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Winning Writers Newsletter
October 2005 |
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Welcome to our October newsletter.
Congratulations to
Poetry Contest Insider subscriber Judith Goldhaber. She won the "In the Beginning Was the Word"
Literary Arts Contest for the second year in a row. This contest seeks work that explores some question animating the human spiritual quest. Read her winning poem,
"MEA CULPA: A Crown of Sonnets".
All best,
Adam Cohen & Jendi Reiter
WinningWriters.com
One of the 101 Best Web Sites for Writers
(Writer's Digest, 2005)
Re-elect Winning Writers
Writer's Digest is calling for nominations for its 2006
101 Best Websites for Writers. As you know, we were thrilled to be named to this list in 2005. Please consider sending an email to
writersdig@fwpubs.com. Put "101 Sites" in the subject line and include a brief note about how Winning Writers helps you. We appreciate it! |
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The Best Free Poetry Contests |
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Deadlines: October 16 - November 30
10/27:
Kiriyama Prize +++
Entries must be received by this date
Contest for published books about the Pacific Rim and South Asia that encourage greater understanding of this culturally diverse region. Two prizes of $15,000, one for a book of nonfiction and the other for a book of poetry or prose. The
first English-language edition of the book from a US or Canadian publisher must have been published in the calendar year in which the deadline falls.
10/31:
Eric Gregory Awards [.pdf] +++
Entries must be received by this date
Offers prizes totaling up to 24,000 pounds for poetry, drama-poems or belles lettres by authors under 30 as of March 31, 2006. The author must be a British subject by birth but not a national of Eire or any of the British Dominions or
Colonies. The author must ordinarily be resident in the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland.
10/31:
Lucidity Poetry Journal Awards +
Deadline extended from 10/15
Prizes of $50, $30 and $20. Send 1-5 poems "dealing with people and interpersonal relationships", maximum 36 lines each, including stanza breaks. Editor Ted O. Badger describes
Lucidity as "a national journal of verse that features understandable poetry. We look for poems that have clarity and focus, so the audience can both comprehend and applaud the lines." Poems should be typed, single-spaced, in a
standard font, one poem per page. Include author's name, address, phone number and email address on each page. Mail to Lucidity Poetry Journal Awards, 14781 Memorial Drive, No. 10, Houston, TX 77079-5210.
10/31:
Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award [.pdf] +++
Entries must be received by this date
5,000 pounds will be awarded for the best book of poetry, fiction or nonfiction first published in Britain in the current calendar year, by a British citizen ordinarily resident in that country who will be under 35 as of December 31.
Entries in all genres compete for one prize. Send 4 copies of book plus entry form from website.
10/31:
Wick Student Poetry Competition +++
Open to poets currently enrolled in Ohio institutions of higher education. Submit 15-25 pages of poetry. No cash prize but the winner is published by the prestigious Wick Poetry Program.
11/1:
Cruelest Month Writing Contest +
Online journal Maisonneuve offers Can$100 for the best poetry or prose entry of 8-800 words on the following theme: "April is Not the Cruelest Month. February is all soggy boots and self-bought carnations left over from Valentine's Day. We
want to know how you survive the winters. Wail on, but do promise to make us laugh." Maximum one prose or two poetry entries per contest. Maisonneuve has several themed contests annually.
11/1:
Ellipsis Award +
$100 award given to best poem accepted by Ellipsis Magazine in the current year. Other published poets receive $10 plus a copy of the issue in which they appear.
11/1:
Mary Belle Campbell Poetry Book Publication Award +
Chapbook: For poets who reside or teach in NC, GA, SC, TN or VA. Open to authors who have published no more than one book or chapbook before. The winning manuscript will be published. No cash prize. Ask a creative writing professor or
literary editor to nominate you.
11/1:
MVP Competition +
Three prizes of $1,000 each and a standard royalty contract are given annually for unpublished book-length manuscripts by emerging writers. This year, all three prizes will be awarded to writers who reside in Minnesota or New York City.
Submit a poetry manuscript of 50 to 80 pages; a manuscript of short stories, novellas, or personal essays of 100-200 pages; or a novel or memoir of any length.
11/19:
Feile Filiochta International Poetry Competition +++
Entries must be received by this date
Individual Poems: Youth and non-youth categories. Several languages accepted including English. Top prize of 800 euros awarded in each language category. Other prizes also awarded.
