qarrtsiluni

We’re very pleased to announce that submissions are open for a new theme: Worship, edited by Kaspalita and Fiona Robyn. The deadline is August 31, and we hope to begin serializing the issue in mid to late September, after the conclusion of the current Imprisonment issue and a ten-day feature of this year’s chapbook contest finalists.

Please make all submissions through our submissions manager — scroll to the bottom and click “submit” (and remember that you can return to Submishmash at any time to check on the status of your submissions). We continue to strongly support the use of Duotrope’s Digest as well as Submishmash: two great, free services that help authors and publishers alike.

Theme description

Walter Harrelson in the Encyclopaedia Britannica writes that worship is “…the response to the appearance of that which is accepted as the holy — that is, to a sacred, transcendent power or being.”

Harrelson is talking about religious worship, and perhaps that’s usually how we think of the word. However I would suggest that we all worship all the time, either consciously or unconsciously, and that what we worship might be something we usually think as holy, or sacred, or it might not be.

What is it at the centre of someone’s life? What is it that we are reaching for? What is it that we create rituals around? From high church services to the pre-match antics of big football games there are many kinds of ritual, each pointing at a different object of worship.

When I watch my neighbour washing his expensive sports car I wonder if he is worshipping the car itself, its exquisite lines and engineering, or the social status that it provides.

We’d love to hear accounts that are in worship of something, sacred or profane, or that are accounts of worship, as well as pieces that are critical of worship – when does praise become obsession? How do power dynamics play out between the worshipped and the worshipper? When does ordinary love turn into worship?

We’re looking for satirical and humorous pieces as well as serious essays, stories, and poems. And, as usual, we encourage you to submit images and multimedia works relating to the theme.

The Editors

Kaspalita is a Buddhist Priest in the Pureland Tradition. He is co-founder of Writing Our Way Home with Fiona. He runs the e-course Eastern Therapeutic Writing, co-wrote The Art of Paying Attention with Fiona, and co-edited pay attention: a river of stones. He is currently studying Buddhist Psychotherapy with the Amida Trust. He is still learning to play the ukulele. Follow him on Twitter: @kaspalita.

Fiona Robyn has been having a love affair with words all her life. She has published three novels, and other books including A Year of Questions: How to slow down and fall in love with life. At Writing Our Way Home she runs e-courses including Writing Ourselves Alive. She also works as a creativity coach and as a therapist in private practice. In 2007, she edited qarrtsiluni’s Come Outside issue. She is fond of Earl Grey tea and homemade cake. Follow her on Twitter: @fiona_robyn.