Call for Submissions Launched

Today, I believe that I successfully launched the call for submissions.  This week I spoke with the following persons:

Ruth Ann Gallagher at Scott Community College who recommended that I speak with Jim Schneider at the Career Assistance Center in downtown Davenport.  She had mentioned the project to him and he sounded enthusiastic. So, today I stopped in and left flyers and submission forms as well as a copy of the intro/presentation and my card (Jim wasn’t in).

Jane Hoffman, the interim executive director of the John Lewis Community Services met with me briefly this afternoon and also seemed very warm and enthusiastic about the project.  We discussed the theory that many creative people suffer from both financial difficulties and often had problems with addictive behaviors as a result of their sensitivity.

After speaking with Julie last week at the Humility of Mary Housing, I made a conscious decision to make the magazine open to submissions from ages 14 and up.  She had asked about children and although that sounds like a great idea, it was not my original vision.  Also, with children, one would need to include nearly all submissions and I believe that would make this issue entirely too unwieldy.  Perhaps this would be a good plan for a future project.  But including ages 14 and up will allow John Lewis’ homeless youth to participate and I think that teenagers especially will be encouraged to strive for more if they gain some recognition for their talents.

I stopped today also at the John Lewis Men’s Shelter and passed out flyers.  One elderly black gentleman was sitting in the common area and asked about the project.  He told me that he does drawings and I gave him a submission form.  It felt good to encourage him to participate.  There is a kind of glowing feeling emanating from my solar plexus and navel chakras after this contact.

I revisited the Davenport Public Library and left them copies of the corrected flyers and submission forms.

Finally, I stopped at Friendly House and they allowed me to post one flyer on the bulletin board in the back hallway.  Not as friendly as I had hoped, but the real business will be at the shelters of John Lewis and Humility of Mary and their enthusiasm and support more than makes up for any dearth of same at a minor location.

Press Release

The Poetry Street Project Catt Foy

1302 Scott Street cattfoy@earthlink.net

Davenport, IA 52803 563-323-0481

(Note: This is copied and pasted from the original Word document. Some of the formatting may be lost or irregular when viewing it in this blog.)

PRESS RELEASE

March 9, 2008

Homeless and previously homeless individuals in Davenport are being offered a unique opportunity—to submit their creative writing and artwork for possible inclusion in a literary magazine called the Poetry Street Project.

The Poetry Street Project was created by Western Illinois University English graduate student Catt Foy, in response to a course she is taking on public writing. Foy, who herself has experienced homelessness, wanted to bring the idea of creative works and homelessness together. “I thought about writing about my own experiences at first, but then it occurred to me that it would be much better to offer an opportunity to others who are homeless, or who have been homeless, to showcase their talents,” Foy said. “There are many people of talent who never get a chance to shine because of their circumstances,” she reported. Foy believes that having one’s talents recognized is one potential source of hope for those experiencing the indignity of struggling with extreme poverty.

The Poetry Street Project magazine hopes to include poetry, essays, and short stories, as well as black and white artwork and photographs. Foy, who is also a writer and artist, has designed the cover, and hopes to take photographs of some of the participants.

Submissions will be taken until March 31, 2008 and the publication will be launched sometime in late April or early May. Submission forms can be found at the Davenport Public Library’s Main Branch, or at the Midwest Writing Center, located on the third floor of Bucktown Center for the Arts, or by contacting Foy. A panel of judges will select the submissions that will be included. “It will be impossible to print every submission we receive, since we have limited space,” said Foy. “But if this issue proves to be successful, perhaps there will be future issues.” Foy encourages everyone who has experienced homelessness to submit original creative work. Contributors can remain anonymous, if they prefer, or they can use a nickname, pen name or street name. Contributors will be entered into a drawing for a one-year membership to the Midwest Writing Center, where they can receive feedback on their work, work on computers located at the Center, and participate in other literary events.

“It is my hope that the artwork and writing in this magazine will help expose people of talent to possible venues for publication or to promote their art,” said Foy. “Maybe that one poem, or that one drawing will open up opportunities that the creator might not otherwise have ever had.”

For more information on the Poetry Street Project, please contact Catt Foy at cattfoy@earthlink.net, or by calling 563-323-0481. Regular blog postings will report the progress of the project at http://poetrystreet.blogspot.com. Donations to support the project are also welcome. Foy also welcomes interviews on the project.

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Getting the Flyers Out

This week, I met with Kate King at the Midwest Writing Center and dropped off the flyers and submission forms for her. I also met with Julie Williams at Humility of Mary Housing and provided her with materials, also. Humility of Mary Housing has several locations of housing for homeless single parents. I also dropped off the first (incorrect) flyer at the Davenport Public Library, and will be getting them replacement flyers and forms tomorrow.

Today, I went down to Father Conray's Vineyard of Hope for their Sunday lunch and spoke with Sister Ludmilla, who allowed me to leave some submission forms and who posted a flyer for the Poetry Street Project.

This afternoon, I sent an email to Kate Ridge of John Lewis Community Services, which also has several locations for housing homeless men, homeless women, and homeless teens, as well as a feeding location called the Cafe on Vine--a very nice, restaurant-like setting. John Lewis has always struck me as working hard to convey some dignity to its clients, as does Humility of Mary Housing.

Tomorrow I hope to go to the Salvation Army feeding location and post a flyer and hand out or leave some submission forms. I also need to write and get a press release out as soon as possible--Kate King at Midwest Writing Center has offered to share her media list with me, and I expect to receive it in the next couple of days. At the very least, I need to get press releases to both the Quad City Times and the River Cities Reader.

If anyone reading this blog would like a copy of the flyer or the submission form, please email me at cattfoy@earthlink.net, or give me a call at 563-323-0481 and I will arrange to get one to you.

Running Late But That's OK

I've been down with a terrible flu for the past two weeks, which put me behind schedule, but I am now getting back on track. Today I am taking the flyers and submission forms to the Humility of Mary Housing office for distribution at their many locations. This program provides help and housing to homeless parents and boasts of many success stories.

I will be dropping off more flyers/forms to the Davenport Public Library Main Street Branch today, and also to the Midwest Writing Center at Bucktown Center for the Arts. I hope to get a press release out soon, too--hopefully by Monday.