11/30, 5/30:
The Country Mouse Poetry Contest +
Entries must be received by these dates
This twice-yearly contest is sponsored by The Country Mouse, an online poetry journal. The winner will receive $500 and publication. Send 1-5 poems, up to 50 lines each. Exclusive submission is required. If you submit to this contest, you
may not submit the same work elsewhere until the contest results are announced.
11/30:
Daily News Prize +
Individual Poems: This prize is awarded to the best poem accepted by The Caribbean Writer international literary anthology. The work should reflect a Caribbean heritage, experience or perspective. Winner receives $300.
11/30:
Patricia Grodd Poetry Prize for Young Writers +++
Don't enter before 11/1
A contest for high school sophomores and juniors throughout the world. Prize is tuition to The Kenyon Review's two-week summer seminar for writers aged 16-18; winner and runners-up also published in the highly prestigious journal. Submit
one poem via their online form.
11/30:
San Francisco International Competition: Rengay +
Winner receives $100 and publication in the Haiku Poets of Northern California newsletter for the best rengay (a Japanese collaborative form of 6 links for two or three poets). See website for details. No simultaneous submissions. Fee was
eliminated for 2005.
See the year's list of free poetry contests by deadline date. Some of the contests above are too recently discovered to have made it into our online database yet. As a newsletter subscriber, you're enjoying an advance look.
Key to Ratings
Highly Recommended: +++
Recommended: ++
Neutral: +
All deadlines are postmark deadlines unless otherwise specified.
FREE CONTESTS WITH ROLLING DEADLINES
There are six active free contests with rolling deadlines. These typically accept entries at any time of year. See them now at:
http://www.winningwriters.com/winfree/contests/indexbydate.htm
Sponsors' Messages
If you care about culture...
Free one-year introductory subscription to Cultural Journal online edition
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Cultural Journal and receive our newsletter each weekday, containing the latest cultural news gathered from more than 400 news sources. The journal is hand-selected and summarized by our cultural editors, covering literature, poetry,
art, cinema, theatre, and music. Rather than visiting dozens of sites, now you can stay informed through Cultural Journal...filtering culture from the clutter. To sign up for free (limited-time offer), visit
www.culturaljournal.com and become a part of the cultural community.
WE PAY FOR POEMS USED!
Lucidity Poetry Journal (in its 20th year) makes modest payments for poetry used (from $1 to $15) plus a free copy. We seek life-related poems dealing with people, relationships and life encounters. For full guidelines, email Editor Ted O.
Badger at
tedbadger1@yahoo.com or see our website:
lucidityjournal.00books.com
Perigee's Tenth Issue Now Available! Read It Free Online
Our new issue contains fresh poetry and fiction - along with a new section emphasizing groundbreaking nonfiction. Visit us today to read the new issue, to subscribe for free, and to submit your work. Don't forget, we are currently
accepting submissions to our second annual poetry contest. Total cash prizes have tripled to $700, and the winners will be published in our April anniversary issue. Submit through our website or via standard mail by December 31
(that's a postmark deadline). "Everyone who values quality and high literary standards," says author Dennis Clausen, "should make it a point to read and reread each edition of Perigee." Hurry over to
www.perigee-art.com
"One Day You'll Find Out"
Growing up in the Thirties, the war years and beyond - initial segment of a two-part story about a youth's upbringing in a small farm community facing difficult times. Cracker-barrel politicking was how hats came to be tossed into the
ring. Big event that brought the citizenry out: the county fair, complete with tractor pulls and hootchy-kootchies. Following a divorce, grandparents to the fore. The "Grand Old Hunt". FDR, Murrow via radio as war nears. Hired help.
Churchgoing, solemnity lapses and a cracked skull. The town's preeminent eccentric catches a painter's fancy.
Excerpt, set months after the US entered World War II in December 1941. The narrator was a 6-year-old who'd just begun first grade when Pearl Harbor was bombed.
One Armed Forces Day (or a comparable occasion), my grandparents took me to the Army base nearby. Single-engine planes sat on the tarmac. Machine-gun openings on wings could be inspected up close.
Later, two-seaters flew overhead for a parachuting demonstration. A figure with a pack on his back jumped from one. The chute didn't open. A speck growing larger and larger, he fell into a nearby field. Stunned spectators, Army personnel
in the lead, rushed to the spot. My grandparents whisked me away. The frantic reaction made clear something terrible had happened. Whether he survived was uncertain. I assumed he hadn't.
