Pablo Picasso - On the 50th Anniversary of His Death
On April 8, 1973, Pablo Picasso stopped painting. One of the most prolific artists of the twentieth century, Picasso is considered by many to be the father of modern art. He is survived by nearly 50,000 works.
With the 50th anniversary of his death, Moonstone hopes to collect modern responses to this artist's legacy.
Send us an ekphrastic poem using Picasso or one of his works as inspiration or other artists and their works.
Deadline: 4/8
Reading: 4/23
Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit one poem for our Pablo Picasso inspired anthology.
You may submit multiple poems, but only one submission per poet will be published.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
Haiku Day Anthology 2023
Every year, Moonstone honors International Haiku Day on April 17th. While this is the international recognition of Haiku, every day is Haiku day for us. Richard Wright wrote over 1000 haiku and Sonia Sanchez starts each day writing a Haiku.
Send us yours for our annual celebration.
Deadline: 4/1
Reading: 6/4
Haiku Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit up to 5 haiku.
You may submit more than five, but only a maximum of 5 per poet will be published. A haibun is also encouraged.
Keep the submission limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
New Voices Anthology, Spring 2023
A series for emerging poets between the ages of 10 and of 25. A monthly reading series and a bi-annual publication which strives to bring together younger poets from various communities. We tend to gather in our own communities. There is nothing wrong with that except we begin to sound alike, look alike, think alike. New Voices is our attempt to expand everyone’s experience, to introduce other ways of everything.
Deadline: April 23, 2023
Event: April 29, 2023
Anthology Submissions: Please submit one poem for our Spring 2023 New Voices Anthology.
Please limit your submission to one poem.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanzas (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines of your total line count. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4 1/2 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4 1/2 inches may be rejected due to printing constraints.
The Ego and the ID - Freud's 100th Anniversary
This year marks the 100th anniversary of The Ego and the Id by Sigmund Freud, an analytical study of the human psyche outlining Freud’s theories. It develops a groundwork for explaining various psychological conditions which result from powerful internal tensions—for example: 1) between the ego and the id, 2) between the ego and the super ego, and 3) between the love-instinct and the death-instinct.
Write a poem illustrating these tensions.
Deadline: 4/16
Reading: 4/30
Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit a poem for our Sigmund Freud inspired anthology.
You may submit multiple poems, but only one submission per poet will be published.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
World Laughter Day 2023
World Laughter Day is a celebration that raises awareness about all the benefits of laughing and promotes world peace through laughter. After dealing with Freud and your internal conflict (see our The Ego and The Id anthology), write something we can laugh at.
Deadline: 5/7
Reading: 5/21
Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit a poem for our World Laughter inspired anthology.
You may submit multiple poems, but only one submission per poet will be published.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
Mother's Day 2023
This is not a program about your mother but about motherhood in its many forms. We want poems that embrace the bare and grotesque nature of motherhood. For, in a time like ours, mothers have no room to be sentimental.
Inspired by Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach books 40 WEEKS, and The Many Names for Mother.
Write about motherhood, being a mother, having a mother, or any manifestation of maternal identity.
Deadline: 5/14
Reading: 5/28
Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit a poem for our motherhood-inspired anthology.
You may submit multiple poems, but only one submission per poet will be published.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
Nikki Giovanni
"Nikki Giovanni's work has always been remarkable for energy, venturesomeness, direct honesty, and courage." - Gwendolyn Brooks
"Nikki Giovanni is the soothsayer for the new millennium. Her words are filled with precise insight, wit, and free love." - Bebe Moore Campbell
Send us a poem in tribute to or inspired by Nikki Giovanni.
Deadline: 5/20
Reading: 6/11
Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit one poem for our Nikki Giovanni-inspired anthology.
You may submit multiple poems, but only one submission per poet will be published.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
27th Annual Poetry Ink Anthology
We want you all: published poets, unpublished poets, academic poets, street poets, poets who write Sonnet, Villanelle, Haiku, Ekphrastic Poems, Concrete Poems, Epitaph, Elegy, Epigram, Limerick, Ballad, Ode, Free Verse. Join us for our 27th year of presenting 100 poets reading in alphabetical order.
Submit to our 27th Poetry Ink anthology and to read.
Deadline: October 1, 2023
LIVE Event: December 3, 2023
Virtual Event: December 4, 2023
Anthology Submissions: Please submit one poem for our 27th Annual Poetry Ink Anthology.
Please limit your submission to one poem.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanzas (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines of your total line count. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4 1/2 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4 1/2 inches may be rejected due to printing constraints
Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie (July 14, 1912 - October 3, 1967) was an American singer-songwriter, one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American socialism and anti-fascism. He has inspired several generations both politically and musically with songs such as "This Land Is Your Land," written in response to the American exceptionalist song.
Send us a poem inspired by Woody Guthrie or his work.
Deadline: 7/14
Reading: 7/23
Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit one poem for our Woody Guthrie Anthology.
You may submit multiple poems, but only one submission per poet will be published.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski (August 16, 1920 - March 9, 1994) was a prolific underground writer who used his poetry and prose to depict the depravity of urban life and the downtrodden in American society. A cult hero, Bukowski relied on experience, emotion, and imagination in his work, using direct language and violent and sexual imagery.
