Poets, Poetry, News, Reviews, Readings, Resources & Opportunities for Poets and Writers
Author: Jamie Dedes
Jamie Dedes is a Lebanese-American poet and free-lance writer. She is the founder and curator of The Poet by Day, info hub for poets and writers, and the founder of The Bardo Group, publishers of The BeZine, of which she was the founding editor and currently a co-manager editor with Michael Dickel. Ms. Dedes is the Poet Laureate of Womawords Press 2020 and U.S associate to that press as well. Her debut collection, "The Damask Garden," is due out fall 2020 from Blue Dolphin Press.
Poet, Writer, Linguist, Photographer and Educator, Aprilia Zank at play
Malajusted
I had put on
my reddest dress
to spread brightness
on my arrival
but these women were rabid
had crawled to the drug locker
with their pee bags
trailing behind
and their white gowns
open at the back
for ease of examination
I tried to stop them
screamed for the nurse
but they were already
devouring
the coloured pills
and celebrating
their ephemeral victory
over doomed
maladjustment
untitled
this is an ugly poem
this is a wicked poem
this is a poem
about corpses lined up
in antiseptic bags
in the basement
this is a poem
about weary customers
drawing numbers
for refundable purgatories
on the ground-floor
this is a poem
about a young girl
on the third floor
pulling tight
at the pink of her hoodie
to conceal
the baldness of her head
this is a poem
about an old titan
on the ninth floor
reading instructions
how to grow titan vertebrae
from his Phoenix wings
this is a poem
about the twelfth floor
where hurrying visitors
carry intricate flower bouquets
for newborn cherubs
this is a poem
about hell and heaven
this is a love poem
Tintagel refunctioned
King Arthur’s men
having reached a certain age
are sitting
in the renovated Tintagel
two or three at a table
not round but square
flipping
through glossy magazines
peeping
at anorexic models
unaffordable sports cars
fitted zen gardens
considering
past steps
in hard to reshape dust
decisions not taken
missed opportunities
acts
that could have been done better
trying
to tame becquerels
to conceal
intimations of diapers
having fought
so many battles
against knightly opponents
looking straight
into their eyes –
but now
the sniper
hits from the inside
with no warning
except for occasional
hardly detectable
tracks of occult blood
DR. APRILIA ZANK is a lecturer for Creative Writing and Translation in the Department of Languages and Communication at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany, where she received her PhD degree in Literature and Psycholinguistics for her thesis THE WORD IN THE WORD Literary Text Reception and Linguistic Relativity. She is also a poet, a translator and the editor of two anthologies: the English–German anthology poetry tREnD Eine englisch-deutsche Anthologie zeitgenössischer Lyrik, LIT Verlag, Berlin, 2010, and the anthology POETS IN PERSON at the Glassblower (Indigo Dream Publishing, April, 2014). She writes verse in English and German, and was awarded a distinction at the “Vera Piller” Poetry Contest in Zurich. Her poetry collection, TERMINUS ARCADIA, was 2nd Place Winner at the Twowolvz Press Poetry Chapbook Contest 2013. Aprilia Zank is also a passionate photographer: many of her images are prize-winners and several have been selected for poetry book covers.
Aprilia is a friend of and frequent guest contributor to The BeZine. You can find more poetry by Aprilia in the last two editions.
COMING TO THIS SITE SOON:A review of The Word in the Word Literary Text Reception and Linguistic Relativity (don’t let the title throw you) along with an interview of Aprilia.
NOT POETRY BUT I know a lot of readers here are multitalented. This just came across my desk and it sounds like a wonderful opportunity for someone. It’s “a project of PBS/POV and the New York Times. The Embedded Mediamaker project will allow a documentary filmmaker, creator or creative technologist rooted in documentary storytelling to work for 20 weeks at The New York Times alongside some of its most creative journalists. The mediamaker will work with The Times and POV to create new forms of documentary and interactive content with a team of Times writers, editors and visual storytellers involved in Race/Related, a newsletter and reporting project exploring race as it is lived today.’ Details HERE.
CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS
Opportunity Knocks
NEW YORKER Poetry submissions:Poetry is reviewed on a rolling basis. Send up to six poems per submission, but please submit no more than twice in twelve months. We do not consider work that has appeared elsewhere (including Web sites and personal blogs), or translations that have already been published in English (the original text may have been published.) Simultaneous submissions are welcome; please notify us promptly if a poem is accepted elsewhere. Response time averages two to six months; after three, you are welcome to query the status.” Details HERE.
