Able Muse Guest Editors, Spotlight Poet Contest & More

The next issue of Able Muse will 1) feature a number of guest editors in all areas, and 2) attempt to feature as many Eratosphereans as possible in these areas … even including an Sphere-centric contest. With that, I’m pleased to invite the submissions on behalf of the guest editors. The pertinent details follow. In all cases, the submission guidelines for Able Muse are online here. The deadline for all submissions indicated below is May 1, 2009.

POETRY

1. To begin with, I have asked our Lariat Emeritus, Tim Murphy, to join me as associate poetry editor for Able Muse. We hope to publish two to three times a year. Tim will primarily run the Featured Poet and the Spotlight Poet sections for each issue.
   For the Spotlight Poet feature in the forthcoming issue, we are running a contest open to all, especially to Eratosphere poets! The winner will be chosen by Tim and me. Based on the response we might make this an ongoing event for subsequent issues. To be considered for this feature, we invite about five previously unpublished poems. Tim will write an introduction and a short, critical appraisal and appreciation on the winner’s work. This is an exciting development which I’m sure will further revitalize Able Muse. I believe that Tim will do a wonderful job with the Spotlight Poet feature because he knows most of your work. If you wish to be considered for a spotlight spot, send five of your best unpublished poems and a curriculum vitae to the special Submissions forum set up for it here. This is a blind submission forum – you can post, but you won’t be able to view the contents of this forum. So, make sure you read your submission carefully before submitting because you won’t be able to see it or edit it after it’s submitted. For Sphereans who have already submitted poems for the next issue to Able Muse prior to this announcement, we will automatically enter your submission to this contest in addition to the regular consideration; you may also send supplementary poems if you feel the need to strengthen your submission for the contest. I especially want to thank Tim for jumping in and agreeing to help, and Tim and I eagerly look forward to your submissions.
   
2. Along with the Spotlight Poet, the existing tradition of the Featured Able Muse Poet will continue. As before, the Featured poets will be established poets with trade press publications who will submit unpublished work and be interviewed extensively and introduced by Tim. For the forthcoming and future issues, Featured Poets will be invited to appear by Tim.

FICTION

The editing responsibility for fiction in the next issue of Able Muse will be taken care of by the Guest Fiction Editor, Thaisa Frank. She has been published extensively to critical acclaim, including authoring three fiction collections. She’s no stranger to Able Muse and appears in the Millennial issue and the current Reload issue. Although Thaisa will consider all fiction submissions, she’s especially looking forward to fiction submissions from Sphereans. I strongly encourage anyone who can to submit a story for her consideration to do so, and this applies even to those poets with that latent fiction talent they’ve been meaning to explore! We’re looking for anything from flash fiction to short fiction (about 4000 words or less.) I have also set up a special blind submission forum for fiction for all Eratosphereans here.

NON-FICTION

Moving on non-fiction – essays and book reviews --- for the next issue of Able Muse will be edited by the Guest Non-Fiction Editor, Gregory Dowling. Gregory is no stranger on the Sphere and needs no introduction.. Gregory and I strongly encourage anyone who can to submit a non-fiction piece for his consideration. Eratosphereans are not only capable of pithy poetry, but have also been known to be quite loquacious. So, I urge those with interesting or novel points of view about poetry, recent or classic publications to channel it into a memorable non-fiction article, and submit it to Gregory. There’s no word limit, within reason – excellence is the only criterion! I have also set up a special blind submission forum for non-fiction for all Eratosphereans here.

ART

Finally, we also plan to include artwork from selected individual artists in the next issue of Able Muse in the hope of showcasing the artwork of several talented Eratosphereans. The guest Art Editor for the next issue of Able Muse is Sharon Passmore, and she too is no stranger here. Sharon and I strongly encourage anyone who can do so to submit some of their best work for her consideration. With Sharon’s lead, I’m looking forward to experiencing the artistic flourish of Eratosphereans! I have also set up a special blind submission forum for art for Eratosphereans here.

There you have it! I’m looking forward to your submissions!

Cheers,
…Alex