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SUNDAY ANNOUNCEMENTS: Calls for Submissions, Contests, Events and Other Information and News

CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS

Opportunity Knocks

APEX MAGAZINE is an “online prose and poetry magazine of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mash-ups of all three. Works full of marrow and passion, stories that are twisted, strange, and beautiful. Creations where secret places and dreams are put on display.”  While it does not accept unsolicited submission of poetry, it is open for submission of original short fiction, reprint fiction,nonfiction and artwork.  Details HERE.

BREAK THE PARENTING MOLD for parents with special needs children seeks: “Stories about advocating for your child; Stories that lift up parents with children who have special needs; Aha! Moments; Why having a special need can be a gift; HUMOR!; Activities; DIY therapy ideas and tips on building language and motor skills; Recipes that address food allergies.” Will consider previously published work. Details HERE.

DYING DAHLIA REVIEW seeks previously unpublished work by women writers and artists and welcomes submissions of poetry, flash fiction and art. Editor Abbie Coleman and team are on break but encourage continued submissions. Details HERE.

GREAT WEATHER FOR MEDIA has an open call for poetry, short stories, flash fiction, dramatic mono glue and creative nonfiction for an anthology. There is no theme but their focus is on”te earless, the unpredictable, and experimental.” Deadline: January 15. Details HERE.

OFFBEAT, a literary journal affiliated with the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Culture at Michigan State University has an open call for “the thought-provoking, humorous, and quirky” and welcomes submissions of fiction, nonficton, poetry and sequential art. “Show us writing that falls off the beaten path.” Submission fees: $3. Details HERE.

PØST contemporary poetry will announce the opening of its call for submissions for issue two. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter to know when their next call for submissions opens, which should be sometime in the Spring. Visit their website HERE.

WISING UP PRESS, WRITERS COLLECTIVE has an open call for submissions to its 2018 anthology, Surprised by Joy. Prose and poetry. No submission fee. Payment in copies. Deadline: February 1, 2018. Details HERE. Scroll down on the page.

WISHING UP PRESS, WRITERS COLLECTIVE has an open call for second or their novels or short-story collections. “Books need to fall under one of the subject areas the press focuses on: Creative Acculturation; Pluralism in Families; Social and Psychological Resilience; Illness and Meaning; Creative Aging; Listening Across Faith Traditions; Social Justice and Inclusion; Citizen-Scholars.

” No submission fees. Details HERE.

SLAB, Sound & Literary Art Book is open for submission until the end of December. Interest is in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and text-based graphic art. Details HERE.

THE BeZINE call for submissions

The November 2017 issue – themed Hunger, Poverty and Working-class Slavery –  is now open and the deadline is November 10th. Send submissions to me at bardogroup@gmail.com. Publication is November 15th. Poetry, essays, fiction and creative nonfiction, art and photography, music (videos or essays), and whatever lends itself to online presentation is welcome for consideration.  No demographic restrictions.

Submissions of work on your country and its history and culture are welcome no matter your citizenship, national origin, first language, religion or lack thereof. The more diverse the representation, the better. English only or accompanied by translation into English. Please read at least one issue and the Intro/Mission Statement and Submission Guidelines. We DO NOT publish anything that promotes hate, divisiveness or violence or that is scornful or in any way dismissive of “other” peoples.

The BeZine is a gift of life and love and an entirely volunteer effort. It is not a paying market but neither does it charge for submissions or subscriptions.

I do consider previously published work if you hold the copyright and I encourage submissions from beginning and emerging poets and writers as well as pro. / J.D.

The BeZine fosters understanding through a shared love of the arts and humanities and all things spirited; seeks to make a contribution toward personal healing and deference for the diverse ways people try to make moral, spiritual and intellectual sense of a world in which illness, violence, despair, loneliness and death are as prevalent as hope, friendship, reason and birth. Actively supports peace, environmental sustainability, social justice and a life of the spirit.

