Clint Catalyst

Hello You Gorgeous, Wildly Creative Creatures!

Deal is? The deal is this:

I’m co-editing an anthology with the phenomenal Lucie Barât —founder the publishing house, social network & international non-profit Little Episodes, an organization that “promotes the arts…”

[ get it? got it. good! ]

— & —

we’re eager to check out your visual art & writing.

Entitled Queer Episodes, Lucie describes the anthology as “a celebration of queer literature: loves gained, loves lost, loves shared, coming out, staying out, & how the world looks from a queer eye.”

In Catalyzed vernacular? This one’s for the rest of us. As in: the eccentric, unconventional, out-of-the-ordinary, marginalized, unique…

Wondering about the phrase ‘queer’? While I’ve no interest in regurgitating opinions I’ve been vocal about in the past, a veritable [AHEM!] Clint’s Notes version goes something like THIS:

Do you identify as trans?

Are you in a heterosexual relationship but aren’t, you know, ‘straight’?

Do you feel that your sexual orientation isn’t a viable option among the standard choices available on the drop-down menu of this Scantron test we know as our day-to-day?

For example: When creating one’s profile on a social networking site? [ A source of great consternation, personally. I've either opted to not answer—which made me feel like a closet case—or I've acquiesced & selected "gay," cringing from all the connotations I know accompany it: I'm not "Happy!"; I don't spend a minimum of 30 hours/week at the gym; I hate musicals; tl;dr / et cetera]

Sparing [further] snooze-fest from excessive elaboration:
Ultimately, I believe queer is a far more inclusive term than ‘gay.’

EDIT : Upon receiving numerous questions regarding the [not so] great Queer versus Gay Debate, I’ve changed my mind about “sparing the snooze fest,”  Or rather  : you’ve changed my mind, most inquisitive little chilins. . .

If the Q word is still a query, Mary, please scroll to the bottom of this post, where the hodgepodge of quotations, references, and links I’ve gathered will communicate more effectively. [ I hope! ]

As for now, about that anthology . . .

T H E     P A R T I C U L A R S

First & foremost?

Submissions are only accepted from members of the Little Episodes on-line community.

[ quotation about LE ]

Before you get your bowels in an uproar, or commence the requisite whiny “But I Don’t Want To Have To Sign Up For Another Social Network” response I’ve been known to espouse, short of the long is this:

Little Episodes is an excellent resource for artists, including a Notice Board where information regarding visual & verbal-based competitions / various calls for submissions is posted [that's information is, grammar police—don't try me!]; a collaborative group in digital story-telling, discussion groups for Creative Writing, the Visual Arts, Performance Arts—even On-Line Promotion.

Moreover, there’s really no reason for trepidation. I mean, what are you thinking: someone’s gonna show up at your front door if you haven’t logged in in three days? Umm, yeah—sure thing.

Moving right along…

N O   P R E V I O U S L Y   P U B L I S H E D   W O R K

As in: not only other anthologies, but also magazines, ‘zines, journals, any sort of on-line anything.

You will retain the rights to your work upon the release of Queer Episodes;
we simply don’t want a book that’s full of repeat performances.
[ This ain't no "K-Tel Presents"; know what I'm sayin'? ]

S I M U L T A N E O U S    S U B M I S S I O N S
A C C E P T E D

However, you must designate them as such.

R E G A R D I N G
M O N E T A R Y      C O M P E N S A T I O N

At this time, there isn’t any.

Before you ask…

Your work will appear in a perfect-bound, professionally-printed book—as in: the kind that’s all certified & bona-fide, complete with an ISBN-listing & a downloadable electronic companion [read: Kindle Edition] available.

In addition to bragging rights, there will be promotional events, at which you’ll have the opportunity to perform your work— or perhaps have your work performed by others.

Plus, the following might also be of interest . . .

