VERSIFICATION
VERSIFICATION'S
BIG LIST OF
CONTESTS
CELEBRATING ONE YEAR OF PUNK LITERATURE
APRIL 8TH - MAY 14TH, 2021
8 CONTESTS
NO ENTRY FEES | 1ST, 2ND, 3RD PLACES
DECISIONS GOING OUT: MAY 21ST, 2021
PRIZE: PUBLICATION IN OUR MEGA-MEGA ANNIVERSARY ISSUE (6/4/21)
ONE GENRE ENTRY PER PERSON
1
MOSH
PIT
CNF
word count: 500-750
Send us your most punk CNF. The CNF that lives in the most chaotic part of the mosh pit of your mind, the work that explores small moments and opens them up in new ways—even if it makes you look bad, even if it makes people uncomfortable.
GUEST JUDGES
FINAL ROUND
JUDGE
HANNAH
GRIECO
Hannah Grieco is a writer and editor in Washington, DC. Find her online at , on Twitter @writesloud, and on IG @hannahwritesloud.
SECOND ROUND JUDGE
AMANDA
CRUM
Amanda Crum is a writer and artist whose work has been published in Barren Magazine, The Hellebore, Eastern Iowa Review, and more. She’s the author of The Day You Learned To Swim and is a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net Award nominee.
SECOND ROUND JUDGE
MEGAN
CASSIDAY
Megan Cassiday is an English Education student from Michigan and the Editor-in-Chief of Dead Fern Press. You can find her on Twitter @MeganLyn_
SECOND ROUND JUDGE
LINDSEY HEATHERLY
Lindsey is a nonfiction editor for Red Fez. She writes to keep her brain healthy.
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MEGAN CANNELLA
versification executive editor
HOW TO SUBMIT
1
SUBJECT LINE: MOSH PIT CNF, LAST NAME, WORD COUNT
2
PASTE TEXT IN BODY OF EMAIL
3
SEND EMAIL TO VERSECONTESTS AT GMAIL DOT COM
CANDACE
HARTSUYKER
Candace Hartsuyker has an M.F.A in Creative Writing from McNeese State University and reads for PANK. She has been published in Cheap Pop, Okay Donkey, Trampset, Heavy Feather Review, Maudlin House and elsewhere.
ALINA
STEFANESCU
Alina Stefanescu was born in Romania and lives in Alabama. Recent books include Ribald (Bull City Press, Nov. 2020). Read her in Prairie Schooner, North American Review, World Literature Today, Pleiades, FLOCK, Southern Humanities Review, others. More online at.
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SARA
DOBBIE
versification executive editor
HOW TO SUBMIT
1
SUBJECT LINE: FIERCE FLASH, LAST NAME, WORD COUNT
2
PASTE TEXT IN BODY OF EMAIL
3
SEND EMAIL TO VERSECONTESTS AT GMAIL DOT COM
2
FIERCE
FLASH
word count: 1000 MAX
Gutsy, character driven flash fiction featuring punk, reclamatory, and/or outsider narratives.
No theme for this contest, but please keep in mind the tone of Versification.
We want bold writing that takes us to the edge.
GUEST JUDGES
Your contributions make it possible for us to pay authors.
3
PUNK
HAIKU
GUEST JUDGE
SEAN
LYNCH
Sean Lynch is the Program Director of the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association, Editor of Serotonin, a recovering poet, and recalcitrant punk.
HOSTED BY
RAMI
OBEID
versification senior editor
HOW TO SUBMIT
1
SUBJECT LINE: PUNK HAIKU, LAST NAME
2
PASTE DOCUMENT IN BODY OF EMAIL
3
PUNK
HAIKU
We want punk haiku.
A simple three line poem capturing a particular gritty snapshot with juxtaposition.
No 5-7-5 haiku please, and keep it under 17 syllables.
GUEST JUDGE
SEAN
LYNCH
Sean Lynch is the Program Director of the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association, Editor of Serotonin, a recovering poet, and recalcitrant punk.
HOSTED BY
RAMI
OBEID
versification senior editor
HOW TO SUBMIT
1
SUBJECT LINE: PUNK HAIKU, LAST NAME
2
PASTE DOCUMENT IN BODY OF EMAIL
3
SEND EMAIL TO VERSECONTESTS AT GMAIL DOT COM
MISFIT MICROS
CHERYL
PAPPAS
Cheryl Pappas is the author of The Clarity of Hunger, a flash fiction chapbook by Word West Press (September 2021). You can find her at cherylpappas.net.