THE BeZINE NEWS:

  • The October music issue of The BeZine is available for reading.
  • HEADS-UP ON THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF The BeZine: the theme is Spirituality (Spiritual Paradigms, Awakenings, Miracles). Deadline: December 10.
  • Beginning January 2018, we’ll move to a quarterly format with themes and – possibly – sub-themes. Your suggestions for sub-themes are welcome. Email me at bardogroup@gmail.com

COFFEE, TEA AND POETRY dot net

Coffee, Tea and Poetry is a home for simple pleasures and features poets and their poems, specialty teas and coffees along with slow-carb grain-free recipes.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Send food poems and brief bio to Jamie Dedes for consideration – thepoetbyday@gmail.com with Coffee, Tea and Poetry in the subject line.

Encourages responsible sourcing and wholesome – not prefabricated – foods.

Recent Posts:

CONTESTS

GLIMMER TRAIN PRESS Annual Family Matters CONTEST (1st place – $2,500) welcomes submissions through November and December. The call is for stories about families of all configurations. Most entries run from 1,000 to 5,000 words, but any lengths up to 12,000 are welcome. Details on this and other Glimmer Train Press contests HERE.

ROSE METAL PRESS Twelfth Annual Short-Story Chapbook Contest opens on November 1 and classes on December 1. Cash prize. $10 reading fee. Details HERE.

SCRIBES VALLEY PUBLISHING short story contest is open through November 30. Submission fee: $7. Cash award for top three. Details HERE.

Name: Essay Writing Competition 2017

Task: Write essay in fluent English and with depth on the topic
Last date: 31 December 2017
Prize money: $850 
Eligibility: Open for all (FREE)
Participation Fees: Zero
II

Kayla Ann (Kayla Ann – Write, Drink Tea, Live Life, Repeat –), an author who recently signed with a publishing house to write a non-fiction, scholarly book on human agency in The Hunger Games series, has opened a poetry contest on her site where she plans to offer writing tips to encourage other writers. She says, “Lately I have decided to host a Poetry Contest for two reasons. I love reading poetry and it helps me meet new people!”

Rules:

  • To be eligible for this competition you must be subscribed to my page (i.e. following and receiving emails.) Not subscribed yet? No worries! Go to my home screen and click FOLLOW (I’ll receive a notification when you do :D)
  • Leave your poem or a link to your chosen poem in the comments below.
  • I will be using a point system to chose the winner:
    • You will receive 5 points automatically for subscribing (everyone must subscribe to be eligible)
    • You will receive another 2 points for sharing the contest on your your own blog and linking back
    • Your poem will be rated on a 1-10 scale based on creativity, structure, content, and overall awesomeness. While we are near the holidays, you do not have to write a holiday poem (although you are welcome too as well!)
    • Technically someone can still win without sharing my contest, but sharing would provide additional points for any poems that are tied.
    • Because of the expected high volume of submissions, please keep your poem at a reasonable length. For sure no poems 3 pages +. If you have any questions regarding length, feel free to ask in the comment section!
    • You can only submit one poem per blogger.
  • Last date for submissions is November 20th!

Prizes:

  • The winner of this poetry competition will received two things
    • First: their poem and their blog/bio will be featured on my site. This will be a great chance for you to get some publicity on another blogger’s site.
    • Second: they will receive a copy of The Dazed Starling. This journal contains poetry and short stories (one of which is mine!)

NaNoWriMo

NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH

welcomes writers from anywhere in the world

November 1 – November 30, annually

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an annual, Internet-based creative writing project that takes place during the month of November and was initiated in 1999 by Chris Baty with just twenty-one participants in the San Franciso Bay Area. Now, billions of people (adults and youth) participate from all over the world. Children participate with their classmates and even multiple members of families participate.  For several years, my daughter-in-law and I enjoyed this exercise and I recommend it for those of you play with prose as well as poetry.

