On Saturday, September 10, 2022 at 1 p.m. EST we will be hosting the Book Launch for Steve Anc’s latest book “I am fine: don’t read this poem.” You can learn more about Anc and his book by watching this video. Hope to see you there!
Years ago, before computers, we wrote letters. My mother’s letters were like little novellas. They sometimes were several pages long. She wrote her family members and friends and they loved to get her “books.” How I wish I had saved my letters from mom. As a witness to her letter writing, I would watch as her pen moved passionately across the pages, sometimes witnessing her eyes well up. Letters were her release. They were her way of expressing herself in ways she could not voice. Sometimes she would write letters to people out of anger and then tear them up. To my knowledge, she never sent one of those angry letters. It could have been politicians, relatives, and those are the ones I knew about. She would express her heart’s desire, open up her soul, and pour out her thoughts.
As a letter writer, I did not have the beautiful penmanship of my mother, but I learned that the pen was my power. I also wrote letters and tore them up. I even wrote one about the need for a doctor in our little town and it was published in the newspaper. I wrote letters to family, friends, old friends found from a long time lost, family who I wanted to see but knew my letters would reach them long before I ever would.
Now, I am a writer and a poet. I write as if my words are letters to the world, at times. Other times, I write to express my desires of the heart. And other times I write to write.
I firmly believe that when we do express our desires within our heart that this has a way of stirring up thoughts and even action plans to make things happen. Sometimes those things that happen are acceptances of things that can’t be changed, but sometimes they are steps to taking up the courage to make something happen in our lives.
What is the desire in your heart? This is my challenge to you. I would like to read about the desires in your heart in the “Dear Heart” anthology of letters, poetry, art, photography, and whatever ways helps you express your passion.
There’s a caveat to this. These are all to be sent to me via good old fashioned snail mail. I will sort through these and select which submissions to publish.
Prolific Pulse Press LLC is conducting a call for submissions. Details are as follows:
Prolific Pulse Press LLC needs 3 essays and 3 poems about what it is like to be a caregiver of a family member or close friend who has become ill.
We also needs 3 essays and 3 poems about what it is like to be given care by a family member or close friend.
All entries must be speaking from their own firsthand experiences.
Essays should be no longer than 5000 words. Poems should not be longer than 600 words.
Previously published essays and/or poems will be accepted for consideration with the exception of already being published in anthologies or other books.
The 12 winning essays and poems will receive an award of $20 each.
All entries must be in 12 point Times New Roman or Book Antiqua font.
Send entries as attachments to your email.
Deadline: March 31, 2022
A 50 word Bio will be needed with the entries, not after the fact.
What will happen to these?
These are to go into a book by Lisa Tomey and it will be published in August 2022
Releases will be requested for the essay and poem writers to enable publication.
No royalties will be paid, but your names and bios will be included in the book.
There will be an optional open mic for this book event for which any winning entries will be invited to attend and read.