LBJ: The Intersection between Birds and Poetry

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I have no connection whatsoever to this new journal, but my friend, professor of poetry at KSU, Elizabeth Dodd, told me about it last night, and I am very very excited about it.

There is a new biannual journal that is dedicated to birds and creative writing, The LBJ: Avian Life, Literary Arts. Those of you who are birders will recognize the title of this new journal, LBJ, as the birders' acronym for "little brown job" -- a name applied to that group of small brown birds that move quickly and are difficult to identify at a glance; the sparrows.

This journal's niche is unique in the world of magazines: it focuses specifically upon publishing creative writing (creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, narrative scholarship, and literary journalism) solely about birds. This journal is also special because they have designed it specifically for ease of carrying while in the field! It measures 5"x7" in size, which is the same size as most bird field guides, and smaller than most brands of field-quality binoculars.

To kick things off, the editors are awarding "Sparrow Prizes" for poetry and prose. The deadline for submissions is 15 May, and the first issue will appear in your mailbox in June 2008.

I have not read nor even seen this journal, although I am very determined to figure out how to afford a subscription ($15/yr), and I am even thinking of writing something specifically to submit to the journal. Perhaps you would also like to follow suit? If so, I'd sure like to hear from you if you are published in this journal so I can interview you about it!

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