A week or so after, we drove past the base... My grandmother said, "Looky there!" In the sky were concatenations of lights, many of the clusters merging into larger ones. My grandfather explained what they were. I asked if northern lights
might be the soul of the chutist who plummeted to the ground. She said, "Might be. Might be his words if he's tryin' to talk to us."
www.edalbaugh.com
Last Call
The Litchfield Review Contest
Postmark Deadline: October 31
The Litchfield Review (
www.thelitchfieldreview.com ) seeks original, unpublished poems, essays and short stories for its current contest. The overall winner will receive $250. Other prizes of $100 may also be awarded. The reading fee is $10 per essay, short
story, or set of 1-3 poems, or pay $15 to submit an unlimited number of prose and poetry entries. All prizewinners will be published in The Litchfield Review. Runners-up may also be published. All writers we publish will receive a free
copy of the issue in which they appear. We are a new journal offering a forum to emerging and established writers; our only criterion for acceptance is excellence. We look for good stories beautifully told, quality poetry of substance, and
creative nonfiction that lingers long in the minds of readers. See the complete contest guidelines:
http://www.winningwriters.com/special/1031-litchfield.htm
Closing Soon
Writer's Digest Announces the WD Popular Fiction Awards
Postmark Deadline: November 1
More than $5,000 in cash and prizes. Compete and Win in 5 categories including Romance, Horror, Mystery/Crime Fiction, Thriller/Suspense and Sci-Fi/Fantasy. For guidelines visit
http://www.writersdigest.com/contests or email
popularfictionawards@fwpubs.com.
Closing Soon
Doris Bakwin Award for Gutsy & Talented Women Writers
Postmark Deadline: December 1
Carolina Wren Press seeks submissions of long fiction (novel or short story collection) or memoir. Prize: $2,000 plus publication. Final Judge:
Quinn Dalton. Submit a manuscript of 150-400 pages with a $15 entry fee, payable to Carolina Wren Press. Seeking diverse voices. For full guidelines send SASE or visit
www.carolinawrenpress.org. Mail your entry to Carolina Wren Press, Attn: Doris Bakwin Award, 120 Morris Street, Durham, NC 27701.
Closing Soon
Petra Kenney Poetry Competition
Postmark Deadline: December 1 (December 31 for US and Canadian entrants)
Now in its 11th year. One of Britain's most prestigious contests. Prizes of 2,125 British pounds will be awarded, including a top prize of 1,000 pounds. There is also a prize of 250 pounds for comic verse, and prizes of 250 and 125 pounds
for the best entries by poets aged 14-18. The top winner will be published in Writing Magazine. All winners will be invited to read at the awards ceremony in London in May. US poets may enter for US$5 per poem. Canadian poets may enter for
Can$7 per poem. Other poets may enter for 3 British pounds per poem. Each poem should be 80 lines or less. See guidelines and obtain an entry form at:
http://www.petrapoetrycompetition.co.uk/entryform.htm
Questions? Please email
molly.y@sympatico.ca.
Enter the only Writer's Digest competition exclusively for poets!
Postmark Deadline: December 20
Writer's Digest is now accepting entries in its newest contest, the WD Poetry Awards. Regardless of style - rhyming, free verse, haiku and more - if your poems are 32 lines or fewer, we want them all. Submit your entries by the December 20
deadline...and your words could be worth cold hard cash! For guidelines visit
http://www.writersdigest.com/contests or email
writing-competition@fwpubs.com.
Poetry Contest Insider
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"I wasn't on top of the contest circuit until I subscribed to Winning Writers. Since I joined the site a year ago, I have won the top prize or placed in poetry contests 24 times and have had 11 publications. In the five years I
wrote poetry prior to joining this site, I had only one publication. Clearly, Winning Writers has had a huge impact on my career. Thank you!"
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New Resources & Recommended Books |
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Neurotic Poets
Bios and links to poetry by legendary self-destructive geniuses such as Plath, Byron and Poe.
Never Let Me Go
By Kazuo Ishiguro. This quietly heartbreaking and provocative novel is equal parts British boarding-school story, dystopian science fiction, and Kafkaesque fable about conformity. While the premise (human clones harvested for their organs)
seems ripped from the headlines, the absence of plausible science in the plot suggests that the clones are a metaphor for the myriad ways we sacrifice our human potential by failing to question authority.