Participants attempt to complete a 50,000 word manuscript between November 1 and November 30. Well-known authors write “pep-talks” to keep them motivated throughout the process. The website provides participants with tips for writer’s block, information on where local participants are meeting (usually coffee shops or libraries), and an online community of support. NaNoWriMo focuses on the length of a work rather than the quality, encouraging writers to finish their first draft so that it can later be edited at the author’s discretion. Details HERE.

Logo © NaNoWriMo and posted under fair use.

POETS IN JAIL

The Poet by Day actively supports freedom of expression and we work and pray for the day when incarceration, torture and murder of poets and other artists is a thing of the past. Julian Hanover (My Poetic Side) brought this round-up by Joanne Jeffries to our attention: Behnd Bars: 61 Poets Who Went to Jail.  Thank you Julian and Joanne.

Of further interest:

EVENTS

  • Poets Speak Loud!, October 30, Monday, 7:30 pm EDT at McGeary’s Irish Pub, 4 Clinton Sq., Albany, New York 12207 This is the long-running open mic for poetry and spoken word with a featured poet every month. Hosted by Mary Panza. Sign up at 7:00 PM.
  • Alexander McCall Smith in Oakville, Ontario, November 7, Tuesday, 7 pm. Atrium, Oakville Town Hall, 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville
  • JENNIFER TSENG reading from Not So Dear Jenny and The Passion of Woo & Isolde, November 20, 8 pm at the Blacksmith House Poetry Series, With Brionne Janae. $5.00 entry. Blacksmith House Poetry Series, Spiegel Auditorium, 56 Brattle Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • SOFIA SAMATAR and CHRIS ABANI in conversation about memoir and the speculative in regard to their recent books—Samatar about Monster Portraits and Abani about The Face—at Women & Children First , May 17, Thursday, 7:30 pm. Free and open to the public.Women & Children First, 5233 N. Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois
  • San Francisco Film Screening of Doctors Without Borders’ Exodus, a special screening of the award-winning documentary Exodus (KEO Films – 2015). This ground-breaking film features footage shot by refugees using smartphones to document their harrowing journey fleeing war and persecution to seek safety in Europe. Register to attend. This event is part of a traveling exhibition about the global refugee crisis: Forced From Home.

Accessible from anywhere in the world:

  • The Poet by Day, Wednesday Writing Prompt, online every week and all are invited to take part no matter the stage of career (emerging or established) or status (amateur or professional). Poems related to the challenge of the week (always theme based not form based) will be published here on the following Tuesday.
  • The Poet by Day, Sunday Announcements. Every week opportunity knocks for poets and writers.
  • THE BeZINE, Be Inspired, Be Creative, Be Peace, Be – always online HERE.  
  • Beguine Again, daily inspiration and spiritual practice  – always online HERE.  Beguine Again is the sister site to The BeZine.

Well this is intimidating. 🙂

Super talented and smart: Solli Raphael, 12, Becomes Youngest National [Australia] Poetry Slam Winner. Thanks to Susanne Harford for this one.

And another:

Says young Solli: “I am very passionate about creating a life of harmony & equality. I cannot really understand inequality other than for one reason – and that is because it is a part of our past. “EMBRACE OUR DIFFERENCES” raises my view on inequality. I hope that you enjoy this poem :)”

KUDOS TO

  • Amy Barry for the publication of her poem Fall in the Fall 2017 issue of The Opiate
  • Sofia Kioroglou for the publication of her poem No tertium quid in Outlaw Poetry and her poem Like a Fallen Adam from Grace in Pages & Spine
  • Michael Lee Johnson on the occasion of his 139th YouTube poetry video (This one features his homage to Alexandra David-Neel.)
  • Sakina Minhaj Shikari for the lovely cover design for upcoming book, Adrift, Poems by Shyam

NEWS AND INFORMATION

Thanks to Michael Dickel (Meta/Phor(e)/Play) for the first two of these.

YOUR SUNDAY ANNOUNCEMENTS may be emailed to thepoetbyday@gmail.com. Please do so at least a week in advance.

