Hello, friends! 🌸 Here's a little writerly post to update on the wonderful publications that I'm blessed to have been part of this year. I'll section the post into (1) the Crank, (2) Be Still Media, and (3) Refuge (with a bonus link at the bottom).
(1) the Crank is a brilliant, newly begun magazine with five published issues and an exceptional list of poets. I was blessed to have two of my poems chosen for publications. The first poem 'Inferno' draws inspiration from Dante's Inferno and uses pastoral imagery to describe the scene of Christ in Gethsemane. The second poem, which was written a couple years aggo, 'FaceTime in E-den,' examines the challenges of a long-distance romance; or a romance begun online in the aftermath of coronavirus quarantine isolation, with the rise of dating apps. To read both poems, click here.
(2) Be Still Media is a "context incentivizor for creatives and culture," with a mission to champion creators of media and arts for works that search the mind, spark the imagination and marvel questions about the relationship between value systems and worldview. My poem 'my great grandfather remembers his service in war when a US archeological sub scans the Atlantic for the remains of a P-47 aircraft from 1944' was shortlisted for the 1st March - 16 Apr 2022 Be Still Media Competition. Winners will be announced 1 May 2022. To read the poem, my reflective essay (and other shortlisted works), click here.
(3) Refuge is an online literary journal that I co-founded a year ago. Our inaugural issue partnered with Horizons International after the devastating explosions in Aug 2020. Our second issue will support International Partnerships, an organisation based in Ukraine working for relief, restoration and recovery in the midst of war.
Preview: Russia continues to launch devastating attacks on Ukraine, a European democracy of 44 million people. Its military forces are bombing city centres in advancement on the capital Kyiv (and other cities). About a month ago, Russian missiles and rocks hit the cultural heart of Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkov, in what officials call a deadly and "cruel" attack. Many homes, schools, orphanages, hospitals (continued list) have been damaged and destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing to other locations in Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova as refugees. Many others still remain in the war-torn areas. On both sides of the Ukrainian border, men, women and children demonstrate tremendous courage, resilience and grit.
Refuge is open to all forms and themes of art (we are also happy to publish photography and/or photographs of in-situ work. Our editorial team would be delighted to receive your submission. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email me at shanleymcconnell@gmail.com, or refugeonlinejournal@gmail.com.
More information about International Partnerships and the submission process can be found at the website here.
BONUS: A little message to say that I've also begun a YouTube channel for video memories. Click here, say hello and subscribe: Shanley McConnell.