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Posts by J.L. Smith

I am a writer/political scientist based in Eagle River, Alaska. I hold a BA degree in English/Creative Writing and a MA in International Relations. Best of both worlds, I write everything from naturalistic poetry to Russia and the former Soviet Republics. Recent publications: Academic Nonfiction: The Syrian Dilemma: Moscow's Motives in the Syrian Uprising (2013). ISBN: 9781304283931 Creative Nonfiction: "The Important Things" - Alaska Women Speak - Winter 2015 issue Fiction: How to Eat a Bagel - 50-word Stories - Sept 15, 2015 The Devil and the White Room - Down in the Dirt - July/August 2016 Poetry: "Sara" - Grassroots - Fall 1999 "Femininity" - Cirque - Summer 2015 "Sitting in the Bathroom" - Yellow Chair Review - July 2015 "A Happy Poem" - Eunoia Review - August 2015 "Willow Rebuilds" "Spectators" "Fire Angels" - Alaska Women Speak- Fall 2015 "Dark Clouds Descend Low" - Three Line Poetry - Issue 33 - Sept 2015 "Da!" - Peeking Cat Poetry - 8th issue - Oct 2015 "Three times my baby's stroller passes by" - Eunoia Review - Oct 2015 "Babushka's Samovar", "If I May Speak", and "High Tea and Fancy Things" - Alaska Women Speak - Winter 2015 Issue "Joanna's Child" - Cirque - Winter Solstice issue 2015. "Away with the Bitterness!" - Peeking Cat Poetry - 9th Issue - Dec 2015 "Away with the Bitterness!" - Alaska Shorts (49 Writers blog) - December 22, 2015 "The Reflex", "The Drop Off", and "Crossed Eyes" - Eskimo Pie - Feb 2016 "The Fragments You Carry", "The Fireweed Dies", and "Crabapples" - 13 Chairs - Spring 2016

Contest Extended *Get your entry in*

The Contest:

I am extending the contest ending date for another month, as more people have discovered it and haven’t turned in an entry, and I want to give as many people a shot as possible.Β  Please, though, put “Blog Post Contest” in the subject line, so I won’t miss it!

New Deadline: August 31, 2017

The prize: a chapbook of your choosing out of the collection I have amassed. More on that later.

The prompt:

Your topic: Ancient mythology (gods and creatures). Think about an ancient god or creature of mythology. Who would you be? Who would you not be? What powers do you have? This topic is however you interpret it. I am open to all varieties.

Rules:

Poems must be less than 100 lines.

You are limited to two entries total. If you send two entries, please send them together.

Please send entry as text only (no attachments, please) to jennsmithak@gmail.com with the subject line (Blog Prompt Contest). Deadline is August 1, 2017. It is important that you follow these rules. Any questions? Please direct them to the email address above.

No bio is necessary at this point. Just your name. I am more interested in your entry.

Hit me with your best verse. Be creative. Surprise me. Make me wonder where you got your inspiration from.

Good luck!

J.L. Smith

June Prompt #30 + Contest

OK, the previous prompts were just a warm-up. Here is your challenge. I have decided to hold my first contest to inspire you –yes, you, my readers–to come up your best work based on a prompt I give you.Β  What’s in for me, you ask?

Fame?

Glory?

OK, maybe a modest prize. I have amassed a small collection of poetry chapbooks as of late. I love chapbooks and want to encourage others to read them, support your fellow poets. So, the winner will get to select one chapbook out of my collection. To make the deal even sweeter–if you decide you want to do this–I will even post the winning entry on this blog. Sound good? Just think, while not money, you will get a prize for the best entry.

The prompt:

Your topic: Ancient mythology (gods and creatures). Think about an ancient god or creature of mythology. Who would you be? Who would you not be? What powers do you have? This topic is however you interpret it. I am open to all varieties.

Rules:

Poems must be less than 100 lines.

You are limited to two entries total. If you send two entries, please send them together.

Please send entry as text only (no attachments, please) to jennsmithak@gmail.com with the subject line (Blog Prompt Contest). Deadline is August 1, 2017.Β  It is important that you follow these rules. Any questions? Please direct them to the email address above.

No bio is necessary at this point. Just your name. I am more interested in your entry.

Hit me with your best verse. Be creative. Surprise me. Make me wonder where you got your inspiration from.

Good luck!

J.L. Smith