Seeking Bell Bottom Reflections

Pair of Poet Laureates to Judge Our 2024 Contest

Indeed it has been 50 years since the mid-1970s. In a decade sometimes shaded by the turbulent 1960s, history was nevertheless made. If it predates you, Google it. On the sports and leisurely front, maybe you kicked off the decade “Truckin” somewhere “to hang it up and see what tomorrow brings.” The Miami Dolphins brought joy to their fans with a perfect 1973 season. ABC trumpeted thrills and agonies into our living rooms through the Wide World of Sports. And Title IX opened doors for female athletes.

We want to hear your stories from the 1970s. Or read your well-researched literary essay or narrative poetry. We’re not checking IDs on submissions. Sport Literate will be awarding two $500 prizes — for the top selected poem and best essay — within the broad yesteryear theme. We won’t be prescriptive beyond that, except to say that poets and writers should, of course, be looking at the bell bottoms’ decade through some sort of sporting lens.

Our guest judges, Jack Bedell and Sydney Lea, are both SL veterans and contest winners themselves. They also happen to be former state Poet Laureates. We’re thrilled to have their keen eyes for both poetry and prose on board as they pick winners from our short list of finalists. SL editors will read through submissions and send a handful of anonymous finalists to them for the final call.

Jack Bedell, our essay judge, served as Louisiana Poet Laureate from 2017 to 2019. A professor of English, Jack coordinates the Creative Writing program at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he also edits Louisiana Literature and directs the Louisiana Literature Press. His published work, in numerous journals, has been included in Best Microfiction and Best Spiritual Literature. His latest collection is Against the Woods’ Dark Trunks.

Sydney Lea, our poetry judge, served as Vermont’s Poet Laureate from 2011 to 2015. The author of 23 books, Syd was the 2021 recipient of his home state’s most prestigious artist’s distinction: the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. A former Pulitzer finalist and winner of the Poets’ Prize, he is the founding editor of New England Review.

Contest guidelines:

• We think the $30 reading fee is a reasonable pot builder.
• All entrants receive a two-issue subscription (a $20 value), beginning with the issue you’re submitting for. Plus, two back issues. Current subscribers can extend subscriptions or gift one to someone else.
• All submissions should come through Submittable (on our website).
• Poets can send up to three poems per entry. Please place all in one Word document.
• Writers can send one essay per entry. Enter as many times as you like. A million times if you like.
• We’ll consider a chapter of a book, though your essay should read as a standalone piece.
• All entries will be considered for standard publication.
• Previously published work is acceptable. Just let us know where it first appeared.
• Submission deadline: midnight, June 30, 2024. We may extend this one time to July’s end.
• In addition to your subscription, you get two back issues — an oldie (of our choosing) and something more recent. If you have a preference, let us know. Otherwise, you get what you get.
• Note: We can mail issues only to U.S. domestic addresses. So if you live abroad, maybe you’ve got a cousin in the States. You can, however, still enter the contest.
• Another note: If we do not receive enough quality submissions, we reserve the right to cancel the contest and return all entry fees. In that case, you would still get the two-issue subscription and the back issues.