Send us a poem in praise or inspired by Charles Bukowski.
Deadline: 8/16
Reading: 8/27
Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit one poem for our Charles Bukowski Anthology.
You may submit multiple poems, but only one submission per poet will be published.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
Remembering Pablo Neruda - On the 50th Anniversary of His Death
Pablo Neruda (July 12, 1904 - September 23, 1973) became known as a poet when he was thirteen-years-old. He wrote in a variety of styles, including surrealist poems, historical epics, overtly political manifestos, a prose autobiography, and passionate love poems such as the ones in his collection Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair (1924).
Neruda, who has inspired millions through his lyrics and dedication to his nation, received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1971.
Send us a poem in praise or inspired by Neruda.
Deadline: 9/23
Reading: 10/1
Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit one poem for our Pablo Neruda inspired anthology.
You may submit multiple poems, but only one submission per poet will be published.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
Remembering Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath (October 27, 1932 - February 11, 1963) is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for The Colossus and Other Poems (1960) and Ariel (1965), as well as The Bell Jar, a semi-autobiographical novel published shortly before her death. The Collected Poems was published in 1981, and was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 1982, making her the fourth to receive this honor posthumously.
Write a poem in praise of or inspired by Sylvia Plath or her work.
Deadline: 10/1
Reading: 10/29
Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit one poem for our Sylvia Plath inspired anthology.
You may submit multiple poems, but only one submission per poet will be published.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
Maria Rilke
Maria Rilke (December 4, 1875 - December 29, 1926) was an Austrian poet and novelist acclaimed as an idiosyncratic and expressive poet. His work has undertones of mysticism, exploring themes of subjective experience and disbelief. His best-known works include the poetry collections Duino Elegies and Sonnets to Orpheus, Letters to a Young Poet. The Sonnets to Orpheus are a cycle of 55 sonnets.
Send us a praise poem or something inspired by Rilke, especially a Sonnet.
Deadline: 11/26
Reading: 12/3
Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit one poem for our Maria Rilke inspired anthology.
You may submit multiple poems, but only one submission per poet will be published.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
Bill of Rights Day
Bill of Rights Day consists of the first 10 amendments made to the United States Constitution, and its purpose is to spell out the personal freedoms and rights of the American people. The Bill of Rights was first written on September 25, 1789, and was later ratified on December 15, 1791, the date Bill of Rights Day is celebrated on.
Send us a poem in support of the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights or choose a Right to write about.
Deadline: 12/3
Reading: 12/17
Anthology Submission Guidelines: Please submit one poem for our Bill of Rights Day anthology.
You may submit multiple poems, but only one submission per poet will be published.
Keep this poem limited to 35 lines total. When determining the total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanza (ex: a poem of 5 couplets would equal 14 lines). Numbers or section breaks should also be included as lines when calculating the total line length. Count an epigraph as 3 extra lines. A line that has more than 60 characters (including spaces and punctuation) should be counted as two lines. If lines are staggered like a Ferlinghetti poem, estimate the width of the line.
The final book will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on pages that are 4.5 inches wide. Poems with lines longer than 4.5 inches may be changed or denied due to printing constraints.
For questions or inquiries, please email Larry Robin at larry@moonstoneartscenter.org
Submission Requirements:
While Moonstone Arts Center and Moonstone Press started out as a Philadelphia based organization, the pandemic and zoom has made us international. We are open to submissions from everyone.
Please submit about thirty-five pages of material. Poems may have been previously published, but the work as a whole must be new. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but you must promptly notify Moonstone Press if a manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
When determining total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanzas and number/section breaks. Divider pages or section titles should be included in the total page count.
The final, saddle-stitched chapbook will be printed in 11 point Garamond font on paper that is 4 ½ inches wide.
Include a separate cover letter with a biography statement and contact information (mailing address, email address, and phone numbers).
A $15.00, nonrefundable reading fee is required for us to accept and review your work.
All submissions must be sent through Submittable. Mailed, hard-copy manuscripts will no longer be accepted.
If you have a problem contact Larry Robin @ larry@moonstoneartscenter.org or 215-735-9600
Submission Requirements:
While Moonstone Arts Center and Moonstone Press started out as a Philadelphia based organization, the pandemic and zoom has made us international. We are open to submissions from everyone.
Please ready-to-publish material for a full-length poetry book (at least 80 pages). Poems may have been previously published, but the work as a whole must be new. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are permitted, but you must promptly notify Moonstone Press if a manuscript is accepted elsewhere.
When determining total line length for each poem, include spaces between stanzas and number/section breaks. Divider pages or section titles should be included in the total page count.
Include a separate cover letter with a biography statement and contact information (mailing address, email address, and phone numbers).
If your submission is under 50 pages, please submit to our Open Chapbook Submissions form: https://moonstoneartscenter.submittable.com/submit/91032/open-chapbook-submissions
A $15.00, nonrefundable reading fee is required for us to accept and review your work.
All submissions must be sent through Submittable. Mailed, hardcopy manuscripts will no longer be accepted.
If you have a problem contact Larry Robin @ larry@moonstoneartscenter.org or 215-735-9600