“Little Episodes donates all profit to its outreach side: promoting awareness, & destigmatising depression & addiction through the arts. There is also a ‘Mental Health’ group on our social network that is for people affected by depression or addiction to chat & find helpful support information. We provide visits to residential units or day centres. Little Episodes is keen to reach out to people who can’t get to other Little Episodes events. These visits can include art, drama, music & writing therapy workshops, readings from the books, performances &/or a general Q & A.”

W H E R E   ,   W H E N  ,  &   H O W   ?

Prose, poetry and narrative non-fiction should be submitted in Word (*.doc/rtf) format

H E R E

Curious in terms of word count?  Aim for a max of 3K.

☆ ★ ☆ The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2012. ☆ ★ ☆

W H A T    A B O U T    A R T W O R K  ?

To celebrate the launch of Queer Episodes, we are inviting artists, photographers & illustrators to submit a piece of visual work to be used as the cover illustration on the theme of  ’Celebrating the Different.’

All visual submissions should ideally be submitted in pdf, jpg, gif,png or tiff format, resolution should be set to at least 300dpi, & suitably sized for a 7 x 9″ (17.8 x 22.9cm) printing page.

Zap us those retinal treats

HERE

[ please & thanks! ]

Other queries, Marys?
Contact us at submissions@littleepisodes.org

&
DON’T FORGET!

☆ ★ ☆ The deadline for submissions is March 31, 2012. ☆ ★ ☆

A N D   F I N A L L Y ,  A S   P R O M I S E D . . .
A B O U T    T H A T     ‘ Q ‘   W O R D

As a Starting Point :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queer

See: Page lede

Headings: ‘Linguistic Reappropriation’ ; ‘Inclusivity and Scope’

Next : an excerpt from the wickedmadrad Thea Hillman‘s book Intersex (For Lack of a Better Word) :

“‘Gay’ is women loving women and men loving men who want to be recognized as couples and be able to get the same rights and privileges as straight couples. Gays read Out magazine, cry at Gay Pride marches, watch Queer as Folk, and think that bisexual and transgender people are ruining everyone’s chances to be perceived as normal. They believe that if we could all just act normal, we’d get good jobs, be able to get married, and earn enough money to shop at Pottery Barn. Gays wear gold.

‘Queer’ is men who use to be girls who love other queer girls, and boyish girls who only date other boyish girls who behave in a couple as if they are both gay men. Queer is getting off on leather or latex or polyamory, or acknowledging that there are more than two genders. Queer is understanding that gay rights are linked to all other movements for dignity and equality: women’s rights, disability rights, indigenous rights, and workers’ rights. Queers do not shop at the Gap; they protest the Gap. They wear platform heels, work boots, facial piercings, glitter, and tight tank tops. Queers wouldn’t wear gold even if they could afford it.”

An excerpt from an essay by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, in which the delineation between queer and gay is exemplified in relation to assimilationist norms / feeling like an ‘outsider among outsiders’ :

“I first moved to San Francisco in 1992, just before my 19th birthday, and was completely terrified by the conformity, hyper-masculinity, and blind consumerism of the legendary gay Castro district. I quickly figured out that this could never be my “community,” and always assumed that it wasn’t anyone else’s, either…

Homo now stands more for homogenous than any type of sexuality aside from buy buy buy.”

[ source ]

Sara L. Puotinen’s blog post

“Queer is What Queer Does? What Is Queering Theory, Part One: Some Sources”

and

Some additional sources to her sources I encountered
while poking around on the web :

http://biancajames.blogspot.com/2011/04/queer-enough.html?zx=7b5ba864143dc61f
[ Love love love this one! ]

http://queerlandia.com/2011/11/16/queer-vs-gay/#more-5825

http://www.bekhsoos.com/web/2010/12/queertrans-vs-gaylesbian/

http://www.screwsmart.com/homebase/2011/7/7/are-you-queer-enough.html

http://www.examiner.com/transgendered-relationships-in-san-francisco/queer-vs-gay