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First Ever Breath & Shadow
Write-a-Thon
We've come up with a pretty nifty way to give your favorite writers a chance to showcase their work, have some fun, get creative, and help Breath & Shadow, too -- and you can make it happen. What is a "Write-a-Thon"? You're probably familiar with walk-a-thons or swim-a-thons. We wanted to do something similar to get people involved, have fun, and raise money at the same time. Since we're journal of writers -- and since many of us can't walk or swim -- a write-a-thon seemed the natural choice! Breath & Shadow has invited our favorite writers to craft one short new (never-before-published) piece each on one of these three topics: "Spirit," "Naked," or "What I Don't Know." They may write a poem of 20 lines or less OR a prose piece (short story, essay, humor column, etc.) of 500 words or less between now and July. Their work will then appear in the September, October, or November issue that corresponds to the theme they chose. Who has so far accepted their Write-a-Thon invitation, and what are they writing? Their names and intended works are below. In case you'd like a refresher of who they are, the title(s) of their most recent work in Breath & Shadow appear in parentheses next to their names. John Allen -- Prose/Spirit ("the man," "cans," "you called") Abby Astor -- Poetry/Naked ("Truth," "Jar of Pain," "Growth") Ina Mae Brooks -- Prose ("Lessons From a Four-Footed Tutor") Eric Gadzinski -- Poetry/Spirit ("Jim," "Ecdysis") Todd Austin Hunt -- Prose ("Dr. Plato's Surprise") Erika Jahneke -- Prose ("Stamped") Paul Kahn -- Poem ("Guest in My House," "Tigers") Chris Kuell -- Prose/Spirit ("Maybe Next Time") David Kopaska-Merkel -- Poetry ("In the Drums," "a summer freeze," "a stony creation," "Dark Windows") Sandra Lambert -- Funny Prose/Naked ("The Wild and Woolly Waccasassa River") Erin Lewy -- Short Story ("Words") Robin Mayhall -- Poetry ("Cassini Looks at Saturn, "Contentment") Laura Taylor -- Prose ("Permanent Scar") Sharon Wachsler -- Prose ("The Humor Hotline™") See any writer(s) you particularly like? Want to make sure their work gets published? Good! Because they need your help: In order for a writer's work to appear in one of the three Write-a-Thon issues, they must get at least five people to pledge their support for their piece. How do you pledge? Just email breathandshadow@aol.com and put "pledge" in the subject line. Then list the name(s) of the writer(s) you wish to sponsor and how much you are pledging for them. (I've made a super-short form at the bottom you can use.) For instance, you might sponsor a poet for a dollar per line or a prose writer for a penny, nickel, dime, or quarter per line. Remember -- we have imposed line limits, so you know what your donation will be. It's that simple! After their work has been published, we will contact you to ask you to send in your pledge. (International readers and those who can't write checks: we have a way for you to make a donation online.) Make a writer's day (or month or year) and tell them you love their work by helping them get it published. Have a favorite Breath & Shadow writer whose name you didn't see above? Write me at breathandshadow@aol.com and let me know! We just may invite them because of your interest in their work. Or perhaps we have already invited them and they haven't yet made up their minds. Your interest may be just the incentive they need. I'm already excited about what exciting new writing will appear on my desk! We'll tell you which new writers have been added next month. . . . Sharon Wachsler Editor, Breath & Shadow http://www.abilitymaine.org/breath breathandshadow@aol.com Pledge Form: I am sponsoring the following writer(s) for the following amount(s): (Writer name): _____________________________ Amount: ($/line or cents/word):_________ (Writer name): _____________________________ Amount: ($/line or cents/word):_________ (Writer name): _____________________________ Amount: ($/line or cents/word):_________ My name: _________________________________________________ My email address: ___________________________________________ Check one: __ I wish my name to appear as a sponsor of this writing when their work is published. __ I wish to remain anonymous.
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