CfDL Best of the Net and Pushcart Nominations

Citizens for Decent Literature is pleased to announce their nominations for the 2013 Best of the Net and Pushcart Prize. Thanks goes out to all of our contributors and congratulations to the nominees.

BEST OF THE NET

Issue #1
Under Douche Bag by Shali Nicholas
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2012/08/nicholas/

Issue #2
These Little Rituals by Anneliese Mackintosh
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2012/09/mackintosh/

Unshaved by Josh Olsen
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2012/09/olsen-3/

Issue #3
Yep, Another Library Pome by Tim Murray
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2012/10/timmurray/

Issue #5
Neo-Zine by Bud Smith
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2013/02/smith-5/

Issue #6
The Backseats of My Early Twenties by Sarah E. Alderman
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2013/03/alderman/

Note to My Younger Self on the Beauty of Birds by Larry Duncan
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2013/03/duncan-2/

My Friend with Cerebral Palsy by Newamba Flamingo
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2013/03/flamingo/

Reckless by Erin Reardon
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2013/03/reardon/

Stupid Poem about Stupid Airports by William Taylor Jr.
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2013/03/taylor-2/

PUSHCART PRIZE

How to Cook in a Coffee Pot by Heather Dorn
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2013/03/dorn-3/

This is the Damn Poem by Brian W. Fugett
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2012/07/fugett/

Akirema by Frank Walsh
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2013/02/walsh-2/

Up the Whiskey Tree by April Michelle Bratten
http://issuu.com/literaryunderground/docs/cfdl3

Charger by Tom Pescatore
(Little Book)

Part 1 by Tim Murray
(Dinosaur Ditch)


Citizens for Decent Literature Press was founded in 2011 as a project of The Literary Underground. Established first as a print zine and APA (Amateur Press Association), our formats now include Little Books, Roll Your Own Stories and the Manuscript Series – all available for FREE. Our Chapbook Series is available at or below cost. Now Playing @ Citizens for Decent Literature began publishing poetry, short stories, essays and rants on January 1, 2012 every third day. In August 2012 the publishing schedule was moved to monthly with the first issue on August 15th and is now currently published on the most random schedule possible.

Call for Submissions - CfDL #8

now reading for Citizens for Decent Literature #8 print and online due to be released as soon as it's ready, probably sometime in October. subversive, revolutionary, disturbing?.. send it to us.

By sending us a submission you are granting us permission to publish your work online and in a print zine and archive it forever and ever. The only payment we can offer at this time is a contributor copy. Thank you for considering Citizens for Decent Literature. any questions or comments should be sent to admin@citizensfordecentliterature.com

*Send Poetry, SHORT stories, essays, lists, etc. Only send one submission at a time (3-8 poems, 1-2 short stories etc). Submit here - https://theliteraryunderground.submittable.com/submit

*Simultaneous submissions and previously published works are accepted.

*No need to send Author BIO’s.

http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/

Random Acts of Terror in Los Angeles tonight

this is happening tonight! if you are in the area, you should check it out. getting this book to print has been quite the journey. i'm proud of my involvement and hope that if you can't get out to the event, you'll give the book a look-see, help us spread the word and maybe buy a copy. support the small press. the independent press. whatever you want to call it. support literature that refuses to conform, has something to say without apology. giving voice to the voiceless or some shit like that.

Friday, July 19. 8pm Pacific
Stories Books and Cafe, 1716 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90026
Join us for the poetry book debut of Luis Rivas’ Random Acts of Terror. Hear from poets Matt Sedillo, David Romero, Luis Rivas and special musical guests.

More info about the book can be found at http://theliteraryunderground.org/randomactsofterror

“like” it on fb https://www.facebook.com/RandomActsOfTerror

Luis Rivas lives in Los Angeles, California. He was a telemarketer, construction worker, flower delivery driver, fast food cashier, sales clerk, non-profit canvasser, tutor, adult store and strip club manager and package handler/zip code sorter. He dropped out of Los Angeles Valley College where he was studying journalism to work full-time at a porn shop. Then he got fired. Now he has gone back to school, continuing his studies in journalism and Chicana/o Studies at California State University of Northridge and Los Angeles City College. He is currently a full time journalist student and part-time activist. His poetry has appeared in numerous small press publications. Luis is currently the poetry editor at Gloom Cupboard and a columnist for Red Fez.

Matt Sedillo is a two-time national slam poet, grand slam champion of the Damn Slam Los Angeles 2011 and the author of For What I Might Do Tomorrow published by Caza De Poesia 2010. His poetry has been published in anthologies alongside the likes of such literary giants as Amiri Baraka, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jack Hircshman and Luis Rodriguez. Sedillo is a frequent guest on numerous programs on KPFK 9.07 FM and has also been featured twice on Radio Free Atlanta 8.93 FM. An interview and excerpt of his work was featured in a story that appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

David A. Romero is a proud Pocho/Chicano spoken word artist from Diamond Bar, CA.
Romero is the host of Between the Bars Open Mic at the dba256 Gallery Wine Bar in Pomona,
CA. Romero has opened for Latin Grammy winning artists Ozomatli and Latin Grammy
nominated artists La Santa Cecilia. He has featured alongside Taalam Acey as well as with a
number of HBO Def Poets. His work has been featured numerous times on multiple programs on
KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles.

