Intricacy: A Literary Review: Poetry Contest on "Mending" Fee: usd $10.00

Issue 2: Mending, Guest Edited Poetry Contest

We are over the moon to announce that, as part of Issue 2, we are holding a guest-edited poetry contest.

For our first issue, we received so many marvelous poems from both established and new poets that we feel a celebration, in the form of a contest, is in order!

And we couldn’t think of a better way to honor the caliber of poetry we expect to receive than inviting Cameron Quan to be our poetry guest-editor and contest judge. Cameron’s poetry is playful and sharp as it delves into ideas closely and obliquely aligned with mending, such as the acts of repair and apology—to name but a few.

We invite poets to submit one polished poem (not exceeding three pages in length) in any style, broadly related to our theme "Mending," for the opportunity to win a cash prize, editorial feedback, publication in our 2nd issue, and a signed copy of Cameron’s new book.

About Guest Editor Cameron Quan:

Cameron Quan is a multidisciplinary writer based in Tucson. He is the author of Repair Attempts (Curbstone Books/Northwestern University Press, 2027) and the award-winning chapbook Apology Engine. He holds an M.F.A. from the University of Washington, Seattle and an M.Ed. from the University of Arizona. Cameron works at the University of Arizona Press, serves as co-chair of the Tucson Festival of Books poetry committee, and hosts the annual CRESTED poetry reading. His work explores Asian American identity, the borderlands, pop culture, gender, and the archive through text and image. Learn more about Cameron and his work at cameronquan.com

Some words from Cameron about Mending:

“Visible mending” is the act of repairing textiles so that both the damage and the repair become an ornamental feature of the work. I’m excited to read poems in any form or style that consider acts of mending—failed, successful, ongoing—as a visible process unfolding between humans and objects, humans and humans, humans and the natural world; mending as the fraught work of healing the body, restoring landscapes, reexamining history, and repairing relationships (of all kinds). Are there limitations to how much we can mend? Unexpected consequences? And after the mending is done, how visible are the scars?

Selection Process:

• The editors of Intricacy will read all poetry submissions and will notify writers whose poems have not been selected
• The guest editor will review the top 20 selected poems and will choose the winner and four runners up
• All writers will be notified of whether their poem was selected within 60 days of the submission window closing

Prizes:

• The winning poet will be awarded $250, personalized feedback on their work from guest editor Cameron Quan, and a signed copy of his latest poetry collection, Repair Attempts
• The top two runners-up will receive personalized feedback from Cameron on their work, a signed copy of Repair Attempts, and publication in Intricacy at our standard honorarium rate of $30
• 4th- and 5th-place writers will be published in Intricacy and receive our standard $30 honorarium and a signed copy of Repair Attempts.