phati'tude

Submission Guidelines

Announcing Our Fall 2010 Issue

Cover Art: Edward L. Rubin

Ekphrasis: A Conversation Between Poets & Artists

DEADLINE: August 15, 2010

SPECIAL SUBMISSION DETAILS FOR THE EKPHRASIS ISSUE:

Our Fall Issue concentrates on the art of “Ekphrasis.” Simply put, it means when a writer interprets a work of visual art and then creates a narrative in verse form that represents his or her reaction to that painting, photograph, sculpture or other artistic creation. A more detailed description on Ekphrasis and its origins is provided below.

We have 28 paintings available for writers to interpret. The works can be poems or short prose pieces (500 words). Go to the Ekphrasis link, select which painting(s) you wish to interpret; you can submit up to five works (they can be for one painting or five different ones) in total. Make sure when you submit your work, you correlate each piece to the number we have provided for each painting.

Please read and follow our “Standard Submission Guidelines” process as set forth below and become a part of another groundbreaking phati’tude issue!

MORE INFO ON EKPHRASIS:
The word comes from the Greek “ek” and “phrasis,” “out” and “speak” respectively, verb ekphrazein, to proclaim or call an inanimate object by name.

Ekphrasis may be encountered as early as the days of Aphthonius’ Progymnasmata, his textbook of style; or Homer’s going to great lengths in the Iliad, Book 18, describing Achilles’ shield, exactly how Hephaestus made it as well as its completed shape. Ekphrasis flourished in the Romantic era and again among the pre-Raphaelite poets, but is still commonly practiced. A major poem of the English romantics — Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats — also furnishes us with a beautiful example of the artistic potential of ekphrasis.

Instances of ekphrasis in 19th literature century can be found in the works of such influential figures as Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea and When We Dead Awaken, and Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Idiot.

Here are some examples and further explanations on Ekphrasis:

1. Ekphrastic Poetry Page

2. Writing About Art

3. marnekilates | nameabledays: Ekphrasis, Or The Picture Poem

Further Reading
Cheeke, Stephen, 2009 Writing for Art: The Aesthetics of Ekphrasis UK: Manchester University Press
Heffernan, James A. W., ed. 2004. Museum of Words: The Poetics of Ekphrasis from Homer to Ashbery Illinois: University Of Chicago Press
Greenberg, Jan, ed. 2001. Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art. New York: Abrams.Moorman, Honor. “Backing into Ekphrasis: Reading and Writing Poetry about Visual Art.” English Journal 96.1 (September 2006): 46-53

Standard Submission Guidelines

phati’tude Literary Magazine (PLM) was founded in 1997 and is published by The Intercultural Alliance of Artists and Scholars, Inc. (IAAS), a NY-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. PLM is an attractive quarterly that publishes poetry, fiction and essays written by both emerging and established writers of diverse origins whose works exhibit social, political and cultural awareness. We also publish excerpts on our website under phati’tude online including artwork, flash movies, rants, and photography. PLM is beginning a new phase in this publishing endeavor and we’re looking for the best works that can capture the imagination of our readers and the writing community that we support and admire.

What We Like

We’re open to unsolicited submissions of fiction, nonfiction, essays and poetry. Work doesn’t always have to be serious, humor is welcome (it’s good to know we can laugh at ourselves, or that we don’t always take others’ stupidity seriously). We’re especially interested in, though not exclusively devoted to, writers of Native American, African, Hispanic/Latino and Asian descent. No specifications on form, length or style; however, work must be of the highest quality, with emphasis on language and verse. No hate/racist work, no excessive cursing, cutesy, religious or greeting card stuff. We’re not big fans of love poems, and unless it is extremely well-written, please do not send. Translations are welcome if permission for publication has been granted by the copyright holder (from either the author or the author’s estate). We’re also interested in profile pieces and interviews on poets and writers, and book reviews.

Once a year, one issue is guest-edited by a different writer of prominence, usually one whose work was previously published in the magazine. Our guest-editor policy was designed to introduce readers to different literary circles and tastes, and to offer a fuller representation of the range and diversity of contemporary letters than would be possible under a single editorship. Guest editors are invited to solicit up to half of their issues, with the other half selected from unsolicited manuscripts screened for them by staff editors. Send queries to editor[at]phatitude.org.

How to Submit Your Work

We usually announce specific themes for issues, but we do not restrict all submissions to thematic topics. Submit your work at any time; if a manuscript is not timely for one issue, it may be considered for another issue. We don’t require a S.A.S.E. nor will we return submissions. If your work is accepted, we will mail you an acceptance letter, along with a contract and galley proof. (If we select your work and decide to publish your work on the website, we will notify you.) Disregarding the guidelines can result in rejection of the writing – even before it has been read. So, be sure to read and follow all of the guidelines for the best chance at publication.

Guidelines for all Submissions

Status of Work. Previously published work is OK as long as indicated; we do not accept simultaneous submissions.

Cover Letter. All submissions require a cover letter that includes biographical background, philosophy and/or poetic principles. Why? We want to know about you!

Manuscript. When submitting your work, please include in your double-spaced manuscript your full name, address and telephone number and/or email address on each page, with page numbering and “cont’d” or “end” noted where applicable. Poems should be typeset in final form the way you want them to appear.

While most literary journals do not accept email submissions, we do. Your cover letter should be included in the body of your email, and your work sent as an attachment(s) as a .doc, .rtf or .docx document. Send email submissions to: editor[at]phatitude.org and we will confirm receipt of your submission. Submissions can be mailed to the following address:

Editor
phati’tude Literary Magazine
PO Box 4378
Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163-4378

Specific guidelines for PLM and phati’tude Online

Poetry: Submit up to 3 poems.

Fiction: Submit up to 2 fiction pieces, 30 pages or less.

Nonfiction/Essays: Submit up to 2 nonfiction pieces/essays, 30 pages or less. Longer nonfiction will be considered and published as Features.

Interviews: Submit 1 interview, 30 pages or less.

Book Reviews: Submit up to 3 book reviews of 500-1,500 words.

Excerpts: We reprint excerpts from published work and works-in-progress, along with documents and interesting items found on the web, or anywhere in the real world, as long as we receive permission from the author and in some cases, also the publisher.

Artwork/Photos: We look for art and photography to accompany written work in the magazine, and we also publish art and photo essays with text by the artist. Send up to five pieces including titles and a description (media, dimensions, and date) of each work. Artwork and photos are best sent as high quality JPGs. Make sure the file name ends with the suffix “.jpg” (not “.jpeg”) in lowercase. Please send them either as attachments via email or on a CD or DVD via snail mail. All art media are considered.

Videos: For video, we ask that you use yousendit.com or if the video is available on a video sharing website (like YouTube) provide us with a link. If you have any questions, please ask before sending.

Additional Terms

We read year-round and are conscientious about responding to submissions in a timely manner. Although we cannot accept every submission, we may feel compelled to offer comments or suggestions. If your work is accepted, it may be subjected to editing, and you will be required to approve a galley proof and sign a release giving us permission to publish your work before a stipulated deadline. Pays 2 copies.

PLM asks for single-use non-exclusive electronic world rights, in order to protect your rights from exploitation by others. You retain all copyright, and you may publish the work anywhere in any form at any time. You don’t have to ask us permission to republish your work, although we would appreciate it if you mentioned previous publication in PLM. If anyone asks us permission to publish your work, we will forward that inquiry directly to your attention. If your work has appeared in a previously published book, you must indicate the name of the book and publisher information for proper credit.

Good luck and we look forward to reviewing your works!