KIP
KNOTT
Kip Knott is a regular monthly contributor to Versification. His new collection of poetry, Clean Coal Burn, is forthcoming later in 2021 from Kelsay Books.
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LISA
LERMA WEBER
versification executive editor
HOW TO SUBMIT
1
SUBJECT LINE: MISFIT MICROS, LAST NAME, WORD COUNT
2
PASTE DOCUMENT IN BODY OF EMAIL
3
SEND EMAIL TO VERSECONTESTS AT GMAIL DOT COM
4
MISFIT
MICROS
word count: 100 MAX
Gutsy, character driven flash fiction featuring punk, reclamatory, and/or outsider narratives.
No theme for this contest, but please keep in mind the tone of Versification.
We want bold writing that takes us to the edge.
GUEST JUDGES
5
READ
ALOUD
FLASH
Grit Lit.
Two hundred words.
“The Party’s Over”
Show me.
WINNERS will be asked to submit a voice recording of the spoken piece prior to publication.
GUEST JUDGES
CLAIRE
TAYLOR
Claire Taylor writes about motherhood and mental illness. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland, and online at clairemtaylor.com and Twitter @ClaireM_Taylor.
JERICA
TAYLOR
Jerica Taylor is a non-binary neurodivergent queer cook, birder, and chicken herder. She lives with her wife and young daughter in Western Massachusetts. Twitter @jericatruly
TARA
STILLIONS WHITEHEAD
Tara Stillions Whitehead is a writer, professor, and filmmaker. She is the author of Blood Histories (Galileo Press 2021) and The Year of the Monster (Unsolicited Press 2022).
HOSTED BY
TRAVIS
CRAVEY
versification editor-at-large
HOW TO SUBMIT
1
SUBJECT LINE: READ ALOUD FLASH, LAST NAME, WORD COUNT
2
PASTE DOCUMENT IN BODY OF EMAIL
3
SEND EMAIL TO VERSECONTESTS AT GMAIL DOT COM
6
SHOT
IN THE
DARK
word count: 500-1000
Terrify us. Creep us out.
Bring us to the dark places with you and take your shot in the dark. No theme, just horror.
GUEST JUDGE
REBECCA ROWLAND
Rebecca Rowland is a dark fiction author, horror fiction editor and reviewer, and prime suspect at murder mystery weekends. Peruse her latest nightmares at RowlandBooks.com.
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HOLLY
RAE GARCIA
versification vice president
HOW TO SUBMIT
1
SUBJECT LINE: SHOT IN THE DARK, LAST NAME, WORD COUNT
2
ATTACH WORD DOCUMENT TO EMAIL
(DO NOT COPY/PASTE IT INTO THE BODY OF YOUR EMAIL)
3
SEND EMAIL TO VERSECONTESTS AT GMAIL DOT COM
7
PUNK
MICRO
POETRY
line count: 5 line MAX
We don't like trigger warnings.
Hit us hard.
Shock us.
Sucker punch us with your words.
We'll still be standing.
GUEST JUDGES
VIC
NOGAY
Vic Nogay is an emo poet with a B.A. in Creative Writing from Denison University. She has work forthcoming in Lost Balloon, Emerge, and others. Twitter: @vicnogay
JACK
BEDELL
Jack B. Bedell is Professor of English at Southeastern Louisiana University where he also edits Louisiana Literature and directs the Louisiana Literature Press. He served as Louisiana Poet Laureate 2017-2019.
KKUURRTT
Former punk turned raver, KKUURRTT is a writer and comedian based in San Diego. His novel Good at Drugs is forthcoming from Back Patio Press.
ALAN
TEN-HOEVE
Alan ten-Hoeve is a proper nobody. Sometimes he types. Twitter @alantenhoeve
HOSTED BY
C.
CIMMONE
versification EIC
HOW TO SUBMIT
1
SUBJECT LINE: PUNK POETRY, LAST NAME
2
PASTE TEXT IN BODY OF EMAIL
3
SEND EMAIL TO VERSECONTESTS AT GMAIL DOT COM
8
TRASH
CAN
FLASH
word count: 1000 MAX
Send the stories that circle the bottom of the drain, your lost and wandering titles that don't seem to fit anywhere else. Your Trash Can Flash can make itself right at home with the Versification misfits.
GUEST JUDGE
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MIKE
WILSON
Mike Wilson has had work appear in American Literary Review, Barrelhouse, Lost Ballon, The Rumpus, and on NPR.
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