All Things Pankish

Books You Should Buy

Click on the covers to buy.

We Do Not Demand You Write To Our Aesthetic

I’ve seen a number of cover letters lately alluding to our “edgy aesthetic,” and how stories are a good fit for that “edgy aesthetic.” You don’t have to write edgy stories for us to love your writing. My love of dirty realism is pretty well-documented but that is by no means the only kind of writing I love and M. Bartley has his own literary loves and between the two of us, there is balance. You don’t have to try and force things by trying to push your story artificially. We can tell when you’re doing this. It’s uncomfortable. If you’re writing about a fireman, for example, he doesn’t have to wear women’s underwear to be interesting though if he does wear women’s underwear because he likes the way it keeps him snug, we’re totally fine with that. We appreciate the gesture but would rather read what you think is your best work, what you think is the best reflection of who you are as a writer. Yes, we have an aesthetic and we are interested in curating that aesthetic but we would like to think our aesthetic is flexible enough to include all kinds of writing and in looking at the writing we publish that flexibility can be found. Our aesthetic is dynamic, not static. It evolves because our tastes evolve, because we grow and learn and try, every day, to become better editors who are open-minded. We are not necessarily looking for work that mirrors what we’ve published. When we say, “This isn’t right for PANK,” that doesn’t mean that you need to change your writing style. It means try again but be yourself. When we say, “Read PANK,” we are asking you to give us money by subscribing (which you totally should because PANK 5 is going to blow your head off) or to check out our monthly issues AND we’re asking you to understand that the bar is very high because our writers are, simply put, the greatest. We want you to get a sense of what we love but we don’t want you to feel like the writing we publish is all we love.

We are looking for writing we would have never thought to publish until your brilliance came long.

Unless you are writing about cats in which case, sorry.It’s not going to happen.

Also, we are having a contest with a very reasonable entry fee of $10 for one entry or $15 for two entries. There is a very nice prize. Take a chance! Support PANK!

A Cover Speaks 1,000 Words

The cover art for Our Island of Epidemics and PANK 5 are both being done by the amazing Luca DiPierro. Both PANK 5 and Our Island of Epidemics are available for pre-order.

Feast your eyes:

The July Issue of PANK is Explosive

The writers in the July issue are blowing things up. They are shooting fire into the sky. Get down with Rachel Adams, Stace Budzko, Sara Crowley, Alana Dakin, Tim Dicks, Chris Erickson, Jen Gann, Kyle Minor, Ansley Moon, Gena Mohwish, Johnsie Noel, Tia Prouhet, Laura Read, Keith Rosson, Chris Sheehan, Robert Anthony Siegell, Robert Swartwood, Robb Todd, Brandi Wells, and Bill Yarrow.
Run, read, revel, rejoice.

2010 1,001 Awesome Words Contest

We are now accepting entries for our second annual writing competition, 1,001 Awesome Words. We think it suits the PANK ethos to leave it at that.

Not enough, you say? Need key words, you say? Explode. Excite. Intrigue. Surprise. Blow. Our. Pea. Sized. Brains. Any form or formlessness, 1,001 words or less. You know who you are. Now go to it.

Prizes and Fees

Yes! Prizes!

1st Place: $650* and publication in PANK 5.
2nd Place: $150 and Publication in PANK 5 .

Yes. An entry fee, too.

$10 for one entry; $15 for two entries; $25 for three entries. Each entrant will receive a copy of PANK No. 5, out in January 2011.

*For the sake of transparency… We realize entry fees are controversial—acknowledged. Whether you believe us or not, this isn’t a reading fee—we consider it a privilege and pleasure to read your work. While we are hoping this will make us some money, we mostly want to hold a contest and we want to pay the winners, and we want the winners to truly benefit from participation. That said, the announced prize money is predicated on getting enough entrants (we don’t anticipate a problem). However, if PANK draws a prize pool less than $800, we will announce how many entries we received, and we will pay the two winners on a graduated scale with the first place winner getting 50% of the prize pool.

If this doesn’t suit you, please do not participate.