Sonnets from Aesop
By Judith Goldhaber, illustrated by Gerson Goldhaber. Witty sonnets by an award-winning poet retell 100 fables from Aesop, including many lesser-known tales worth rediscovering. Lively watercolor illustrations for each tale will delight
both children and grownups. A great read-aloud book.
Strix Varia
Stimulating new online journal publishes close readings of individual poems by contemporary authors. Writers talk about the making of their own poems in the "self-reflection" column. This journal will launch in October 2005 and is seeking
submissions.
Top Ten Questions Writers Ask
Basic information on submission etiquette, getting published, avoiding scams, and promoting your work. From the editors of
Poets & Writers.
Selected Calls for Submissions and Prose Contests
10/17:
Brenda L. Smart Prizes +
A free contest for North Carolina authors with no published books offers $500 for short fiction (up to 5,000 words), $300 for flash fiction (up to 1,200 words).
10/31:
PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction +++
Entries must be received by this date
This free contest for published books of fiction by US citizens offers a top prize of $15,000. Four runners-up will receive $5,000 each. Send 4 copies of book to the Foundation office. Recent winners have been well-established writers such
as Ha Jin and John Updike.
11/11:
Women Writers Conference Prize in Creative Nonfiction +
This free contest is a one-time-only event for 2005. Winner receives $500 and a reading at the Women Writers Conference (April 23-26, 2006) in Kentucky with final judge
Sarah Vowell. US citizens only (male or female). Submit 2 copies of an essay, maximum 2,500 words, typed, double-spaced, pages numbered, bound only with spring clip or in file folder. No name of author on entries; include contact
information on entry form only. Published or unpublished work accepted. $15 fee payable to Women Writers of Kentucky.
11/24:
Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers Contest +++
Entries must be received by this date
This free contest offers $20,000 and publication in a Random House anthology for the best essay by a writer aged 20-29 as of September 1 of the following year. Up to 28 runners-up also published. "We are seeking essays about, but not
limited to, the following subjects: Family, Career, Sex, Society, and Self." The contest is open to legal residents of the United States excluding Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Florida and Puerto Rico.
11/30:
Canute A. Brodhurst Prize for Short Fiction +
This free contest offers $400 for the best story accepted by The Caribbean Writer anthology. All eligible submissions are also considered for the David Hough Literary Prize for an author residing in the Caribbean ($500), the
Marguerite Cobb McKay Prize to a Virgin Islands author ($200), and the Charlotte & Isidor Paiewonsky Prize for first-time publication ($200). Send 1-2 stories, maximum 15 double-spaced pages each. The Caribbean should be central to the
work, or the work should reflect a Caribbean heritage, experience or perspective.
11/30:
Encore Award [.pdf] +++
Entries must be received by this date
This free contest from the UK-based Society of Authors offers 10,000 pounds for a second novel published during the current calendar year. Either the author must be a British or Commonwealth citizen, or the submitted book must have been
first published in the UK. Submit 5 copies plus entry form.
11/30:
The Making of Peace: A Poetry Broadside Series
Call for poetry submissions to protest the Iraq war. This project will produce a series of finely designed broadsides to be displayed in independent bookstores, libraries, and museums across the US during National Poetry Month 2006. The
limited-edition press run will represent the number of US soldiers that have been killed during the war in Iraq. Submit 1-3 unpublished or previously published poems, maximum 30 lines each, with the themes of peace, hope, and/or humanity.
See the complete
guidelines.
11/30:
The National Short Story Prize +++
Entries must be received by this date
Free contest for UK citizens/residents with "a prior record of publication." Winner receives 15,000 pounds for the best short story up to 8,000 words. Other large prizes will also be awarded. Stories must either be unpublished or have been
published during the current calendar year. See
website for detailed eligibility rules and entry form.
1/1, 4/1, 7/1, 10/1:
L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest ++
Free contest for emerging writers of short science fiction, fantasy and horror offers quarterly prizes of $1,000 plus an annual $4,000 grand prize for one of the four winners. Send only one story per quarter, maximum 17,000 words. See
website for eligibility rules.
