#30 Steering the Beast

ASSIGNMENT PURPOSE

The purpose of this assignment is to invite newly composed poems that respond to the public hearings by the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack.

Poems might address any aspect of the hearings, the committee membership, their constitutional basis, their findings, witnesses, seditious conspiracy, co-conspirators, or the attack.

EXAMPLES

Poems published so far in this series will be linked here.

THE TITLE OF THIS ASSIGNMENT

The title of this assignment comes from the June 28, 2022 hearing with Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Mark Meadows aide.

She claimed that when Trump was told it was unsafe for him to join in the attack of the Capitol, he became “irate” and tried to grab the wheel of the presidential limo, known as “The Beast.” (Given later reporting, it may be that Trump was in another White House SUV rather than the limo.)

The driver of the vehicle, Secret Service Special Agent Bobby Engel, the head of the president’s protective detail, restrained Trump from taking the wheel and was subsequently attacked by Trump.

FORMAL INTERESTS

We are specifically interested in poems that demonstrate careful attention to the elements of shape, line, music, comparison, and balance, and especially how those choices contribute to the cooperative harmony of structure and sentiment in the poem.

Poems that do not meet these interests may be declined. For more on this perspective, see the five formal causes of beauty in poetry.

We also challenge you to consider new choices you might take in audience and poetic form as it pertains to aspects of narrative perspective, shape, sound, repetition, and enjambment.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Poetry submissions should be saved in Microsoft Word document format and composed in Times New Roman, 12-point font. They should be attached to an email to editor@texaspoetryassignment.org and include within the body of the email a brief cover letter and a 50-word biography.

ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION

This call is open, and poems will be published as accepted.

PUBLICATION RIGHTS

Writers will retain all rights to their work published on this site.