Black Ocean's Open Reading Period

It's that time again--please spread the news far and wide. We will be considering unpublished poetry manuscripts post-marked between May 1st and June 30th.

"As publishing writers we do not believe in reading fees and will consider all submissions based on the merit of their work and quality of writing. That said, please take the time and consideration to familiarize yourself with our titles before sending us a manuscript. More than simply supporting the press through your purchase, you will be extending us the same respect we have for the submissions we receive."

You can download a PDF of these guidelines at: http://www.blackocean.org/submit/

- Entries must be postmarked between May 1, 2009 and June 30, 2009.

- A self-addressed stamped postcard is necessary if you’d like notification of receipt of your manuscript.

- Poetry manuscripts should be 48 to 100 pages, single-spaced and printed on one side of an 8-1/2" x 11" or A4 page only.

- We are not accepting unsolicited prose manuscripts at this time.

- Please include an acknowledgments page listing previous publications.

- Also, please include a cover letter with a brief biographical note.

- Contain pages in a plain manila folder or bind manuscript with a secure clip. Please do not bind manuscript in a notebook.

- Handwritten manuscripts are not accepted.

- Manuscripts will not be returned, so please do not send your only copy.

- Manuscript revisions are not permitted during the open reading.

- Only one manuscript submission per genre please.


Send submissions to:
Carrie Olivia Adams, Poetry Editor
Black Ocean
1332 N Wolcott #3
Chicago, IL 60622

Find our aesthetic at
www.blackocean.org

Laurel Snyder Interview

at Poetic Asides:

I think the academic world we've pushed poetry into is problematic, and the rewards are easily quantifiable, and that brings a heavyness to the business of writing. Which limits what we write about and how we write. Which is sad.

More about Laurel's book The Myth of the Simple Machines here.

This Week at No Tell

Lea Graham wakes greening this week at No Tell Motel.

This Week at No Tell

Laine Ballard lets it run through, be used and depleted this week at No Tell Motel.

Bethesda Literary Festival Small Press Fair

No Tell Books will at the Bethesda Literary Festival Small Press Fair tomorrow at The Writers Center (4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD)

Saturday, April 18, noon to 5 PM

Meet editors and publishers of literary journals and small presses at the Small Press Fair. Participants include The National Endowment for the Arts, Abbey, Barrelhouse, Cherokee Books, The Delmarva Review, Gargoyle/Paycock Press, GirlChild Press, Gival Press. Kings Estate Press, Little Patuxent Review, little press books, No Tell Books, Poet Lore, Potomac Review, Pretend Genius, Settlement House, Toad Hall Press, Washington Writers' Publishing House, SFWP, and Wineberry Press.

No Tell's Best New Poet Nominations

No Tell Motel nominated the following poets and poems for Best New Poets:

"Conflict Myth/Rusting of the Golden Age" by Daniela Olszewska

and

"Death Certificate" by Kim Gek Lin Short


Good luck Daniela and Kim!

This Week at No Tell

Brian Foley freckles on the lampshade this week at No Tell Motel.

A Celebration of the Chapbook: April 23-25, NYC

An announcement from: The Asian American Writers’ Workshop, The Center for Book Arts, The Center for the Humanities, The Graduate Center, The Office of Academic Affairs, and MFA Programs in Creative Writing of the City University of New York and Poetry Society of America:

We are excited to announce a wonderful event upcoming on April 23-25 in New York: A Celebration of the Chapbook, a three-day festival featuring panels, workshops and a bookfair. For a full schedule of events, visit http://centerforthehumanitiesgc.org/festival.

This festival celebrates the chapbook and highlights its rich history, as well as its essential place in poetry publishing today, as a vehicle for alternative poetry projects and for emerging authors and editors to gain entry into the literary marketplace. The festival hopes to forge a new platform for the study of the chapbook inside and outside the academy.

We invite you to visit the fair and attend the panels and workshops, all of which are free of charge. Please note that the workshops require registration, and will fill up fast, so reserve your seat now. Visit http://centerforthehumanitiesgc.org/festival for instructions on how to register.

We are seeking volunteers for the festival, and there are still a few spots available in the bookfair. If you’re interested in volunteering, or if you are a chapbook publisher and want to participate in the bookfair, please e-mail abozicevic@gc.cuny.edu .

Join us for A Celebration of the Chapbook – we hope to see you there!

TATE ETC. Magazine's Poem of the Month

An announcement from TATE ETC. magazine:

Poem of the Month is the initiative of TATE ETC. magazine, publishing a new piece of poetry every month on its website at www.tate.org.uk/tateetc. The poems are written exclusively for TATE ETC. magazine and among the authors there are widely acclaimed poets such as John Burnside, Moniza Alvi, Adam Thorpe and David Harsent. The writing they contribute responds to the pieces of art which are within the Tate collection, be it the landscapes of John Downman, Bridget Riley’s Op arts or the ready-mades of Man Ray.

TATE ETC. is Europe’s largest art magazine, issued three times a year. Each issue is filled with in-depth articles, discussions and interviews with the artists and art-practitioners. Such personalities as Sigmar Polke, John Banville and Tracey Emin are among the contributors discussing the fine, modern and contemporary faces of art.


The latest poem of the month

The latest Poem of the Month was contributed by Elaine Feinstein, a great novel author, writing also radio plays, television dramas and biographies. For TATE ETC. exclusively she created a poem inspired by Isaac Babel Riding with Budyonny – a figurative painting of British Pop art by R.B.Kitaj. The collage-looking art work meets on its canvas horses, angel, carnival colours and dark skies. Where is Isaac’s place in such savagery?

Find out at http://www.tate.org.uk/tateetc/issue15/poemapril09.htm

This Week at No Tell

Shane McCrae drives through sudden and the mountains are not mountains this week at No Tell Motel.