And now for a quick catch-up on various stories that have landed in out in-box that don't quite fit into the normal publishing scheme of things...

• Poetry – it's grim out there... The organisers of the Ledbury Poetry Festival report that of the 972 poems entered for their annual competition, the largest single category was 'sadness' (incorporating death, decay, despair and disillusionment) which accounted for 33% of entries. We know how they feel, our hearts sink when we receive yet another piece about changing the sheets that still carry the smell of the narrator's recently departed lover, brother, mother, significant other. However in terms of high crimes and poetry misdemeanours, we think poems containing the words 'shards' and/or 'motes' should be banned.


• Reviews – it's taken a while but can we mention regular IS&T contributor Rachel Fox's new collection More about the song. Without doubt it is the most enjoyable new collection I've read this year. Reflecting her performance work at folk clubs around the country, it is also one of the few collections that name-checks Donny Osmond, Simon Cowell, Robert Plant, the Eels, Nina Simone, Bjork, Radiohead, George Bush, MySpace and PR consultants in one volume in a fashion that is totally natural, unforced and unpretentious. This is what she has to say about MySpace...

Spacing

When you die, what happens to your MySpace profile?
Does it jam, does it crash, do your friends get told?
Does a bulletin post all the funeral details?
Does 'about me' blur as your body goes cold?

The collection cost £7.00 for a generous 80 pages of poetry – and its printed on recycled paper and card. You can find full details on Rachel's website at www.crowd-pleasers.net – in the meantime, to quote the poem on the back cover of the collection...

Exposing

Does a blurb ever lie?
Can it tell what's inside?
Go on, open me up
I have nothing to hide


• Competitions – finally, news of two competitions...


Café Writers Open Poetry Competition 2008
Entry Fee: £4 per poem; or £10 for 3 poems and £2.00 per poem thereafter. Closing Date: 30th November 2008. Prizes: 1st £750 2nd £300 3rd £150 also £150 Book Vouchers awarded to best poem from a permanent Norfolk (UK) resident. Judge: Penelope Shuttle. Cafe Writers is a Norwich-based group that runs monthly readings and open mic sessions. Entry forms available from www.cafewriters.org.uk

First International Erotic Tanka Contest
Deadline Postmark:  Dec. 31st  2008 Eligibility:  Open to everyone  + MUST BE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OLD Subject matter: Erotic, sensual/physical tanka. Tanka that expresses love in all its manifestations. Please NO pornography!! Prizes:  First Place  $100  Second Place  $50 and Third Place  $25 (Prize monies maybe reduced if there are insufficient funds due to number of entries.) Entry Fee:  $1 per tanka  No limit on number of tanka submitted. Cheques, money orders, made payable to Pamela A. Babusci, or cash. Foreign entries CASH ONLY, US MONIES.
 
Rules:  Submit tanka on 3x5 index cards. One card with just the tanka on it and the second card with your tanka and your name, address, telephone number, and email address on the front upper left of the card. Entries MUST be typewritten or printed legibly. Entries that cannot be read be will destroyed.  Enclose an SASE, with sufficient postage (or 2 IRCs for international entries) if you desire contest results. ONLY unpublished tanka will be accepted. NO tanka  that is being considered for publication or entered into tanka contests elsewhere. NO tanka that has been published on-line or in on-line tanka workshops should be entered. TANKA IN ENGLISH ONLY.
 
The contest will be judged blindly. Karen Shiffler will receive all entries and send ONLY the blind entries to the judge. Send entries to:  First International Erotic Tanka Contest, Karen Shiffler, 1464 Lake Road Webster, NY 14580 USA. Questions: email moongate44@gmail.com – subject line: Questions: Erotic Tanka Contest.