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Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.
Find a home for your poems, stories, essays, and reviews by researching the publications vetted by our editorial staff. In the Literary Magazines database you’ll find editorial policies, submission guidelines, contact information—everything you need to know before submitting your work to the publications that share your vision for your work.
Whether you’re pursuing the publication of your first book or your fifth, use the Small Presses database to research potential publishers, including submission guidelines, tips from the editors, contact information, and more.
Research more than one hundred agents who represent poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, plus details about the kinds of books they’re interested in representing, their clients, and the best way to contact them.
Every week a new publishing professional shares advice, anecdotes, insights, and new ways of thinking about writing and the business of books.
Find publishers ready to read your work now with our Open Reading Periods page, a continually updated resource listing all the literary magazines and small presses currently open for submissions.
Since our founding in 1970, Poets & Writers has served as an information clearinghouse of all matters related to writing. While the range of inquiries has been broad, common themes have emerged over time. Our Top Topics for Writers addresses the most popular and pressing issues, including literary agents, copyright, MFA programs, and self-publishing.
Our series of subject-based handbooks (PDF format; $4.99 each) provide information and advice from authors, literary agents, editors, and publishers. Now available: The Poets & Writers Guide to Publicity and Promotion, The Poets & Writers Guide to the Book Deal, The Poets & Writers Guide to Literary Agents, The Poets & Writers Guide to MFA Programs, and The Poets & Writers Guide to Writing Contests.
Find a home for your work by consulting our searchable databases of writing contests, literary magazines, small presses, literary agents, and more.
Poets & Writers lists readings, workshops, and other literary events held in cities across the country. Whether you are an author on book tour or the curator of a reading series, the Literary Events Calendar can help you find your audience.
Get the Word Out is a new publicity incubator for debut fiction writers and poets.
Research newspapers, magazines, websites, and other publications that consistently publish book reviews using the Review Outlets database, which includes information about publishing schedules, submission guidelines, fees, and more.
Well over ten thousand poets and writers maintain listings in this essential resource for writers interested in connecting with their peers, as well as editors, agents, and reading series coordinators looking for authors. Apply today to join the growing community of writers who stay in touch and informed using the Poets & Writers Directory.
Since our founding in 1970, Poets & Writers has served as an information clearinghouse of all matters related to writing. While the range of inquiries has been broad, common themes have emerged over time. Our Top Topics for Writers addresses the most popular and pressing issues, including literary agents, copyright, MFA programs, and self-publishing.
Let the world know about your work by posting your events on our literary events calendar, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more.
Find a writers group to join or create your own with Poets & Writers Groups. Everything you need to connect, communicate, and collaborate with other poets and writers—all in one place.
Well over ten thousand poets and writers maintain listings in this essential resource for writers interested in connecting with their peers, as well as editors, agents, and reading series coordinators looking for authors. Apply today to join the growing community of writers who stay in touch and informed using the Poets & Writers Directory.
Find information about more than two hundred full- and low-residency programs in creative writing in our MFA Programs database, which includes details about deadlines, funding, class size, core faculty, and more. Also included is information about more than fifty MA and PhD programs.
Whether you are looking to meet up with fellow writers, agents, and editors, or trying to find the perfect environment to fuel your writing practice, the Conferences & Residencies is the essential resource for information about well over three hundred writing conferences, writers residencies, and literary festivals around the world.
Poets & Writers lists readings, workshops, and other literary events held in cities across the country. Whether you are an author on book tour or the curator of a reading series, the Literary Events Calendar can help you find your audience.
Discover historical sites, independent bookstores, literary archives, writing centers, and writers spaces in cities across the country using the Literary Places database—the best starting point for any literary journey, whether it’s for research or inspiration.
Search for jobs in education, publishing, the arts, and more within our free, frequently updated job listings for writers and poets.
Establish new connections and enjoy the company of your peers using our searchable databases of MFA programs and writers retreats, apply to be included in our directory of writers, and more.
Each year the Readings & Workshops program provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops. Learn more about this program, our special events, projects, and supporters, and how to contact us.
Get the Word Out is a new publicity incubator for debut fiction writers and poets.
The Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award introduces emerging writers to the New York City literary community, providing them with a network for professional advancement.
Find information about how Poets & Writers provides support to hundreds of writers participating in literary readings and conducting writing workshops.
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Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.
