A Call for Poetry Submissions

Steven Ratiner, Arlington’s New Poet Laureate, is working on a rather unconventional and utterly delightful way to inject poetry into the everyday, to be debuted during April’s National Poetry Month!

For this project, Ratiner is announcing a CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS from all Arlington-area poets, both from adults and students. He’s asking people to submit 1-2 poems which, given the opportunity, they’d most like to share with their Arlington neighbors. He can guarantee that the final selections will reach the attention of a thousand readers in a most surprising way (the exact form of the ‘publication’ to be kept as a secret until it’s unveiled in April).

He has a few fairly simple guidelines for the submissions:

  • Original poems, no longer than 20 lines, on any subject matter, but with this specific goal: choose a poem you’d wish to share with neighbors, whether or not they are readers of poetry – one that will offer surprise, insight, delight.
  • Depending on the number of submissions, approximately 8-10 poems from adult writers will be chosen, and a similar number of student poems.
  • Submissions only via e-mail. Write ‘A Call for Poems’ in the subject line – and, if you are a student, specify at what grade level. If a poem has been previously published, please do cite the place of publication.
  • Paste the poem into the body of an email (no attachments, please) addressed to Steven Ratiner at: steven.arlingtonlaureate@gmail.com Include your name, address, and a phone number where you can be reached if your poem is selected.
  • All poems should be received no later than Sunday, February 16th, 2020. Writers whose work is selected will be contacted by mid-March and the project will take place in April.

READ MORE about Arlington’s new Poet Laureate Steven Ratiner here!