorran Latham, Gary Lehmann, Gary Lisman, Marbach, Wynne McClure, Joy Lynne Messenger, Phil Morabito, David Michael Nixon, Sal Parlato, Jr., Colleen Powderly, Patricia Roth Schwartz, Ed Scutt, Suzanne P. Slack, Stanek, Roger Walsh, Paula Weld-Cary, David White, and Ruth M. Wright.

As of August 2006, Just Poets was revising its By-laws to qualify as a not-for-profit organization. After the resignation of Stanek as vice-president, the board consisted of Marbach, Kathleen Van Schaick, Augesen, and Lisman.

The group also maintains a blog.