THE ATLANTIC “is always interested in great nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. A general familiarity with what we have published in the past is the best guide to what we’re looking for. All manuscripts should be submitted as a Word document or PDF. Succinct pitches may be submitted in the body of an e-mail. To submit nonfiction, send your manuscript or pitch to: submissions@theatlantic.com. To submit fiction, send your manuscript to: fiction@theatlantic.com. To submit poetry, send your manuscript to: poetry@theatlantic.com.” The Atlantic
THE APPLE VALLEY REVIEW welcomes submissions of poetry, short fiction, and essays and submissions are open year round for work that has both mainstream and literary appeal. “In other
words, please send us work that is both accessible and finely written. . . . This is not currently a paying market. However, all work published in the Apple Valley Review during a given calendar year will be considered for the annual Apple Valley Review Editor’s Prize. From 2006 to 2015, the prize was $100 and a gift of a book of poetry or fiction.” Details HERE.
STORM CELLAR “is a national literary arts magazine with a special emphasis on the Midwest, appearing in print and ebook editions. We want your prose, poems, chimeras, and ideas penned on envelopes in buses and train cars. The magazine aims to publish amazing work by new and established writers and artists, present a range of styles and approaches, and be as un-boring as it can. If you write one thing to be read while waiting for the all-clear to sound, send it here.” Details HERE.
CICADA YA (14+ years) lit/comics magazine “is looking for fairy tales and folklore with a twist—we want you to take familiar stories and dress them up; dress them down; give them some bite; shine a different light on them. Tell us a dark and weird tale from your culture, or show us something new. Let the wolf win. Stick all of those tired old folktale tropes in a blender, add genre-savviness and a dash of hot sauce, and serve over ice.” Deadline for submissions of short fiction, poetry, essays, and comics pitches is August 20, 2016. Details HERE.
The Tahirih Justice Center stands alone as the only national, multi-city organization providing a broad range of direct legal services, policy advocacy, and training and education to protect immigrant women and girls fleeing violence. Come out and support some of New York’s most powerful artists as they perform to raise money for a worth cause. $10 suggested donation all going to the center. Thanks to Terri Muuss for sharing this with us. Lifting the Veil Facebook Page is HERE.
August 7 at 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. EDT at BrickHouse Bewery & Restaurant 67 W. Main Street, Patchogue, New York 11772.
RUMORproceeds go the Syrian-Armenian Relief Fund. The collection is by Silva Merjanian. “Rumor is a stunning tour de force of passionate, life-affirming poetry. Silva Merjanian evokes time and place with both grace and authority. Poetry is obviously a tool for her own healing and in that she brings us face to face with the human condition in all its complexity, beautiful and loving and devastating cruel, and she does so totally without pretension.” excerpt from CELEBRATING AMERICAN SHE-POETS (19): Silva Zanoyan Merjanian, Borrowed Sugar, Borrowed Time – War-torn Lebanon to Peace in California
HANDS & WINGS, Poems for Freedom from Torture (White Rat Press, 2015). The poems in it are freely shared by A-list poets. The proceeds go to help with the rehabilitation and support of torture victims seeking protection in the U.K. For purchase contact Dorothy Yamamoto: dorothy.yamamoto@whiteratpress.co.uk
100,000 Poets (and other artists) for Change, 2016
AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM 100TPC COFOUNDER, MICHAEL ROTHENBERG: “On September 24, 2016 poets, musicians and artists around the world will be organizing poetry readings, parades, gallery exhibitions, music and dance performances focused on issues of peace, justice, and sustainability. This important annual global act of solidarity is the core activity of 100 Thousand Poets for Change, a non-profit organization.
100 Thousand Poets for Change offers an opportunity for a peaceful global discussion of issues such as war, global warming, poverty, racism, gender inequality, homelessness, gun violence, police brutality, lack of affordable medical care, censorship, and animal cruelty. Individual organizers are free to choose the specific topic and focus of their local event. If you are interested in participating in this global action please post sign up HERE.”
THE BARDO GROUP BEGUINES will host a virtual 100TPC event on September 24 with American-Israeli poet, Michael Dickel (Fragments of Michael Dickel) as Master of Ceremonies. Between Michael and me the event will run from morning in Israel to midnight in California. You can share your work through Mr. Linky (instruction will be provided) or in the comments section of the blog post that day at The BeZinewhere you can also enjoy the work of other artist activists.
