Here are two calls for submissions that tap into the less pretty side of human nature:
Obsessions and Compulsions. We seek additional poems for an anthology project we started five years ago. Now that we’re gearing up again to complete the project and propose it to more publishers, we’d like more material to consider. What are you obsessed with in your poetry writing? What are you compelled to write about over and over? What subjects show up again and again across a wide body of work? The weirder the better. The National Enquirer? George Clooney? Psycho? Tattoos? Half-chewed cough drops from your grandmother’s purse? Broken rake handles in the cow barn? Artificial legs? Clam chowder? The ghost waiter at Cafe du Monde? Surprise us, delight us, and scare us with yourobsessions and compulsions. (We do not want to see poems about ex-lovers. We have enough already.)
Those accepted will be asked to contribute an additional short essay later that explains why their subject matters so much to them and why it’s important to write obsessively and compulsively about it.
E-mail attachments preferred. Send several poems about your obsessive,compulsive subject (so we can see just how obsessed you are) to Stephen Powers and Michalene Mogensen at obsessionsanthology@gmail.com.
Deadline: May 31st
Snail mail (with SASE for response) should be sent to:
Dr. Stephen Powers,
Gordon College
419 College Drive
Barnesville, GA 30204
*****
ANGER & REVENGE
Postmark Deadline: March 16, 2011
For an upcoming issue, Creative Nonfiction is seeking new essays about anger and revenge, true tales of frustration and retribution, long-buried memories of outrage and reprisal--or the absence of either. We're looking for stories that explore the lost art of the thoughtful diatribe, illustrate the beauty of the lyrical barb, invent elaborate secret plots, and generally don't play well with others.
Essays must be vivid and dramatic; they should combine a strong and compelling narrative with a significant element of research or information, and reach for some universal or deeper meaning in personal experiences. We're looking for well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice.
Creative Nonfiction editors will award $1,000 for Best Essay and $500 for runner-up.
For more information, go here.
