Review Contest
Inspired by dichroic, I have decided to hold a contest, the prize for which is a year's membership in the SFPA. Since dichroic's contest is meant to entice speculative poets, I have decided to tackle another group who may have an interest in an organization supporting speculative poetry: the critical readers.
My contest is open from now until midnight PDT on August 31st, 2009. It's open to all non-SFPA members. To enter, you'll need to select a market that features speculative poetry, and write a review of an issue of that market. You must address every piece featured in the market, including all poetry, any prose, any visual artwork, and any multi-media features, such as audio or video files. If you choose a market such as Strange Horizons, which features one poem and one short story each week, you must review at least four weeks of that market (so you should review a minimum of eight pieces; you can review a multi-part story, but it will still only count as one piece). You must comment on the topic and form used for each piece, as well as examine it from a feminist and anti-racist perspective. For prose and poetry, you must comment on the use of language, including any rhyme scheme and its success. For audio pieces, you should comment on the clarity of the recording as well as the reader's/singer's delivery. For visual pieces, examine how well the market presents them in addition to how successful they are.
You may also review a speculative collection or anthology, provided it contains at least eight pieces and was published within the last five years.
Try to be aware of and acknowledge the biases you are bringing to the work, so your readers will have a better idea of whether their tastes match yours. Focus on the work and do not speculate on the mental, emotional, or physical state of the authors, artists, or editors, except insofar as to note any evident editorial bias.
Once you have written your review, post it publicly to a venue where others can respond to it (so a blog or journal would work, but a website without a comment field would not). Comment to this entry with a link to your review. At the beginning of September, I will select the review I feel is most thorough and clear-eyed, and I will purchase a one-year membership in the SFPA for the reviewer.
Since this is a whole new kind of contest for me, and I believe for the spec poetry world in general, feel free to ask for clarification.
My contest is open from now until midnight PDT on August 31st, 2009. It's open to all non-SFPA members. To enter, you'll need to select a market that features speculative poetry, and write a review of an issue of that market. You must address every piece featured in the market, including all poetry, any prose, any visual artwork, and any multi-media features, such as audio or video files. If you choose a market such as Strange Horizons, which features one poem and one short story each week, you must review at least four weeks of that market (so you should review a minimum of eight pieces; you can review a multi-part story, but it will still only count as one piece). You must comment on the topic and form used for each piece, as well as examine it from a feminist and anti-racist perspective. For prose and poetry, you must comment on the use of language, including any rhyme scheme and its success. For audio pieces, you should comment on the clarity of the recording as well as the reader's/singer's delivery. For visual pieces, examine how well the market presents them in addition to how successful they are.
You may also review a speculative collection or anthology, provided it contains at least eight pieces and was published within the last five years.
Try to be aware of and acknowledge the biases you are bringing to the work, so your readers will have a better idea of whether their tastes match yours. Focus on the work and do not speculate on the mental, emotional, or physical state of the authors, artists, or editors, except insofar as to note any evident editorial bias.
Once you have written your review, post it publicly to a venue where others can respond to it (so a blog or journal would work, but a website without a comment field would not). Comment to this entry with a link to your review. At the beginning of September, I will select the review I feel is most thorough and clear-eyed, and I will purchase a one-year membership in the SFPA for the reviewer.
Since this is a whole new kind of contest for me, and I believe for the spec poetry world in general, feel free to ask for clarification.