Poets to Write for Survivors of Hurricane Katrina

Former New Orleans resident and poet Christine E. Laine to edit hurricane relief anthology; poets will write for the relief effort. Sun Rising Poetry Press and Laine announce call for submissions.

(PRWEB) September 16, 2005 -- Former New Orleans resident and poet Christine E. Laine to edit hurricane relief anthology; poets will write for the relief effort. Sun Rising Poetry Press and Laine announce call for submissions.

Formerly a resident of the Faubourg Marigny in New Orleans, Laine feels strongly about the devastation left in Hurricane Katrina's wake. Along with founders of the Sun Rising Poetry Press, Dale Jungk and Donette Smock, Laine is rallying fellow poets to the cause. An open call for submissions is announced:

http://www.celaine.com/katrina.html

ABOUT THIS PROJECT:

Katrina's fallout has left most of us shaking with a new awareness about devastation, poverty, and how fleeting life can be. Those in the storm's path were hit hardest. Those with attachments to the regions affected, and ties to loved ones in those areas, are also deeply affected. Those sheltering evacuees in cities and towns across our nation are certainly affected. Each person watching the news reports is changed forever by what they've seen. This disaster has opened our collective eyes to many things; ripped the lid of lots of churning emotions.

I'd like to channel some of that into a collection of poems...one that will both make our voices heard and help those who are suffering most. I'd also like to garner more empathy for the impoverished because I believe understanding it without judgement is the first step to actually doing something about it. Having been impoverished, myself, for many years...in the same city that is now nearly destroyed...I feel this on a personal level. I know I am not alone in that.

I've been one of the lucky ones. Through luck and some hard work on my part, and with the love and kindness of others, I have been able to redirect my life and climb out of the pits of poverty. I feel I owe it to those still in that pit to shine a light of hope back into it, and cast as many ropes as I can, so others can join me. This is a good way to "Pay it Forward". Please join me.

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSIONS:

Sun Rising Poetry's editor-in-chief, Donette Smock and I have agreed to move forward on this book immediately. Sun Rising will publish the volume. This collection will be about overcoming adversity, tales of poverty/hardship and works that convey hope and optimism. Pieces with a regional flair (Mississippi Delta, New Orleans, etc.) will also be welcomed.

I do not want to restrict submissions too much, thematically...the body of work I am looking for will best evolve by encouraging submissions that come from the gut. I want your best stuff, obviously. Previously unpublished is preferred, but some previously published work will be considered (include original publication citation). I ask you to send work that speaks to what moves you most deeply about this disaster...and by that, I don't mean limited to the actual disaster. What personal muck has it dredged up for you? How is it that you relate to what has happened? Tell it like it is. We welcome grit and reality. I would like to show people what adversity and hardship is like, what it takes to overcome it, and the beauty of the human spirit that somehow remains unconquered, in spite of the worst of it. Most of us can relate to that in some way...unity in that understanding is what we want as a result.

This anthology is as-yet unnamed, and a significant portion of any proceeds will be given to the survivors of Katrina's devastation. Though aid is coming to them as I write this, I know that the wake of this hurricane will be farther-reaching than current assistance levels will provide for. People's lives are in ruin...and that will be difficult to overcome. Details on the arrangements for donations will be forthcoming.

Limit submission to 10 poems. Micro-fiction might also be considered. We will also consider art and/or photography in black-and-white or greyscale. To learn how to submit your work, please visit http://www.celaine.com/katrina.html

Compensation to contributors shall consist of the warm fuzzies, others getting a chance to read/see your wonderful work, and the knowledge that you are simultaneously helping shape this collective statement, while doing something positive for the disaster relief efforts.

Submissions will close on the last day of Hurricane Season: November 30th, 2005.

To learn how to submit your work, please visit http://www.celaine.com/katrina.html

About C.E. Laine ~ www.celaine.com

Laine is a 2 time Pushcart Prize Nominee (2004 and 2005). She lives in Virginia, in the shadow of crows wings passing over as they fly off buildings shorter than the Washington Monument in nearby DC. She is left handed, was once an extra" in a movie with Nicholas Cage, and spends spare time (when there is any) flying around in old warbirds. She has written three full-length volumes of poetry (Allegory, The Weight Of Dust, and Postcards From A Summer Girl) and three chapbooks (Suburban Fairy Tales of Brilliant Ash and Blue Sins, with Michael Paul Ladanyi; Alice in Wonderland; Origami Flower). She is editor of Little Poem Press, VLQ (Verse Libre Quarterly), and Erosha. Her work has been appeared in several anthologies and countless publications, both in print and online. For more information: http://www.celaine.com/

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