To Enter

1.    Pay the entry fee. Go to here and click on the “Paypal Buy Now” button beneath “1,001 Awesome Words Contest”
2.    Make a note of your Transaction ID. You will need to submit a transaction ID with your contest entry.
3.    Email entry(ies) to contest@pankmagazine.com, subject line “AWESOME CONTEST ENTRY.” Include your PayPal transaction ID in the body of the email along with a brief bio and your preferred contact information. Attach entries as .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf attachment.
4.    All entries must be original and previously unpublished.
5.    All entries will be considered for publication in PANK.
6.    Deadline for entry is midnight, September 30, 2010.
7.    Winners will be announced on the website in October, 2010.

Questions

If you have any questions regarding the contest, e-mail awesome@pankmagazine.com, subject “CONTEST QUERY”.

Our Island of Epidemics by Matthew Salesses is Available for Pre-Order

M. Bartley and I are pleased to announce that our second little book, Our Island of Epidemics, by Matthew Salesses, is now available for pre-order. You can buy Our Island of Epidemcis for $10, or bundled with PANK 5 for $20 + shipping and handling. The book will be released and pre-orders will ship on October 1.

Watch this space soon for big news about the artist who will be designing the cover.

Excerpts from Our Island of Epidemics can be found here and here and here and here and here and here among other places.

Make your way to our merchandise page and the Little Books button to make your purchase. We know you will love this book as much as we do. PANK Little Books also make great gifts!

Things You Should Know About

[1]  The Sixth-Ever Black Warrior Review Contest has begun! Send us your dearest-beloved (stories/poems/essays)!

Guest Judges are:
Claudia Rankine (Poetry)
Peter Markus (Fiction)
Lia Purpura (Nonfiction)

Payment must be made online (the Submission Manager will direct you to do so).

To Submit your Work or for more details and guidelines, please visit: http://www.bwr.ua.edu. Winners in each genre will receive $1,000 and publication in the Spring/Summer 2011 issue. Finalists in each category will receive notation in the Spring/Summer 2011 issue and are also considered for publication.

Reading Fee is $15 per short story (up to 7500 words), $15 per nonfiction piece (up to 7500 words), and $15 per group of up to 3 poems.

All contestants will also receive a complimentary one-year subscription (That’s $1 less than conventional subscriptions!.)

Submissions close on September 1, 2010.

[2] Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF) kicks-off July with the opening of the poetry-themed online exhibition On Both Sides of Our Door available on the Mid Atlantic Artist Registry site July 1.

The exhibition will feature works by Linda Blaskey, Emari DiGiogrio, Barbara Goldberg, Kathleen Hellen, Louise Kennelly, Joshua Poteat, and Pat Valdata.

On Both Sides of Our Door is curated by Don Share, senior editor of Poetry magazine and a former curator of poetry at Harvard University. His books include Squandermania, Union, The Traumatophile, and Seneca in English.

Share characterized the exhibition as a “still, small voice,” which refers to the Prophet Elijah’s experience on Mount Sinai described in the Bible. God first teased Elijah with wind, an earthquake, and a fire, and finally manifesting himself in a “still small voice.” Share says this voice “comes from within, where conscience – and poetry – are born.” He went on to explain that by describing seemingly insignificant matters in their poems, the poets give this “small” voice real amplitude.

On Both Sides of Our Door is the second online exhibition since the launch of the Mid Atlantic Artist Registry. Containing profiles and work samples of the artist fellowship winners from Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia, the Registry allows quick and easy search of artists by state, discipline, or name.

The Artist Registry can be accessed through MAAF’s primary site (www.midatlanticarts.org); the exhibition can be viewed from the Registry page, or through the direct link at www.midatlanticarts.org/maar/exhibitions.html.

[3] ZOMBIE SUMMER

[4] Artifice Magazine is Having a Subscription Drive.

They write:

We want to get 50 new subscriptions in July. We think we can do it. You can help us, and get free stuff, too.

If we make it to 50 new subscriptions in July, August 1, 2010 will be declared Artifice Pizza Party Day. All Artifice subscribers will be welcomed to treat themselves to a Pizza Party.

LET US COUNT THE WAYS:

Way 1. If you’re one of the first five.