If you would like me to consider reviewing your book, chapbook, magazine or film, here are some general guidelines:

  • nothing that foments hate or misunderstanding
  • nothing violent or encouraging of violence
  • English only, though Spanish is okay if accompanied by translation
  • though your book or other product doesn’t have to be available through Amazon for review here, it should be easy for readers to find through your site or other venues.

Often information is just that–information – and not necessarily recommendation. I haven’t worked with all the publications or other organizations featured in my regular Sunday Announcements or other announcements shared on this site. Awards and contests are often (generally) a means to generate income, publicity and marketing mailing lists for the host organizations, some of which are more reputable than others. I rarely attend events anymore. Please be sure to verify information for yourself before submitting work, buying products, paying fees or attending events et al.

ABOUT THE POET BY DAY

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FAT NEVERLAND (I’M LOATHIN’ IT) by Luke Prater … and a call for help from Luke and his family

LUKE PRATER‘s poetry is ever fascinating to me. He will tackle – as he has here – the same subject in more than one poetic form. Dedication, keen intellect and a singular irreverance are the hallmarks of this thirty-five year old English poet who took a degree in English lit with creative writing and performance and subsequently went to SOAS, London to study ethnomusicology at the master’s level. At twenty-seven he took up poetry, which he says saved his life – a thing it has done for many of us. More recently Luke added “iPhoneography” to his formidable list of accomplishments, shooting pictures and “editing the hell out of them.” J.D.

“They say a picture paints a thousand words; I’d argue the opposite.” Luke Prater

 

Fat Neverland (I’m Loathin’ It) – villanelle

Factory-farm ‘em on rainforest land,
jab ‘em with jittery antibiotics, in
serving a hoodwinked world’s worst burger-stand.

Nutrient nadir damn should have you banned,
even when just drunken teens in your night-kitchen
sucking down scared meat from rainforest land.

Wretched obese bloat and roll at your hand;
farmers on statutory antidepressants been
plying, supplying world’s worst burger-stand.

Consciences slip through ringed fingers like sand.
Wallets are plump; I’m still wondering why? (you grin)
greenlighting greenfelling greenforest land.

Golden the arches, but ain’t worth a grand;
Ronald’s grave future sees past catching up with him –
homeless – McCuster’s last fastburger-stand.

Clown let the kids party Fat Neverland,
Tinkerbell grounded by chow she’s demolishing.
Cattle confused grazing rainforest land,
passed off as food at world’s worst burger-stand.

Fat Neverland (I’m Loathin’ It) – Pushkin Sonnet

The cattle farmed where once was leafage,
force-fed with drugs unfit for us,
supplying world’s worst burger beefage
by farmers in disguised disgust.

Nutrition nadir should be outlawed,
to spare the trees the rasping chainsaw;
to spare the cattle cheap mince fate;
to close the flooding fast-food gate.

In wilful ignorance we swallow,
in sucking down scared meat with Coke.
Obese, they bloat in oily soak,

in lack of self-esteem they wallow.
Let kids carouse Fat Neverland,
at Ronald’s clowning, cloying hand.

Fat Neverland (I’m Loathin’ It) – free verse

Factory-farmed on rainforest land;
force-fed with antibiotics to serve a
hoodwinked world’s worst burger-stand.

A nutrient nadir that should have
them banned, even when just drunken
teens in their night-kitchen, sucking
down scared meat with cardboard and Coke.

Wretched obese bloat oily soak, in
triple chins of self-loathing they wallow;
farmers swallow disgust and
statutory antidepressants
supplying mass substandard beef.

Consciences slip through
ringed fingers like sand.

Wallets are plump

greenlighting
……..greenfelling
…………..greenforest land.

Golden the arches, but ain’t worth a thing;
Ronald’s grave future sees
past catching up with him –
homeless –
……………….McCuster’s last fastburger-stand.

Clown let the kids carouse Fat Neverland,
now Tinkerbell’s grounded
by chow she’s demolishing.

Cattle confused, passed off as food
at world’s worst burger-stand.