Work may include anything on topic: poetry, essay, short fiction, video (music, mime, dance, dramatic monolgue), art and photography and so forth. The topic we’ve chosen this year – selected by Rev. Terri Stewart (Beguine Again founder) – and supported by our core team of poets, writers, story-tellers, artists and photographers, musicians and clerics is Environment/Environmental Justice. As is tradition, all work will be archived on the site and at Standford University in Stanford, CA.
FOR YOUNG POETS
STONE SOUP is a magazine founded in 1973 to encourage children ‘s creativity. It focus is “to inspire young writers by publishing the best work by their peers. We have published over ten-thousand pages of writing and art by children.” Submission details are HERE.
STRIVE FESTIVAL (England)Friday 5 August 2016 – Sunday 7 August 2016 “Calling all young thinkers, dreamers, movers and shakers: unleash your creativity at Strive festival. Strive is Southbank Centre’s festival for 15- to 25-year-olds. Curated in collaboration with our Youth Ambassadors, the festival celebrates and showcases the creativity, new ideas and artistic passions of young people today.Whether you love music, dance, poetry or visual arts, Strive is packed full of performances, practical workshops and careers advice to inspire and empower you. Details HERE.
THE POETRY SOCIETY (U.K.) is “committed to supporting poets at every stage of their career – many now established poets began taking part in our events and competitions as children, through teenage years and into adulthood. Our Young Poets Network, and events for emerging poets mean that you always have access to advice and company as you develop your craft. . . . We are committed to supporting poets at every stage of their career – many now established poets began taking part in our events and competitions as children, through teenage years and into adulthood. Our Young Poets Network, and events for emerging poets mean that you always have access to advice and company as you develop your craft.” Details HERE
YOUNG AMERICAN POETRY DIGEST, National Schools Project encourages “student writing and provides an audience for student poetry. We want kids excited about writing . . . The National Schools Project, initiated in 1994, is designed to share our youth’s talents with others, supply a national audience for student writing, and provide a publishing opportunity for young poets. Schools around the nation are invited to participate in the project by submitting their students’ most creative poetry. A panel of educators reviews the poetry submitted and selects poems to be published based on a list of literary criteria.” Details HERE
A POETRY PLAYGROUND
Youth and Adults
POETRY SOUP “is simply the world’s best and most comprehensive poetry website and poems resource…with quotes too. PoetrySoup™ is an easy-to-use, comprehensive, interactive, and fun international poetry community for all poets and lovers of poetry. Read, search, comment on, and share quotations, short poetry, funny poetry, love poetry, sad poetry, friendship poetry and more.” Details HERE.
TIDBIT
ZEN and THE ART OF ARCHERY: Paul Muldoon – Advice for Young Writers (If you are reading this in an email, it is likely you’ll have to link to the site to view this video.)
PAUL MULDOON (b.1951) is an Irish poet with some thirty collections and a Pulitzer Prize. His bio is HERE.
THE POET BY DAY SUNDAY POESY
Submit your event, book launch and other announcements at least fourteen days in advance to thepoetbyday@gmail.com. Publication is subject to editorial discretion.
They come like thistle and thorn,
and write their rage upon my body.
They come like locusts and
feed on the fields of my soul.
Like the angry storm, they drown me.
Like the desert sands, they suffocate me.
They see me, a little person
of little consequence … a girl
Just a trinket, a toy, a receptacle,
something to sell, buy, trade or
marry-off prematurely,
without my say.
But hear me, I am the answer.
I am the calm after the storm.
I am the antidote to
stone hearts and desiccated souls.
I am the future and the past.
I am the hope, the dream, the reality.
I am real.
I am human.
I am the answer.
“Women are half the society. You cannot have a revolution without women. You cannot have democracy without women. You cannot have equality without women. You can’t have anything without women” Nawal El Saadawi (b. 1931), Egyption feminist writer and physician
The Tahirih Justice Center stands alone as the only national, multi-city organization providing a broad range of direct legal services, policy advocacy, and training and education to protect immigrant women and girls fleeing violence. Come out and support some of New York’s most powerful artists as they perform to raise money for a worth cause. $10 suggested donation all going to the center. Thanks to Terri Muuss for sharing this with us. Lifting the Veil Facebook Page is HERE.
August 7 at 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. EDT at BrickHouse Bewery & Restaurant 67 W. Main Street, Patchogue, New York 11772.
There is no place for child marriage in a world where empowered girls lead the way into a better future for everyone everywhere!
Jamie Dedes' THE POET BY DAY Webzine 