Please visit the Tandem Reader Awards Fundraiser

Donating to their campaign has some really nice—and unique—perks! Including handwritten poems signed by the author from poets Kaveh Akbar, Heather Bell, Sarah Blake, Chen Chen, Siaara Freeman, and Megan Peak.

Tandem Reader Awards is a FEE-FREE post-publication award for chapbooks, where the award will be given to both the author and editor of the winning chapbook. TRA began as an idea in 2015 when we noticed a deficit of reader awards for chapbooks and a similar deficit of reader awards for editors. As we discussed these needs in our community, we realized an additional and more prevalent need in our community for more accessible awards.

TRA believes it is important to acknowledge the hurdles, including submission fees, impeding accessibility to many awards in our creative community, especially for minority and marginalized voices. We asked ourselves: What if we could award the special relationship between writer and editor, while pledging our commitment to being broadly accessible within the literary community by maintaining fee-free nominations? The answer was clear: We can. These ideas work beautifully in tandem and you can help make it happen.

Our goal is to raise a minimum of $2,000 to cover the initial start-up costs: A PO box for mail nominations, a checking account, promotional materials, and registering for our 501c3. Additionally your contribution will go towards the $150 prize awarded each to the editor and the author of the winning chapbook, and will guarantee the first two years of the awards. Any additional funds raised over $2,000 will sweeten the prize pot; we hope to surpass the $150 prize amount for our winners and demonstrate community support and commitment to a more inclusive writer community, where we can honor the work first and foremost.

Donate Here

I reviewed Ha Kiet Chau’s amazing book, Woman Come Undone, in the latest issue of Up the Staircase Quarterly:

“What does it mean to let go completely, of mind, body? In this collection of poetry, Chau explores how one must come undone in order to be reborn.”

You can jump over to UtSQ to read the full review HERE.

I wrote a new edition of Three to Read over at Words Dance! This time I talk about poems written by Niina Pollari, Cassandra de Alba, and Heather June Gibbons. Read the full article HERE.

I reviewed Les Kay’s book of poetry, Badass, in issue #32 of Up the Staircase Quarterly:

“Badass is a 50+ page singular poem that oftentimes uses strong language, drugs, and violence to delve into the licentious minds of a group of teenagers. The reader is then flash-forwarded into a more quiet and reminiscent adulthood.”

Read more over at UtSQ HERE.

Hoorah!

The lovely people at The Boiler nominated my poem “Where We Live” for the Pushcart Prize. The full list of nominees is HERE, and you can read my poem HERE.

 

xoxo

 

My review of Lauren Gordon’s smart Nancy Drew-inspired chapbook Keen is now up on Words Dance Publishing! You can check out the review HERE.

Thanks to the cool people over at Sundress Publications, I was chosen as the first guest in their new feature Lyric Essentials. Click the link below to hear me read an excerpt from Mina Loy’s poem “Song to Joannes” + an interview about some of my thoughts on her life and work.

My recent edition of Three to Read is up at Words Dance! This time I highlight poems by Nina Puro, Shannon Elizabeth Hardwick, and Gina Keicher. Check out what I had to say about their beautiful work HERE.

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This week I am also judging a flash fiction contest for Sundress Publications. The theme for this round is SPORTS!  Deadline July 24th, 2015. Every round has two winners and those winners go on to compete in the final round for shiny prizes. Check out all of the details HERE.

Catch up on my latest Three to Read over at Words Dance.

This edition of Three to Read features work by Megan Peak, Marisa Crawford, and Emily Rose Cole. These ladies wrote some amazing poems that I am thrilled to have stumbled across.