One of the first books of poetry I bought with my own allowance money way back when in ninth grade was The Selected Poems of Langston Hughes, so this call for submissions caught my eye. (I think the purchase was inspired by a classroom reading of “A Raisin in the Sun,” that powerful play with the title drawn from Hughes’s “Harlem” [also known as “A Dream Deferred”], so thank you teachers, for working hard to open the minds of a bunch of kids in Iowa.)
Beltway Poetry Quarterly seeks poems for a special themed issue celebrating the legacy of Langston Hughes, co-edited by Katy Richey and Kim Roberts. We seek contemporary poems written about Hughes's life, in the style of Hughes, or on themes Hughes explored in his writing. We will be reading ONLY during the month of June.
To be eligible, authors must live or work in DC, MD, VA, WV, or DE. Poems may be previously published, but only if copyright has reverted to the author and the poem does not appear elsewhere on the web. Please read the guidelines carefully to ensure that your submission is not disqualified:
• Poems must be received between June 1 and June 30
• Only online submissions accepted; send to beltwaypoetryquarterly@gmail.com
• Up to 5 poems, any length, can be sent
• Poems must be sent in the body of your email; no attachments will be opened
• Poets must include full contact information (snail address, phones, e-address) and a one-paragraph bio
All poets will be notified by the end of July. The Langston Hughes Tribute issue will be Volume 12:1, published January 1, 2011. The issue will be published in conjunction with Hughes's 109th birthday, and the 87th anniversary of his move to Washington, DC.
