The Heartland Review Press
Joy Bale Boone (1912-2002) was an American poet best known for her devotion to the arts. Born in Chicago, where she received inspiration from
poet Harriet Monroe, Boone spent most of her life in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. She was active in the women's liberation movement, having formed the League of Women Voters in Hardin County, KY in 1944. Throughout her life, she served on numerous committees and boards in hopes that more people
would have the opportunity to experience the arts in the way that she had. Her most significant work was The Storm's Eye: A Narrative in Verse
Celebrating Cassius Marcellus Clay, Man of Freedom 1810–1903. She served as Kentucky's Poet Laureate from 1997-1998.
From Joy
ZEN
Happiness is yet the essence of a moment--
be still for this!
Resist kaleidoscopes,
the mad twirling of colors,
and the hunter's horn.
Fleet is the moment
its essence shy
can wait forever . . .
only we die.
Joy Bale Boone Poetry Prize
Closed Dec 15, 2022
We are reading. Winners will be announced in the Spring for publication in our Spring Edition of the The Heartland Review, our literary journal.
Dates:
The recent contest was Aug 5-Dec 15, 2022.
The next contest will have similar dates in 2023 for publication in 2024.
$750 Grand Prize
Please read the guidelines below.
Contest Guidelines
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Electronically submit no more than three (3) original, unpublished poems and donate $10.
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Poems should be typed, 12 point font and submitted as a Word file (no pdfs). Any style and/or length are accepted.
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Simultaneous submissions accepted, but poems placed elsewhere will not be included in contest. It is the writer's responsibility to inform us when or if this happens.
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Each finalists (there's usually about 20) will receive a free copy of the Spring 2023 issue of The Heartland Review wherein winners and finalists will be published. Exception: Finalists living outside of the United States will need to purchase all copies through Amazon to ensure delivery.
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Our products are published and made available through Amazon. All entrants, regardless of publication, can receive a discount on the publication cost by contacting us.
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Upon entry, writer should provide a cover page/cover letter that includes name, address, email, and a 30-40 word biography with the poems in one Word document. Personal information on the manuscripts results in immediate disqualification.
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The deadline for entries is December 15, 2022. Writers should use the submit link below, which uses Submittable. There is a file below containing instructions with pictures of what to expect in the screens.
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Winners will be announced in February 2023.
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There is a $10.00 submission fee/donation. Your donation supports the prize for this competition.
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THR retains first North American serial rights and may use the submitted material to promote the journal and website in perpetuity. Upon publication, rights return to the owner.
Thank you for supporting our journal and remembering Joy!
Meet the Judge
Bernard Clay is a Louisville, Kentucky, native who grew up in the shadow of the now demolished Southwick housing projects on the “West End” of town. He has spent most of his life in Kentucky cultivating an appreciation, over the years, for the state’s disappearing natural wonders and unique but sparse urban areas.
Bernard received an MFA in creative writing from the University of Kentucky Creative Writing Program and is a member of the Affrilachian Poets collective. His work has been published in various journals and anthologies. He currently resides on a farm in eastern Kentucky with his herbalist wife Lauren (founder of Resilient Roots). English Lit is his first book.
The pdf file here provides step by step instructions for how to submit using the Click Here to Submit button. It shows pictures of what to expect in the coming pages.