Poetry and Poets in Rags Blog

This blog has a news ticker which I like watching the headlines run as well as commentary on all things poetic worldwide. Please check it out at:

http://poetryandpoetsinrags.blogspot.com/

Thanks for checking in, please come by tomorrow for another featured poet…

Poetry Tips Question 4: What are the appropriate steps to take when submitting poems?

Jim Murdoch:

Make sure you read the guidelines thoroughly. Some sites are very fussy. Always keep a record of what you've sent and when (and also how long you can expect to wait for a reply).


Barbara Smith:

What Jim said. Pay attention to what you're supposed to do and be very thorough with that last proofread. And then do it again.


Rob Mack:

First, check out the magazine to see if your poems will fit and, also, to see if you like the magazine (no point in having poems published in a zine where you dislike everything else). Stick to the guidelines. Stick to your own vision – write what needs to be written, not what you think a magazine editor might like to read. Then, afterwards, do step one again.


Juliet Wilson:

Read the website or journal you want to submit to, find some of your poems that fit, follow the guidelines carefully and send your poems off. Then wait patiently.

Ben Wilkinson:

The list of what to do is simple. Type up your poems in a clear, legible font on plain A4 paper. Proofread. One poem to a page, please: give them room to breathe. Write a brief covering letter. Be polite, but don't try to butter up the editor. Your poems should do the talking. Mention briefly any previous successes, publications and / or prizes. Make sure you include an SAE and sufficient return postage with your submission, and make sure that your envelopes are a decent size (A5). Be patient when waiting for a response. A gentle email nudge after two or three months (unless the average reading time is stated as being much longer) is usually acceptable.


Cuitlamiztli Carter:

Read the journal or website you're submitting to, or if it's ananthology either look for previous volumes or just look at the poetrythat the editors themselves have written. Once you're sure that yourpoetry isn't completely out of bounds form what they would like,follow their submission information after carefully proofing yourmanuscript.Also, do some deep breathing exercises before you seal the envelope,and tell yourself "My confidence as a poet does not hinge on this onesubmission..." a few times. Don't pin all your hopes on thatsubmission, and make sure your cover letter is suitably humble withoutbeing self-effacing. No one likes a braggart; no one respects aself-loather.


Hazel B. Cameron
a/ Check they are open to submissions.
b/ Read and follow the guidelines.
c/ If possible, read a copy of previous issues. The poetry library can help here.

Thanks to the contributors and thanks to you for reading, please stop by tomorrow for another poetry blog…

Frogpond Open Submissions

For those of you who love to write haiku and other eastern forms, the submissions period is open until April 15th. Frogpond is published 3 times per year, and I copy and pasted some of the details:

The Submission May Include Any or All of the Following
1. Up to ten (10) haiku and/or senryu2. Up to three (3) haibun 3. Up to three (3) rengay or other short sequences4. One (1) renku or other long sequence5. One (1) essay6. One (1) book review
Submission Periods
1. February 15 to April 15 (Spring/Summer Issue)2. June 01 to August 01 (Fall Issue)3. September 15 to November 15 (Winter Issue)
Submission Addresses:
George Swede, Editor Box 279, Station PToronto, ON M5S 2S8Canada
Email: gswede@ryerson.ca
Please use the link below to be absolutely sure you have everything correct.

http://www.hsa-haiku.org/frogpond.htm

Thanks for dropping in, please stop by for more Poetry Tips from the audience!

Poems Found by Poet Hound

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15433
Audio poem of Gwedolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool”

http://lumiere.net.nz/reader/arts.php/item/1454
Joan Fleming’s “Monday in the Library”

Thanks for reading, please stop by tomorrow for more Open Submissions

Donors Choose

This site is amazing in that it connects teachers who need funding for special projects in their classrooms to people who are interested in donating money for a good cause. If you’d like to create a love of poetry from an early age I urge you to go to the site, type in “poetry” and fund a poetry-related project for any of the worthy teachers and students here in the USA. Not only will you be making a tax deductible donation but you will also help instill in students a love of poetry in that will continue through adulthood. Find out more at:

http://donorschoose.org

Thanks for reading in, please stop by Wednesday…

Mark Doty

School of the Arts by Mark Doty is not a book for the faint of heart or for those who are uncomfortable with reading about homosexuality. Having said that, this book of poetry is an excellent read if you are open-minded. Mark Doty takes on the ideas of death, gardening, film makers preventing him from walking his dogs in the usual path, and much more.
In the poem “Heaven for Helen” Mr. Doty describes his friend’s contentment with the idea of passing on and being a part of everything, while the poet himself struggles with the idea of becoming “one” with items such as diesel fuel and egg cartons. It certainly produced a smile on my face upon reading it, and I love his virtuous description of his friend: “Helen/would take the greatest pleasure/in being a scrap of paper,/if that’s what there was to experience.”
I also think the poem “Oncoming Train” points out our darker side, collectively, in our humanity. This poem describes the idea of restraining oneself from jumping in front of an oncoming train not out of a wish for death but because of (and these are Mark Doty’s lines) “…the idea of simply stepping out of forwardness/--that moment is the clearest invitation and opportunity.” Often there are moments where you wonder what would have happened if…? If you’d stepped out into the busy street without looking, if you’d gotten on that plane that crashed and is all over the news, if… The list could go on forever.
The poems in this collection challenge the readers to face the sometimes taboo, sometimes darker sides of life. Don’t worry though, there are also softer poems, funny poems, ones about giving a friend a flower to plant in his garden, or stripping down to nothing during a photo shoot out of adrenaline… In all, the book is lively and certainly won’t leave you bored. I hope that you will find Mark Doty as interesting as I do.

http://poetryfoundation.org/archive/poet.html?id=1842

In the meantime, I insist you stop by tomorrow for a site that you can utilize to instill a love of poetry in children if you dare….