Zócalo Public Square [3], a Los Angeles–based web forum for ideas and literature, began accepting entries last week for a poetry contest sprung from Zócalo's mission to further understanding of citizenship and community.

The "living magazine," which combines online journalism with lectures and other real-world events, will consider poems that evoke a sense of place for a one-thousand-dollar prize and publication on the Zócalo website [3].

“'Place' may be interpreted by the poet as a place of historical, cultural, political or personal importance," say the guidelines on the contest page [4]. "It may be a literal, imaginary or metaphorical landscape. We are looking for one poem that offers our readers a fresh, original, and meaningful take on the topic."

Poets may send up to three poems via e-mail [5] by November 5. There is no entry fee.

The winner will be announced next March in conjunction with the recipient of Zócalo's second annual book prize [6], a five-thousand-dollar award recognizing a work on the topic of community published in the United States. (There is no submission process for the book award.)