The first accepted poetry submission for the Autumn 2019 issue has now been posted! Check it out here. A full list of all accepted submissions will appear here. I’ll also, after the submission window has been closed and all submissions have been reviewed, create a PDF copy of the submissions (if anyone has artwork or photography they’d like to submit, I’ll consider it for the cover photo of the issue!).
Cather’s “The Way of the World”
Willa Cather is an author I’ve only recently come across. Read her My Antonia last year and O Pioneers! this year. I enjoyed them both, by the former work more so. She also happens to a have a vast array of short stories she’s written; her “The Way of the World” is one that fans of her novels might enjoy. It features aspects of those two novels of hers, but also, in some parts at least, feels reminiscent of the style which her The Song of the Lark adopted. The dialogue in “The Way of the World” might appeal to those who enjoyed Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, interestingly enough.
Additionally on the site in that link provided above is a wealth of scholarly essays which focus on her work–to date, eleven volumes are featured on the site.
I’m curious about your thoughts on Cather’s work–her novels, especially the ones aforementioned, are definitely worth checking out if you enjoy depictions of life in America back in the days of being on the prairie or the theme of nostalgia. I’m also curious about if there’s an author (or a few) you’ve come across lately you recommend (always looking for a good book to read!).
Upcoming Issue
I’m wanting to get the site back together, so let’s plan for an Autumn 2019 issue, with a deadline of August 31st. Prose, poetry, non-fiction, and more will be considered; all authors & artists will retain copyrights of their submission(s).
Disillusionment in Academia
I came across a sobering article regarding the field of academia that strikes a haunting sense of disillusionment. It’s a field I’ve worked toward–I’ll receive my MA this year, and plan on pursuing a Ph.D. immediately after. I have a few back-up plans just in case, but I wanted to query other’s experiences regarding the issues addressed in the article. Have you had similar experiences in academia?
The New Editor.
Who else thinks the old editor was just fine and that the new one over complicates the process of making a post and, if you want to add your own formatting, just looks awful? Is there a way to incorporate custom formatting without having to use the preformatted block which looks horrendous? Or at least change the font and background color? The verse block doesn’t look much better.
Under Frozen Skies
Loosely based on Elena Rivera’s sonnet “Aug 19th” within the Scaffolding collection.
Regrets and missed opportunities of
The past
Lie buried within a crystalized coffin
Under a foot of snow
We lie tangled up in our past
Never forgetting
Never moving forward
Time stands still
Yet we rush still
Toward our deaths
It's just sand in the hourglass
That's all we are
That's all we'll be.
Expectations
Flutter away
Get lost to the wind
Get lost in the sand
Of meaninglessness–
And apathy.
Expectations–
They're just sand in the hourglass
That's all they are
That's all they'll be.
Empty Bottles Full of Stories by R.H. Sin
R.H. Sin’s new poetry collection released a few days ago. The summary on Goodreads promises a sort of catharsis to be found within the contents of the poems; a polemic to delve into some of the recesses of your heart to relieve you of a burden and bring you peace and set you free. Currently, it holds a 4.09/5 star rating across 33 ratings. The few reviews it does have, however, lament over how repetitive the poems can be. I recall this sentiment when reading through Planting Gardens in Graves, but thought that overall that work deserved 4/5 stars. Who’s read Empty Bottles Full of Stories so far or plan on acquiring a copy? Thoughts?
Poem — Depths of Despair by Chris H.
Hollowed; cannot feel
A bored hole within–
The silence
Deafening.
Blurry landscapes
Failing to separate what isn’t and what’s real
Of contents of my nightmares
…And I do feel content
With the protection of this blackened shell
So let me ask–
What is truly heaven?
And what is truly hell?
(This is also posted on deviantart)
Short Weekly Writing Event
Destined to be just for fun but encourage writing and interaction, we want to try this out. Each week we’ll provide some prompt and exercise and have people comment on various social media platforms. For this week, a haiku about nature. Feel free to leave your haiku in the comments section. We’ll have a way for people to vote on their favorite! This event will close to submissions on Saturday (we’re in the EST zone).
Seeking Submissions
Apologies the site has been on a little bit of a hiatus (Craigslist now charges to post in their gigs section, and that’s how we were getting a majority of our submissions, but each post was a hit or miss…). Anyway, we’ll be focusing on this site, along with our Instagram and Twitter pages since those two platforms seem to produce the most engagement. We’ll adjust the site according to what’s working and what isn’t.
We are seeking submissions for upcoming issues; we’ll have the Autumn issue deadline at October 31st; there’s a special issue with a deadline in December. Questions and submissions can be submitted to sbsubmit475@gmail.com. If you send a submission, we’ll get back to you in 2-3 weeks if we decide to accept the piece.
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