Villanelle – A1-b-A2 | a-b-A1 | a-b-A2 | a-b-A1 | a-b-A2 | a-b-A1-A2

Pushkin Sonnet (Onegin Stanza) – AbAb CCdd Eff Egg

 

© 2012, Luke Prater, All rights reserved

LUKE PRATER is a seriously talented English poet and musician. Many of you may be familiar with his work. (And I believe his dad was a fairly well know and highly regarded musician in England.) Luke founded Facial Expression Poetry and Critique and WordSalad blog, both of which are gone now. He shared the piece above with readers here several years ago. I present it as an example of his work for those of you who haven’t read him.  He’s a very worthy man. If you can help a bit I hope you’ll consider doing so. / J.D.
Image may contain: 3 people, outdoor and text

Luke Prater updated his profile picture.

**We’re two thirds of the way there!**

I’ve been seriously unwell for a very, very long time. Fourteen years, in fact. Some of you know this, others don’t. For Facebook friends, and old friends I haven’t seen since school or my early/mid twenties, the truth is I have often made it seem like nothing is wrong. Which is possible on the internet, and with the crutch of a lot of medication. It almost feels like I’ve been living a lie for years, (when not completely absent), because I just wanted to snatch a few minutes of normal. To pretend everything’s okay. The point I’ve reached is this: I cannot continue — the years slipping away, existing rather than living, the continual pain, dis-ease and discomfort. Therefore my family (including sisters Susie Ro Prater and Joy Prater) are fundraising so I can go for treatment at a private clinic in Germany that specialises in chronic and degenerative diseases using stem-cell therapy and other protocols. We’re two thirds of the way there! Here is the link to the fundraising campaign –

GoFundMe.com/lukepraterhealing

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a tiny froth of smile and grumble, a poem …

You floated into our lives ~

an autumn leaf
edged in gold,
a tiny froth
of smile and grumble,
a lifetime
of grit and grizzle

Your mind over-larded
……lost
……in the never-land
……of ninety years

such a small body
……such pain

So bravely, little autumn leaf
….you chose
………the wind
…………….on which to slip away,
…..leaving us
the emptiness of your chair
and our wistful hearts

For Mary Kate

© 2017, poem, Jamie Dedes, All rights reserved

ABOUT THE POET BY DAY

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THE GOOD WORKS of poets and their allies …

When I started The Bardo Group, now The Bardo Group Beguines (publishers of The BeZine), back in February 2011, I had in mind the human union in sacred space (common ground) as it  is expressed through the arts and the sharing of work that is representative of universal human values however differently they might bloom in our varied religions and cultures. I feel that our art and our Internet-facilitated social connection offer a means to see one another in our simple humanity, as brothers and sisters, and not as “other.” They also offer a means to get some other good things done.

I have written about:

  • English poet and musician, John Anstie and the Grass Roots Poetry Group, that was founded through Twitter friendships and that published a collection to raise funds for UNICEF;
  • Dorothy Yamamoto, a poet and editor who brought a group of A-list English poets together to create a collecton, Hands & Wings, to raise funds for the rehabilitation and support of torture victims seeking protection in the U.K.; and,
  • Silva Merjanian who – along with her publisher – has donated procedes from the sale of her collection Rumor to fund assistance for Armenians escaping violence in Syria. The last time I spoke with her $5,000 was raised.

You can read about these three efforts HERE.

Today I’d like to bring three more initiatives to your attention:

  • Evelyn Augusto’s “Guns Don’t Save Live, Poets Do,Dueling with Words to Stop Gun Violence;”
  • Jazz singer Candice Hawley’s “Let’s Talk About it,” a free and open discussion of Anxiety and Depression; and,
  • Rev. Terri Stewart’s Peacemaking Circles for Seattle’s incarcerated youth. Terri is the founder of The BeZine’s sister site, Beguine Again, and a member of the zine’s core team.
“537 children under the age of eleven have been killed or injured by gun violence in the United States this year alone, according to Gun Violence.org.” Evelyn Augusto

Evelyn asked me to share information on her project  (I’ve included some info in a few Sunday Announcement posts). 