2/6:
Southern Revival: Deep South Magic for Hurricane Relief ++
Two journals, Margin and Periphery, wish to aid in the restoration of the Deep South by devoting the 2006 edition of Periphery, entitled Southern Revival, to library recovery efforts. The editor pledges to absorb all production
costs and to forward all sales, donations and support culled from Periphery to Book Relief, First Book's comprehensive effort to provide millions of new books to the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Please see
www.firstbook.org and
www.bookrelief.org to learn more about the award-winning nonprofit organization and its national campaign.
The goal at Periphery? $2,500. That amount will provide support for the delivery of 5,000 books to those displaced by the hurricanes, to schools and libraries supporting the evacuees, and to replenish the schools and libraries
ultimately rebuilt in the Gulf Coast.
We are interested in diverse voices and ideas. Forms: free verse, flash fiction (<1000 words), creative nonfiction (<1000 words), digital artwork and prose poetics. Possible subjects: faith healing, voodoo, haints, curses, miracles,
legends, fish stories, vampires, devils, preachers, black cats, owls, thunder and lightning, snake oil salesmen, black magic, mardi gras, witchcraft, planting by the moon, superstitions, ghost armies, sleepwalking, and all things haunted.
From these submissions, we will select the best work to fill 24 pages.
As this is a fundraising event, we are not offering payment to contributors. Instead, we request that potential contributors include a minimum entry donation of $10 with their submission. Individual donations without entry to show
support are also welcomed. Please see the complete guidelines:
http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/margin/guidelinesSoRev.html
More Sponsors' Messages
Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest
Postmark Deadline: March 31, 2006
Now in its 14th year. Prizes of $1,000, $600 and $400 will be awarded, plus four High Distinction awards of $250 each. The top entry will be published in a triennial anthology. Other entries may also be published. Submit any type of short
story, essay or other work of prose, up to 5,000 words. You may submit work that has been published or won prizes elsewhere, as long as you own the anthology and online publication rights. $12 entry fee. Submit online or by mail. Early
submission encouraged. Winning Writers is assisting with entry handling for this contest. Guidelines:
http://www.winningwriters.com/tomstory.htm
Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest - No Fee
Online Submission Deadline: April 1, 2006
Now in its 5th year. Sponsored by Winning Writers. Prizes of $1,190, $169, $60 and 5 honorable mentions of $38 each. A humor contest with a special twist. Judge: Jendi Reiter. Guidelines:
http://www.winningwriters.com/contestflomp.htm
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Rosien, a publishing veteran and editor at ePregnancy Magazine, will mentor you and show you how to turn your memories into essays that warm the heart...and sell.
http://www.absoluteclasses.com/Rosien/soulstories.htm
2006 Poet's Market - Available Now
Writer's Digest has released the 2006 edition of
Poet's Market ($16.49 at
Amazon). Published each August, this is the best annual guide to 1,800 journals, magazines, book publishers, chapbook publishers, websites, grants, conferences, workshops and contests. Helps you find publishers who are looking for your
kind of work. Also updated are
Novel & Short Story Writer's Market and
Writer's Market for works of prose. Writer's Market is "the most valuable of tools for the writer new to the marketplace," says Stephen King in
On Writing.
WriteSuccess Newsletter
Sign up now for WriteSuccess's
free newsletter for freelance writers. Editor Mary Anne Hahn has a knack for finding the most interesting literary sites and markets. It's easy to feel lonely as a freelancer. Mary Anne's inspiring attitude and success notes from
readers create a sense of community.
http://www.listpartners.com/cgi-local/subscribe?4338
Put Your Poems and Pictures on Apparel, Cards, Gifts and More
CafePress.com makes it easy to put your words and images on shirts, greeting cards, postcards, mugs, magnets and posters. Order them for yourself or for gifts, or sell them online at a profit. CafePress makes each item to order, so you
don't have to commit to a large batch all at once. It's quick and easy to set up your store, and there's no set-up charge. Get started here:
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/storeref.aspx?refby=winwrit
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Public Service Announcement
ProLiteracy Brings Relief to Hurricane-Afflicted
The executive director of ProLiteracy Worldwide's domestic programs met with directors of several literacy programs impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita during a trip to the Gulf Coast area the week of September 26.
Peter Waite of ProLiteracy America and representatives from the Louisiana Coalition for Literacy, the Literacy Alliance of New Orleans, and a number of Louisiana service providers sponsored a meeting of area programs and support
organizations in the area to determine how the organizations can promote and coordinate assistance efforts. Waite also visited the Jackson County Literacy Council in Pascagoula, Mississippi.
