“I will have my voice: Indian, Spanish, white. I will have my serpent’s tongue – my woman’s voice, my sexual voice, my poet’s voice. I will overcome the traditions of silence.” Gloria E. Anzaldua Borderlands/La Frontera
What does it mean to have serpent tongue? To speak in a language that is neither here nor there, ni de aqui ni de alla? To be part of a group that has been marginalized either linguistically, culturally, or sexually?
Using Gloria Anzldua’s words as lens to understand our lives in El Valle, “El Retorno: Our Serpent Tongue” seeks submissions of written works (poems, testimonios, prose) and art in 2D and 3D that help in gaining an understanding of what it means for the people of the valley not only to have a serpent’s tongue, but also using that to break the traditions of silence.
“El Retorno: Our Serpent Tongue” is a chapbook that will be published in conjunction with the El Retorno: Gloria Anzaldua’s Geographies of the Soul Symposium. Because of this, select contributors will have the unique opportunity to present their work at the Symposium at UTPA on May 16, 2012. Upon notification of acceptance, further information will be given.
Deadline for submission is April 25 at noon. Only three pieces of art or written work should be submitted per person. Those accepted for inclusion in the chapbook will be notified by May 2. Please email your submission to elretornoart@gmail.com. Be sure to include your name, email address, phone number, genre and title of submission(s), a twenty five word bio, and if you will be participating the Society for the Study of Gloria Anzaldua Conference in San Antonio. Preference will be given to valley artists/writers who will not be present at the conference.
Art submissions should be submitted as a JPG file, no larger than 760 pi x 1024 pi. We would like for photographs to be clear, properly cropped; and 3D artwork should be professionally photographed with a solid color backdrop. Artwork will be printed in black and white. This is why we are asking that all submitted artwork be in black and white or made into black and white with computer software. Title of the email should be "Art Submissions" and your file should be as an attachment. The attachment needs to be named as follows: Your initial followed by your last name. For example, "YMorales.jpg".
Written submissions should be no longer than 450 words of prose or one page poems submitted as a PDF file. Word files will not be opened, and no name or any identifying information should be present on the works themselves. Title of email should be "Creative Writing Submissions" and your file should be as an attachment. The attachment needs to be named as follows: Your initial followed by your last name. For example, "YMorales.pdf".
Work does not have to be recent, as the judges will be selecting artwork that truly represents the valley, the serpent tongue ideology, or the works of Gloria Anzaldua.
