Visual Verse is now open for submissions 🌾

[Visual Verse]

The art of ekphrasis is NOT to write what can be seen. What more can you find, dear writers?

Visual Verse | Volume 10, Chapter 04 | February 2023   View this email in your browser Visual Verse: An Anthology of Art and Words Volume 10, Chapter 04 is now open for submissions. The picture is the starting point, the text is up to you. One image, one hour, 50-500 words. Image by Olga Naida Dear writers, readers and friends, For us artists, the month of February is often about seeking and exploring new pathways toward creativity, so we are inviting you to push yourself beyond your comfort zone with our latest prompt. Those on Twitter will have seen our posts inviting writers to transcend the first interpretation of our images and seek out deeper connections. The late Pau Casals i Defilló (Pablo Casals), a leading cellist from the early 20th century, said “the art of interpretation is not to play what is written”. This is easily transposed to ekphrastic writing. The art of ekphrasis is not to write what can be seen. So when you are responding to our prompt we encourage you to stick strictly to the timeframe and think laterally. Or better yet, don't think at all! Our challenge, especially the strict time frame, is about helping you reach a state of automatism to allow unexpected ideas to emerge. Many of you will already do automatic writing or morning pages and these, too, are designed to get your mind producing thoughts without thinking. If you need inspiration, Khan Academy have a great article on automatism and lots of companion resources on surrealism. Our fantastic lead pieces are also a source of inspiration. Working in response to an image by Olga Naida (pure quirkiness) two talented writers have produced perfectly formed pieces that demonstrate the power in evoking an image rather than describing it. On page one, we feature Nasia Sarwar-Skuse, a Ph.D. candidate in Creative Writing at Swansea University. Nasia is co-editing Gathering, an essay anthology on nature, climate and landscape by women of colour (forthcoming 2024 with 404 Ink). And on page two we highlight the work of writer, editor and translator Marie Isabel Matthews-Schlinzig, a regular contributor to Visual Verse. Marie Isabel’s debut poetry pamphlet Kinscapes is out now with Dreich. Miraculously, she wrote her lead piece for us just days before her new child came into this world (congratulations!) and somehow it feels like these deeply moving words needed to be written, as if to sweep the path for the new babe. We are in awe of our amazing writers this month and are energised by their beautiful pieces. And now, without further ado, we pass the baton... The image is the starting point, the text is up to you. Kristen with Preti, Isabel, Lucie, Ashish, Zaynab and Wes Find the VV crew on socials: Visual Verse Kristen Harrison Preti Taneja Lucie Stevens Ashish Kumar Singh Zaynab Bobi Wes White Start Timer Submit Find books by our writers on Bookshop.org We've set up a Bookshop.org page to showcase books by Visual Verse writers. If you have been published by Visual Verse and would like to be included on this page, please add your 13-digit ISBN to this list and we will happily add your book. Copyright © 2023 The Curved House, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you're a writer or author who has signed up after submitting your work to Visual Verse, or you've signed up to The Curved House mailing list. Our promise: we will send you a monthly email launching the new issue of Visual Verse and occasional news from The Curved House. We will never share you details with any third parties. Our mailing address is: The Curved House 61 Bridge Street Kington Herefordshire, HR5 3DJ United Kingdom Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences  Brought to you by The Curved House.