You haven’t heard from us for a little while and here’s why: because of a technical glitch, our editors were not receiving submissions. When we discovered what was happening, there was a whole bunch of great “Solastalgia” content waiting quietly in the wings, so we extended that issue theme into April and bumped “Borders & Boundaries” to May.
And now, we’re back on track with a new issue topic for June: “Play!” The deadline for this theme is May 8, and there are prompt questions below to get you thinking. But you may just want to head outside for a while to find your inspiration for this one… As always, we’re looking for:
- Poems
- Images
- Essays
Thank you for your consideration!
Editorial guidelines
Online submission form
Play
Submission deadline: May 8
Publishing dates: June 5-23
Humans demonstrate a need for play, but as we mature, play, like many things, gets more complicated. With the U.S. dropping bombs in Syria and Afghanistan, a global refugee crisis, and intractable problems in our local communities, why would we take the time to play? This issue will explore a form of human activity that tends to bring us back to where we are, in the moment.
Prompts
- When is the last time you played, and what did you do, with whom? How did it make you feel?
- What do you do for play and why? What distinguishes play time from other kinds of activities like work or rest?
- How was your play time as a child shaped by the place where you lived? How is your play time shaped by your place today?
- If you’re a parent, what has it taught you or caused you to remember about play?
- What kinds of playful spaces exist within walking distance of your home? How does the presence or absence of play spaces reflect and shape your community?
- Have you ever designed a space for play? If so, what were the factors you considered and what was the result?
- If someone offered to invest a million dollars in a play space for your neighborhood and put you in charge of the process, what would you help create?
- When have you experienced a quality of playfulness in a surprising place and time? When have you tried to bring playfulness to a hard time?