  • She is available to come and speak at high schools and to youth groups;
  •  She’s encouraging more people to write and post poems on gun violence;
  • She will be presenting at Rise and Resist for Sensible Gun Safety on November 2 in Oneonta, New York;
  • She has a collection of poems coming out shortly;
  • Her Facebook page – Dueling with Words to Stop Gun Violence –  is HERE.
  • To arrange a speaking engagement connect with Evelyn at poetsoul@gmail.com

Your Gun Is Talking

Excuse me, I can’t hear you–
your gun is speaking
louder than you do

and yes, you scare me,
it isn’t how it ought to be–
we are more like each
other than you can see

I can’t hear you
I can’t hear you
your gun is speaking louder
than you do

and yes, it saddens me
because all I see–
is a woman who doesn’t know
who she could be

I can’t hear you
I can’t hear you
your gun is
speaking louder
speaking louder.

There’s no more you.

© Written by Evelyn Augusto for Guns Don’t Save People, Poets Do. October 21, 2017

courtesy of openclipart.org

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT: Special for our Silicon Valley/South Bay friends, a workshop hosted by Jazz Singer Candice Hawley as part of her church’s Good Works Project: Let’s Talk About It is a free and open discussion of Anxiety and Depression, Chemical Imbalances and overall Mental Health. Candice says, “you’ll hear stories of lived experience, see a presentation by Tanya Pekker, MFT, on anxiety and depression, engage in a Q&A with all participants and more . . .”  Saturday, October 28, 10 am – Noon, Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula, Moldaw-Zaffaroni Clubhouse, 2031 Pulgas Avenue, East Palo Alto, CA. Register HERE.

courtesy of Terri Stewart

Note: Among other things, Terri Stewart and colleagues are holding peacemaking circles with youth who have been picked up on possession of firearms.  Recently the success of these circles was acknowledged by the Seattle Times HERE.

The July issue of The BeZine covered prison culture and restorative justice. Learn about peacemaking circles in this excerpt from July’s The BeZine. 

JUSTICE IN NEW-OLD WAY

by

Terri Stewart

Rev. Terri Stewart, Associate Pastor at Riverton Park United Methodist Church

Today, we sat in the King County Youth Service Center lobby that had been turned into a courtroom for the sentencing of one of the youth we have been working with. I am a member of the King County Peacemaking Coordinating Team (PCT). We apply the principles of Peacemaking Circles, an ancient process taught to us by the Tagish and Tlingit First Nation people to modern court cases. A new-old way.

Today, we heard from the judge, the prosecution, the defense, the PCT…and then the respondent (person who did harm) spoke. And then the victim’s mother spoke.

We were all blubbering and sniffling by the end of it. But not because it was hurtful. The tears were because of the witness of transformation and hope. To see a genuinely healed person extend their hand to honor the victim. To see the victim’s family stand up and say, “Do more of this.”

There are some flaws to work out but that is because we are human. And this process is all about becoming more completely human.

In this particular case, the respondent had committed felony harassment. This charge on a juvenile record could irrevocably alter his future. It would limit his housing, loans, educational opportunities and more. I don’t know if we really understand what we do to juveniles when we hang felonies around their neck during a time in their life when their brain is not fully formed. But I digress.

I remember the mother of the victim looking at the respondent and saying (paraphrase), “It is so good to see you this way. Before, all I had as an image of you was the threat on social media where you had a gun and were threatening my boy’s life. You were scary. Now you are human.”

During the Peacemaking Circle process that took about 8 months, we discovered how similar the respondent and victim were. They were both from homes going through divorce. They both loved photography. They were both kids being sunk by the social systems around them. One responded by acting out. The other by withdrawing. In this case, working towards healing the family systems healed the crime. It helped everyone remember that they were human. And that we are all human.

