Spring and All!: Uplifted in Body, Mind, and Spirit
Uplift (v.):
1: to lift up: ELEVATE.
2: to improve the spiritual, social, or intellectual condition.
An elevated condition of the body, mind, or spirit can be brought about in a myriad of ways: from random encounters with strangers to a sense of belonging in a community, from feeling supported and understood to enriching another’s outlook on life, from walking barefoot in the grass to imagining a better world is possible. The sense of being uplifted can occur from within or be triggered by external factors.
With so many events over the last several years that have weighed heavy on our hearts and minds, we are looking for stories that lift us up, lighten our spirit, or invite us to view the world in a new way. What makes you want to dance? What makes your fictional character jump out of bed and say, “Hell, YES!”? How do you capture the feeling of sunlight on your face in verse? We want to see words that embody the experiences, views, and ideas of being uplifted. We want to hear your unique voice.
Red Wheelbarrow Writers invites submissions for our fourth anthology, tentatively titled “Spring and All!” inspired by William Carlos Williams’ volume of poetry of the same name. Williams is often considered an uplifting voice amid the harsh realities of the world, and that is our vision for this anthology.
DETAILS:
We anticipate the finished anthology will contain 20-30 essays and poems.
Submissions are open from October 1, 2022, and will close January 31, 2023.
We expect submissions to be previously edited for content, style, and grammar before submission. We will not accept pieces that require lengthy developmental editing. However, chosen pieces will be accepted conditioned on a further round of editing for length and clarity before publication.
Submissions for the anthology must be sent as a separate Word document attachment to submissions@sidekickpress.com. Please read the criteria below carefully:
- All genres: nonfiction (including memoir), fiction, and poetry will be considered.
- Work must be previously unpublished, in print or online.
- No simultaneous submissions.
- Each author should submit in one genre: one prose piece up to 3000 words, or up to three poems.
- Submissions are BLIND. This means that the selection committee will not know the author of the submission, and will not be sending back individual critique. Do not include your name or identifying information on the manuscript.
- Please include the genre on the top of the first page of the manuscript.
- Submissions should be in Word, 12 point Times New Roman font, and prose should be double spaced.
- Submissions in the body of an email will not be considered.
- If your piece is accepted for the anthology, you will be notified in writing, asked to submit a fifty-word bio, and sign a contract allowing Sidekick Press the right to print and distribute your work. All rights revert to author upon publication.
The authors published in this anthology will each receive one copy of the anthology once it is in print.
Submission Deadline:
January 31, 2023
Other Dates:
- Notification of Accepted/Not Accepted by March 1, 2023
- Spring and All! will be published in May 2023.
Email submissions to:
We are looking forward to reading your work!
Laura Kalpakian
Randy Dills
Marian Exall
Laura Rink
Jean Waight
Still have questions? Email rwbarrow@live.com with any questions.
