Ergon: Greek/American & Diaspora Arts and Letters welcomes submissions of previously unpublished poems in English that display a movement of the imagination between two cultures, two languages, or two ways of belonging in the world. In the early years of publication at Ergon, we especially sought poems in which a consciousness of Greece informs American experience, or poems in which an American consciousness informs Greek experience. But we have expanded our lines of inquiry and now welcome work by artists and thinkers working across other national and social boundaries. Poets interested in submitting are strongly encouraged to read the work we have published previously, including this special issue on poetry and the diasporic imagination.

We especially invite submissions that seek to answer or deepen the following questions: What happens when poems are inscribed in two countries, or navigate two languages simultaneously? What’s at stake in moments of border dwelling or border crossing, in imaginative movement or the conditions of migration? How might such poems speak to what is gained or lost in the diaspora?

Guidelines for submission:

1) Ergon does not consider previously published work (that includes work that has been self-published). At this time, Ergon does not consider translations, though we make occasional exceptions to this rule if the translated material contributes to the lines of inquiry described above.

2) Submit no more than five poems arranged into a single document (Word or PDF preferred).

3) In the body of your email, list the titles of the poems you are submitting and offer a brief biographical statement, including previous publication history.

4) Ergon is happy to consider simultaneous submissions, but we expect to be notified if that is the case, and we expect work to be withdrawn from our consideration immediately if it is accepted for publication elsewhere.

5) Expect one to six months for a response. Please, be patient and refrain from inquiring about your manuscript’s status until at least six months have passed. Please understand that we are unable to respond to submissions with comments or editorial feedback.

6) Send all submissions to the attention of our poetry editor, Christopher Bakken, by email to ergonpoetry@gmail.com.