Each week in July, starting on Monday (7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26), the FIRST FIVE NEW SUBSCRIBERS will receive a free limited edition screen print of their choice ($15 value). No, we will not tell you when the five-subscription limit each week has been exceeded.

Way 2. If you’re subscribed, and get someone else to subscribe.

July, any CURRENT SUBSCRIBER (as of June 30) who refers a NEW SUBSCRIBER in July will receive a free limited edition screen print of their choice. New subscriptions may be for either Issue 1 and 2 or Issue 3 and 4. Current subscribers must email us at editors AT artificemag DOT com with print choice AFTER their referred subscriber has made payment.

Way 3. If you renew your subscription.

During July, any CURRENT SUBSCRIBER (Issues 1 and 2) who renews their subscription for Issues 3 and 4 will receive a free limited edition screen print of their choice. Current subscribers must email us at editors AT artificemag DOT com with print choice AFTER they have renewed their subscription.

Way 4. If you subscribe because someone who’s already subscribed referred you.

During July, any NEW SUBSCRIBER (during July) referred by a CURRENT SUBSCRIBER (as of June 30) will receive a free limited edition screen print of their choice. New subscribers must tell us in the notes section of their PayPal payment who the referring current subscriber is. They must email us at editors AT artificemag DOT com with their print choice following payment.

Way 6. If you live in a US state where no other subscribers live.

During July, any NEW SUBSCRIBER with a mailing address in a state where Artifice does not currently have any subscribers (on the date of payment) will receive a free limited edition screen print of their choice. No, we will not tell you what states are not yet represented. If your subscription mailing address qualifies as as not-yet-represented-state, we will email you upon payment to ask for your print choice.

>>>Screen prints were created in limited edition; please note that prints will be available while supplies last. All the prints can be seen here. Limit five (5) free screen print illustrations per person.<<<

June PANK is Here For You

We’re pretty excited about the June issue of PANK. There’s a little bit of everything in this one and contributors include James Tadd Adcox, Melissa Broder, Gabe Durham, Kaitlin Dyer, Emily Howorth, Alexandra Isacson, Kevin Kaiser, Victoria Lynne McCoy, Teresa Milbrodt, Traci O’Connor, R.D. Parker, Anne Leigh Parrish, Johnny Peters, Joseph Riippi, David Frederick Thomas, Tim Tomlinson, Ocean Vuong, Kate Wyer, and last but never ever least, xTx. Go, read, enjoy.

New Little Books From PANK

Our second Little Books reading period has closed. We read and enjoyed more than fifty excellent manuscripts. We have laughed, we have cried, we have agonized. We thank everyone who entered and trusted us with their writing. Matt and I had a very hard time (no, really) deciding on the manuscripts we would publish this go-around and just as with last time, we were interested in every manuscript we received. Y’all are a talented, imaginative, experimental bunch. We will announce a new Little Book reading period toward the end of the year.

That said, we are excited to announce we will be publishing three manuscripts:

Matt Salesses Our Island of Epidemics (Fall 2010)
Ethel Rohan Hard to Say (2011)
Nicolle Elizabeth Read This Shit Out Loud (2011)

We also had a shortlist of finalists who created books we loved:

Anne Leigh Parrish An Imaginary Life
Laura Ellen Scott Curio
Gabe Durham Camp Bylaws for the Hearty and True
Jensen Beach Everyday Every Day
Joseph Goosey Rory Gilmore Wants to Fight
Stephen Mills A History of Blood
Sue Williams They Say We Don’t Exist
James Tadd Adcox The Artificial Mountain
Ravi Mangla Hear Ye Knives
Kerri French Instruments of Summer
Andrew Borgstrom Mumbling for the Chorus

Kickstart Brett Elizabeth Jenkins

Brett Elizabeth Jenkins, one of our intrepid readers and bloggers, needs your help!

She has a Kickstarter page for a Midwest Poetry Tour and there are only eleven days left for the funding to come through. Her tour is only about halfway funded, so she needs our help to make this awesome tour happen.

Here is the link should you choose to accept this mission: http://kck.st/dvWsid

The link will self-destruct in eleven days.