#71 Texas Tunes

ASSIGNMENT PURPOSE

The purpose of this assignment is to ask writers to submit new work on the general topic of Texas music.

This assignment was recommended by Vincent Hostak as follows: “In which the poet may recount the gift of songs from our 10,000-year history;  from the plains, cliffs, river bottoms, bayous, or "Dallas from a DC-9 at night" (Jimmie Dale Gilmore); from cajun to conjunto, blues to Texas swing; it may sound like life-changing voices, shamanic drums, native cane flutes, guitars, fiddles, and general noise-makers right now or across the ages. Poems began as song.”

"If I knew where good music came from, I'd go there more often." Guy Clark

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

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 the audience and poetic form as they pertain 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 addressed to editor@texaspoetryassignment.org and include a brief cover letter and a 50-word biography within the body of the email.

ACCEPTANCE AND PUBLICATION

Poems will be published as accepted.

PUBLICATION RIGHTS

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