VIA Metropolitan Transit will begin its 2011 poetry contest earlier this year to allow time to coordinate with other art programs. Called “Poetry on the Move,” the contest is open to anyone over 18 years of age in Central and South Texas (except for VIA employees and their families), and entries can be sent in beginning October 1 and running through November 17. The winning poetry will be displayed on VIA buses and vans during National Poetry Month in April 2011.

Contestants can submit up to three poems each, and the works must be understandable by a wide audience, free of any offensive language, and without obscure references. Entries should be mailed to VIA Metropolitan Transit c/o Jerri Ann Jones, Public Affairs, P.O. Box 12489, San Antonio, Texas 78212. Submissions should be postmarked by November 17, 2010, and winners will be notified before their work is published in VIA’s fleet.

To be eligible, each poem should be typed or printed and sent by mail. No fax or e-mail submissions will be accepted. Each poem needs to be ten lines or shorter (including the title and spaces), and the author’s name or any other identifying information cannot appear on the poems themselves.

Contestants should include a cover letter that contains the title (or first line) of each poem; name, address, and telephone number of the author; a one-line bio; and a signed permission line that reads: “I hereby give VIA Metropolitan Transit permission to use my poem(s) on their buses, vans, or other agency publications as well as in National Poetry Month San Antonio publicity.”

Poets will retain all rights for future publication. All poems must be original work and cannot have been previously published. The poems themselves will not be returned, but the winners will be notified by mail.

Step Up for Arts Education scholarship – Nov. 8, 2010 deadline

Along with San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro’s designation of September 12-18 as Arts in Education Week, Step Up for Arts Education and the City of San Antonio are offering an incentive for K-12 teachers and art educators. Scholarships of up to $1,000 will be awarded to San Antonio-area certified teachers and art (dance, music, theatre, and visual art) educators for the development of arts-centric educational opportunities. The scholarship, to be used for the spring 2011 semester, will provide teachers professional development in the arts; afford classrooms curriculum enhancement through dance, music, theatre, and visual art; and foster partnerships with arts and cultural organizations and institutions to enrich school learning.

The deadline to apply is Monday, November 8, 2010. For more information about the Step Up for Arts Education scholarship, e-mail project director Mary E. Cantú at mary@saysi.org.

Voices de la Luna – September issue released

Voices de la Luna, a quarterly poetry and arts magazine, is pleased to announce the publication of the 15 September 2010 (Volume 3, Number 1) issue in four formats: webpage, digital reader, e-magazine, and hardcopy. The magazine features “Questions for Carmen Tafolla,” “A White House Garden Cookbook” by Clara Silverstein,”and “The Day I Became a Writer” by Cyra Dumitru.

CONFERENCES:

The Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Writers Conference

Make plans for The Mayborn Conference this summer! You’ll be inspired by this gathering of writers at the podium and sitting next to you. The Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism at the University of North Texas wants you to register for: A Way Out of the Wilderness A Weekend of Workshops, Lectures and Panel Discussions. Major cash prizes and a publishing contract will be awarded in the writing contest. Keynote speakers are: Mary Karr, Mark Bowden and Gary Smith.

Check out the details and register here.

SUBMISSIONS:

Glimmer Train – Very Short Fiction Award

Guidelines for the Very Short Fiction Award category:

To make a submission: Please send your work via our Glimmer Train’s new online submission page.

Dates: The category will be open to submissions for one full month, from the first day through midnight (Pacific time) of the last day of the month. Results will be posted at www.glimmertrain.org.

January. Results will be posted on March 31.
July. Results will be posted on September 30.

Reading fee: $15 per story

Prizes:

1st place wins $1,200, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue.
2nd-place: $500
3rd-place:$300

Results post on October 31. Winning story will be published in Issue 81.

20th Annual Jeffrey E. Smith: Editors’ Prize – October 1, 2010 deadline

The Missouri Review is now accepting submissions for the 20th Annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize competition. In addition to the the $15,000 awarded to the first place winners, three finalists in each category receive cash awards and are considered for publication. Past winners have been reprinted in the Best American series. For details, visit www.missourireview.com/contest.

CALYX, a journal of art and literature by women will open for submissions of poetry, short fiction, and creative non-fiction on October 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010. For 34 years CALYX Journal has been a creative forum for women’s diverse voices showcasing work from new and emerging writers and artists. Visit our website www.calyxpress.org/submission for full guidelines. Please send up to six poems or 2,500 words of prose, SASE, and a short bio to:
CALYX Journal
PO Box B
Corvallis, OR 97339

phati’tude Literary Magazine offers readers a wide collection of works that consist of poetry, prose, short stories, articles, interviews and essays, along with literary criticism, book reviews and biographical profiles by established and emerging artists, poets and writers with an emphasis on writers of Native American, African, Hispanic/Latino and Asian descent. Published quarterly on POD and Amazon Kindle. Deadline for debut issue has passed, but phati’tude accepts submissions year-round and are conscientious about responding to submissions in a timely manner. For more information, including submission guidelines check out phati’tude’s website.

Brave Hearts, a quarterly magazine, seeks short manuscripts (up to 900 words), photographs, prayers and related material on special inspirational subjects for each issue. A nominal payment is made upon publication and an additional $5 is paid for each item used on the Web site. Deadline: Ongoing. For more information: www.braveheartsmagazine.com.