Every day the editors of Poets & Writers Magazine scan the headlines—publishing reports, literary dispatches, academic announcements, and more—for all the news that creative writers need to know.
In our weekly series of craft essays, some of the best and brightest minds in contemporary literature explore their craft in compact form, articulating their thoughts about creative obsessions and curiosities in a working notebook of lessons about the art of writing.
The Time Is Now offers weekly writing prompts in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction to help you stay committed to your writing practice throughout the year. Sign up to get The Time Is Now, as well as a weekly book recommendation for guidance and inspiration, delivered to your inbox.
Every week a new author shares books, art, music, writing prompts, films—anything and everything—that has inspired and shaped the creative process.
Listen to original audio recordings of authors featured in Poets & Writers Magazine. Browse the archive of more than 400 author readings.
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Peruse paid listings of writing contests, conferences, workshops, editing services, calls for submissions, and more.
Poets & Writers is pleased to provide free subscriptions to Poets & Writers Magazine to award-winning young writers and to high school creative writing teachers for use in their classrooms.
Read select articles from the award-winning magazine and consult the most comprehensive listing of literary grants and awards, deadlines, and prizewinners available in print.
Royal Air Force (UK): Flight Lieutenant, reconnaissance pilot (17 Squadron) serving in Germany with NATO's 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force, 1964-67 in the tactical nuclear role.
B.A., M.A. (Cambridge University), 1962, 1966
Ph.D, Case Western Reserve University 1974; Assoc. Prof & Chair of English Dept, University of Akron, OH, 1973-1997, 1997-2000
Editor and Co-Founder (with Robert Wallace), Bits Press, Cleveland, 1974. Bits Press published Bits, a magazine of short poetry, from 1975 till 1981. We hand set and hand printed books, chapbooks, special editions of poetry and anthologies of light verse. I personally set and/or printed Pulitzer Prize winner Mary Oliver's The Night Traveler, Elton Glaser's Peripheral Vision, Herb Scott's She Dreams of Milk, Mark Irwin's Umbrellas in the Snow, and Gavin Ewart's Nine New Poems.
POEMS (selections)
Track Made Good (Cleveland: Bits Press, 1977). A chapbook of poems published with the aid of an award of $750 from the Cleveland Area Arts Council.
Journeying (Atmosphere Press, 2022). A book of poems in three sections: Flying, Family, Foraging.
"Advice to Young Poets" in Everyman '79; "Summer Sublet" in The Spoon River Quarterly, (No.1), Winter 1977; "Love Poem" in Poetry I, 1976; "In Class Theme" in The Mississippi Review, 5, No.2 (1976); "My Witch" in Twigs, 13 (No.1), Fall 1976; "Geometry" in The Spoon River Quarterly (No.2), Spring 1976; "Eunice has a mouth that kills" and "Who gave you those bruises?" in The Barataria Review, No.2 (1976); "To My Daughter" in The Mississippi Review, 5, No.1 (1976);"Poetaster" and "Van" in The Lake Superior Review, 6 (No.3), “Shaker Lakes” in Mangrove Review 16, (2019)
POETRY ACTIVITIES (selections)
Poetry Workshop Leader, Shell Point Writers' Guild, Fort Myers, 2021-24
Featured Speaker/Judge: Ohio Poetry Day, Akron Area Chapter workshop, November 1977
Poetry Workshop Leader: Medina Writers' Workshop, October 1977
Poetry Judge: Manuscript Club of Akron Annual Workshop, May 1977
Green High School, 5 day Visiting Poet residence, Spring 1977 paid for by Ohio Arts
Council
John Hay High School, Cleveland. 5 day Visiting Poet residence, Spring 1977 paid by the Ohio Arts Council
Cleveland Area Arts Council Bicentennial Poem Commission, 2nd prize: "A Poem for
America's Two Hundredth Birthday," May 1976
Workshop Leader. CAAC City Pride Bicentennial Poetry Project, May 1976
Poetry Reading, Coventry Village Library, Cleveland Heights, sponsored by the Cleveland Area
Arts Council, December 1975
Poetry Reading, Cleveland Public Library, August 1975 (Honorarium)
Poetry Reading, Case Western Reserve University, English Department, October 1975
(Honorarium)
Case Western Reserve University FM Station WRUW: Interview by C.A. Smith, and reading of
my poetry, broadcast, June 23, 1975.