— from the blog of Fred Klonsky  Please note: this is NOT my original blog, but reblogged 

 

— from the blog of Fred Klonsky

It is not something we often see on Michigan Avenue. Hanging over the entrance of the Art Institute of Chicago is a giant banner with a monumental image of Gideon, a Black portrait drawn in black and white, with glowing black skin, wide nose and wide lips. It’s style is classical realism. The banner announces the […]

via A Charles White retrospective on the centenary of his birth in Chicago. — Fred Klonsky

Posted on by Laura Lee

Streetlight Literary Magazine, a Mini-Review

streetlights    Streetlight Magazine ‘s

mission is “to publish exceptional talent, both new and established, from our region and across the country.”  Streetlight publishes poetry, fiction, essays, memoir, art/ photography, and blog posts.  In addition, Streetlight sponsors writing contests and strives for a three-month decision on submissions.  Publishing since 2012, it appears each issue contains poetry, fiction, essays/ memoir, art/photography, and blog posts.  The latest issue contained an ekphrastic poem, always a plus for me.  The artists do get a short bio with publication, another plus.

I found the site a bit confusing to navigate, but the content good. The artwork and photography was breath-taking.

It’s good to find new writing sites, and I enjoyed this one.

Thanks for reading!

Laura Lee

 

Posted on by Laura Lee

Writers: a nice feature of submittable.com

typewriter-vintage-old-vintage-typewriter-163116     Writers!  Perhaps you knew about this great feature of Submittable, but I did not until today.   Submittable.com is a site where some publishers collect submissions to journals and contests, reply to the writers,  accept submissions, reject submissions.  It’s a way to read submissions “blindly,” without seeing an author’s name.

I like using Submittable, since it also helps me keep track of what piece of writing I’ve submitted where.

What I just discovered, however, is a great find: the “discover” section of the website.  There I found many journals listing their requirements, deadlines, etc.  All in one place.

I also found sites I now like to read from (is that the term…read from? Read there?)

So, writers, if you haven’t discovered the DISCOVER feature of Submittable yet, here you go: Discover Opportunities Submittable.  If you don’t have an account there yet, you will need to create a free account.

What are some useful writing tools you have discovered?

Thanks for reading!

Laura Lee

Posted on by Laura Lee

Coffin Bell Journal, a mini-review

Another interesting site.  This is not my genre, dark literature, but I realize many of my writings contain very dark elements–just not supernatural.  With some editing, they could fit the genre.  In any case, here is a journal that has an interesting premise.  From scary housetheir website:  Coffin Bell

Coffin Bell is a new quarterly online journal of dark literature seeking poetry, flash fiction, short stories, and creative nonfiction exploring dark themes. When we say “dark themes,” we don’t necessarily mean traditional horror. Send us your waking nightmares, dark CNF, dystopian flash, cursed verse. Surprise us. Make us think in a new way. Give us a new fear. Make our skin crawl.

If you write flash fiction or dark verse, read here  and consider submitting.  The site is attractive, the care given to writers evident in their bios.  What an interesting group of writers published there already, from lawyers to ghost writers.

Yesterday I changed the speaker of a poem from human to animal, something I’ve not done before.  Have you considered writing outside of your genre?  If so, what was your experience?

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by Laura Lee

Of Coyotes, Babies, Macduff, and Strangers. (Five poems Submitted Tonight)

coyote    I submitted five persona poems to a favorite journal tonight, written in the voices of five distinct others: a coyote, a baby, Macduff from Macbeth, Simon from Lord of the Flies, and two strangers. It was fun to find and edit the poems, as well as working on a few others I just could not include at this time.

I love writing persona poems; I am both a a daughter of storytellers and a current poet, and persona poems combine poetry and stories.  It’s tricky for me to write in a persona not female, not human, not me at all, but I love to try doing this.

Now I wait many months to find out if any of these poems will be published.  In the meantime, I know I will be writing more persona poems, since I am taking a writing class this summer.

What’s the most interesting voice you have written in?

Posted on by Laura Lee

Palette Poetry, a good poetry site (mini review)

palette      Poets, another good site for reading poetry and for celebrating poetry is Palette Poetry.    Palette states its mission is:

…to uplift and engage emerging and established poets in our larger community.

The world is eager for poets. In 2016, more people spent their hard earned money on poetry books than any other year on record. When times are dark, the world always turns to poets for empathy, for answers, for words, bucking and new.

Palette Poetry is here to paint our small part of the world with truth through poetry, as hopeful and eviscerating as truth can be.

Palette sponsors contests, publishes poetry, promotes fun with and improvement of poetry.   I love Palette’s lack of pretension, as shown by these words:

Our goal is to simply find and publish the best poetry we can, no matter its roots in craft.

If you love to read and or write poetry, this would be a great site to visit.  If you hope to be published there, the editors note that they publish only the best poetry, so be sure to submit only your best.

Their site is inviting and exciting.  Why not visit Palette Poetry?

Posted on by Laura Lee

An Accidental Troll Hunt

35076989_10155572027678499_6537897654326657024_n          I went in search of flowers today, but had a flat tire and could not make it to the Chicago Botanic Garden in time.  Tire fixed, headed to the Morton Arboretum for a quick woodland walk, and found a troll.  There are six altogether, and I saw one.

The Morton Arboretum (look here for more details and more pictures) is sponsoring a “troll hunt” over next year.  Danish sculptor Thomas Dambo (see Thomas Dambo Sculptures) and his team build trolls around the Arboretum using “reclaimed” wood only, wood from trees downed by storms, etc.

I have to wonder WHERE these huge wooden sculptures will go after the summer of 2019.  I cannot imagine anyone having a home large enough for them! Will they go to a new forest?  Where will they go?

These are a few photos I was able to take before the rain started.

Always fun to find a troll.

 

Posted on by Laura Lee

Poetry is making a comeback? NPR discusses the NEA study

 

gray scale photography of typewriter        As I wrote earlier and as this article declares, “In half a decade, the number of U.S. adults who are reading poetry has nearly doubled.” Read all about it on the NPR (National Public Radio) site, where they quote from the NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) study here: Poetry is making a comeback

If a comeback, not even 12% of Americans reading poetry is a paltry figure to me.  How can poetry not be a part of so many lives? And do we even have 12% of Americans buying/ supporting poets and poetry?

I’m not sure about that.  I’d love to see America support its poets and truly embrace poetry, but we have a long way to go.

 

Posted on by Laura Lee

Foundry (Literary Journal), a mini-review

journal  As promised, I’ll keep posting links to sites I find interesting, important, or both.

A dear friend introduced me to Foundry Journal online, and I was impressed with the superb poems and beautiful presentation of the site.  I read the poetry of love, nature, politics, and more.  I saw carefully selected images that enhance the site.  If you love poetry, why not go there?

It’s obvious Foundry loves poetry and has found fine poets to publish.

From their site:

About

 

Poems are manufactured objects — the intangible cast into forms. ​Foundry showcases poems crafted by writers at all stages of their practice. We are interested in poems as made things, and we are interested in their making. 

Poems published in Foundry have been awarded a Pushcart Prize, selected for Bettering American Poetry, and featured on Verse Daily.