I share below with you the recommendation from the PCT and the joy in a complete dismissal of charges against the respondent. (I’ve removed the names of the young people involved).

Can I get an Amen?!

Summary and Final Recommendations for Referral #4

July 7, 2017

Good afternoon, my name is Safia Ahmed and I am a member of the King County Peacemaking Coordinating Team. I have the honor of speaking on behalf of the team to share the work that has been done in this case and our recommendations for sentencing.

To begin, the Peacemaking Coordinating Team would like to honor and thank the victim and his family who gave their courageous support for this case to be referred. Their support and willingness to participate was instrumental in this restorative process to promote healing and partnership between King County, community based organizations, faith based communities, and the youth, families and communities of King County.

We received a referral for the respondent’s case on October 11, 2016 from Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jimmy Hung. A home visit was conducted with the respondent and his family to determine the suitability of this referral for the Peacemaking Circle process. In addition, a home visit was also conducted with the victim and the victim’s family to share an overview of the Peacemaking Circle process, answer any questions and gain an understanding of what level of participation in the Peacemaking Circle process they may want to have.

After completing both home visits, the Peacemaking Coordinating Team accepted the case. The following summarizes the work done since accepting the case in December 2016 until July 1, 2017.

Five Healing Circles with the respondent, the respondent’s family and community members who wanted to show support. Each circle was on average 3 to 4 hours long. These circles were to promote healing, peace and reconciliation and as preparation to meet with the victim and the victim’s family since they indicated their openness to actively participating in the Peacemaking Circle process.
The respondent and his parents participated in an all-day community circle with King County Executive Dow Constantine and other King County leaders on March 11, 2017.
The respondent’s mother attended a 3-Day Introductory Peacemaking Circle Training from April 26-28, 2017
One Pre-sentencing Circle and One Sentencing Circle that included the presence of the victim’s mother along with criminal justice stakeholders; friends and family from both parties.
Approximately 8 hours of check-ins via phone and text with the victim’s mother and her family, keeping them apprised of the respondent’s progress with the Peacemaking Circle process.
Ongoing check-ins with the Criminal Justice stakeholders involved in the respondent’s case, keeping them apprised of the respondent’s progress.
One home visit and approximately 20-25 hours of check-ins via phone and text with the respondent over the course of 7 months.
The following outline was agreed upon in the Sentencing Circle as a conclusion to this case:

Reimbursement to the victim’s family for 8 of the 12 counseling sessions the victim partook in for self-care and healing work. Each session cost $120 for a total of $960
2 sessions paid by the respondent
3 sessions paid by the respondent’s family
3 sessions paid from funds provided by the community and the Peacemaking Coordinating Team
The respondent’s father kindly agreed to show support to the victim and the victim’s mother by offering to pay for a trip as an opportunity to spend time with each other to rebuild their relationship along with having a positive experience coming from the respondent and his family.
In addition the Peacemaking Coordinating Team also recommends the following:

6 months of volunteer work with the Peacemaking Coordinating Team as a way to give back and pay it forward that includes:
Attending the Peacemaking Coordinating Team meetings once a month
Participate and help lead a monthly Young Men’s Circle in support of other young people who are going through similar situations.
The respondent, with the support of his brothers and parents, has agreed to these recommendations as a way to heal the harm he has caused to the victim, the victim’s family and to the community at large.

The Peacemaking Coordinating Team would like to conclude our review and recommendations to this case by again expressing our heartfelt gratitude to the victim and the victim’s family who graciously permitted the respondent and his family to participate in the Peacemaking Circle process even while contending with the harm inflicted by the respondent’s actions. It is our belief that their generosity and commitment to restorative practices have given space for the healing process to begin for both families. We would also like to express our appreciation to the court, our criminal justice partners and the community for the continued support of our work.

Shalom and Amen,

Terri Stewart

Currently Terri is raising money for the King County Peacemaking Teams.  As I write this $1,555 of $2,000 has been raised. Details and to donate link HERE.

ABOUT THE POET BY DAY