ProLiteracy has taken several actions to assist programs in rebuilding:
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ProLiteracy has established a special Katrina Fund to accept donations earmarked for rebuilding literacy programs in the affected region.
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ProLiteracy's publishing division, New Readers Press, will offer materials to affected programs and for programs assisting evacuees.
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ProLiteracy is partnering with Reading is Fundamental to collect and distribute books and materials.
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ProLiteracy's
website will maintain a resource page with links to partnering organizations and outlining ways parties interested in offering assistance can become involved. The website also will include a page where stories, needs, and ideas from
the network concerning recovery efforts can be posted.
"We want to thank everyone who has offered assistance and ideas to date and look forward to sharing with you more about the rebuilding process. We will be sure to keep everyone updated on Katrina recovery activities," Waite said.
Your help, as an individual or as a member of a literacy organization, is welcome.
Learn more.
Advertise to 16,000 Poets and Writers
Promote your contests, websites, events and publications in this newsletter. Reach over 16,000 poets and writers for $35. Ads may contain up to 100 words and a headline. Place your reservation at:
http://store.yahoo.com/winningwriters/wiwrnead.html
"The ads we have run in the Winning Writers newsletter have garnered more response and inquiry than any other ads we have run in 20 years of publication."
Ted O. Badger, Editor, Lucidity Poetry Journal
"Thanks for the great advertising value your service continues to offer. Your subscriber base continues to serve as the foundation for our submissions."
Robert Woerheide, Editor in Chief, Perigee |
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Jendi's Critique Corner |
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This month, Critique Corner is pleased to present "Fire Sale" by William J. Duvall.
If you would like a chance to be critiqued, please email your poem to me at
critique@winningwriters.com. Send the poem in the body of your email message (no attachments) and put "poetry critique" in the subject line. One submission per poet per month. Thanks!
Fire Sale
by William J. Duvall
I dreamed that the seventh house
On the left on my street
Burned down
And every soul perished.
In my dream
Burnt flesh hung from
Silver poles, poked
Through holes of artless parchment
In the evening sky.
A cannon sat in the square
Across the street -
Pointing to the second story window
Where my father leaped -
His diabetic limbs akimbo
Dancing on a treadle to
The Galilean stair.
Soaked white linens he was wrapt in
Set the dream on fire, he was
Wailing as he sailed,
"Why did god the only one
Give me a nigger lover for a son?"
Body to the Anatomy Board
For the docks to skewer, disembowel;
I dumped you there myself, dad,
Though I seldom called you that. All
The soused ensemble was resplendent
In the fall's night air!
The racks are full of you now,
All that I can bear.
I think I'll just go in and browse.
Copyright 2005 by William J. Duvall
Critique by Jendi Reiter
This month's critique poem, "Fire Sale" by William J. Duvall, uses the language of fantasy and nightmare to capture the essence of a son's love-hate relationship with his deceased father. Just as classic fairy tales provided a code
language for societies to discuss taboo passions and conflicts within the family, the surreal world of a poem permits the narrator to express feelings he may be afraid to name.
Sharon Olds and
Sylvia Plath are examples of poets who used this style to create cathartic, powerful poems about their own troubled relationships with their fathers. Finding images for the emotions that the situation generates, rather than simply
describing the facts or stating your reaction to them, is a technique that brings the reader closer to seeing the scene through your eyes.
The opening lines of "Fire Sale" thrust us into a shadowy realm where everything we observe has ominous significance. The odd specificity of "the seventh house/On the left on my street" calls attention to itself, recalling the connection
between "left" and "sinister" as well as the numerological belief that seven is an especially powerful number. "Every soul perished" tells us we are about to hear a story where redemption is urgently sought but may not be found.
The torn sky implies that the world we lived in is unreal, separated by a flimsy membrane from a mystery whose existence we never suspected. We have crossed over into the realm of the unknown, on the other side of death. The "artless
parchment" is like a blank canvas, a Sistine Chapel with no God on its ceiling.....
critique continues
This poem, our critique and contest suggestions for poems in this style appear in full at:
http://www.winningwriters.com/critiques/2005/0510-duvall.htm
Coming in the November 15 Winning Writers Newsletter
2005 War Poetry Contest Winners Announced
Best Free Poetry Contests for November 16-December 31 |
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Send this email to a friend and Winning Writers will donate 10 cents to ProLiteracy Worldwide! Use the link at the bottom of the email. |
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