Citizens for Decent Literature #7

Citizens for Decent Literature is a project of The Literary Underground.
CfDL #7 is now live.
Alan Catlin, Tim Murray, Carl Miller Daniels, Len Kuntz, Leah Angstman, Michael D. Grover, Brian W. Fugett, Larry Duncan, David Blaine, Bree, William Taylor Jr., Sarah E. Alderman, Ted Jackins, Heather Dorn, H. Lynnette Barr, Rebecca Ferlotti, J Claudius Cloyd

view it online in plain text
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/

view the print format in pdf form (it's in color but the actual print copies are in b&w)
http://issuu.com/literaryunderground/docs/cfdl7

New Issue of Citizens For Decent Literature

Citizens For Decent Literature Print #5: deadlines are for doorknobs. Featuring Amy Sasser, John Grey, Matthew Sradeja, Carl Miller Daniels, James Babbs, Bud Smith, Alan Catlin, Michael Grover, Anthony Langford, Jason Ryberg, Euginia Tan, Joe Eldridge, Ryan Snellman, Colin Dodds.

Spreading print lust in Virginia, Illinois, Ohio, Rhode Island, New York, Texas, Missouri, Washington, Australia, Singapore... and soon—DENVER.

All previous issues of the print zine are now viewable online. http://press.citizensfordecentliterature.com/zine/

CFDL Micro Award Nominations

Citizens For Decent Literature is proud to announce its nominations for the Micro Award. The Micro Award is a literary prize presented annually for fiction not exceeding 1000 words. The winner and finalists will be announced on the Micro Award website (http://www.microaward.org/) on Mar. 17, 2013. The author of the winning story shall receive $500 US.

"The Trapdoor Spider In The Alley" by Luis Rivas
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2012/09/rivas-4/

"Unshaved" by Josh Olsen
http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2012/09/olsen-3/

Citizens for Decent Literature Press was founded in 2011 as a project of The Literary Underground. Published online monthly and in print quarterly, CFDL seeks to give voice to the voiceless and shit like that. http://citizensfordecentliterature.com

New Print from Citizens For Decent Literature

CFDL Print Zine #4 - someone stole my sharpie
Contributors: J. Claudius Cloyd, Matthew Pasquarello, Kelsey Hoover, Alan Britt, Wanda Morrow Clevenger, Luis Berriozabal, William Doreski, Judy Brekke, Michael Grover, and Catfish McDaris.

if you would like a copy, send your mailing address to admin(at)theliteraryunderground[dot]org

CFDL Print Zine #3 as well as #s 2 and 1 are now available to view as pdf files online. FREE to read, print, and distribute.
http://press.citizensfordecentliterature.com/zine/

Call for Submissions: Citizens For Decent Literature

Now Playing @ Citizens For Decent Literature - http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com

Simultaneous submissions and previously published works are accepted. No need to send Author BIOs. Authors retain all rights to their work. By submitting you give us permission to publish your work online. No payment can be offered at this time.

Submit : Poetry, short stories, essays, lists, photography, collages, sketches ... not sure, send it. Only send one submission at a time (3-8 poems, 1-2 short stories).

Submit using Submittable here - http://theliteraryunderground.submittable.com/submit. It’s free and easy to register. Questions? Email admin(at)citizensfordecentliterature[dot]com

ALSO! Pantifesto will be answering all our hate/fan mail and offering advice to wayward poets in Issue #2. Please send your correspondence to pantifesto(at) citizensfordecentliterature [dot] com. (http://nowplaying.citizensfordecentliterature.com/2012/08/pantifesto/)

Call for Submissions: Citizens for Decent Literature

Citizens for Decent Literature Press was founded in 2011 as a project of The Literary Underground. Established first as a print zine and APA (Amateur Press Association), on January 1, 2012 Now Playing @ Citizens for Decent Literature began publishing selections of poetry, short stories, essays and podcasts online every third day. We are now switching to a monthly schedule, publishing on the 15th of every month. So send in your good stuff ASAP here. The first monthly issue goes live August 15th!

In the meantime, please check out more about CFDL Press... the print stuff, the whos and whys and all that jazz at press.citizensfordecentliterature.com

January 20, 2012, Segment 5, Project U Radio

Segment 5: January 20, 2012.  ”Editorial Discretion”. Editors, would you publish work with content that you think is personally objectionable (i.e. racism) if you thought it was an otherwise good piece? How do you feel about a blanket policy about certain kinds of content, such as “We don’t publish anything that includes sexist elements”. Do you make distinctions as far as language, character, etc. and have you had this issue come up when selecting work for a zine, website, journal, or project? Do you find the line of subjective interpretation to be difficult? Have you rejected work that you thought was well written because it contained something that you thought to be offensive or thought might offend readers? Beyond offensive, but perhaps hurtful or harmful?

If you want to start at the beginning, check out the archives *here* for our Censorship show, December 2, 2011, where we discussed movements like The Citizens For Decent Literature whose aim was to suppress literature that organizers felt was "objectionable". Inspired by this and being a fan of free speech, Literary Underground's Michele McDannold started a printed publication by the same name and soon after, a website to showcase poetry online. Brief editor of the website content, Michael Goscinski, was invited on to talk about censorship and a lengthy conversation ensued.

My distinction on the difference between censorship and editorial discretion is simple- one involves the systemic suppression of free speech through an authority either by their own undertaking or under pressure by a group that has lobbied for suppression. The other involves the discretion of a content producer and their right to have standards with respect to content. If I have a magazine, I have the right to decide that I don't want any content that involves clowns. (to use my example from the show) We are looking at my right as an owner and producer to discretion, which I believe to be important. But censorship would involve the government telling producers that they cannot publish content that involves clowns. This distinction takes away editorial discretion with a blanket rule across the board, presumably (they say) for societal or other benefit. This is an external, imposed control meant to assert one group's moral or religious view onto another group by limiting clown content. ...... 

Citizens for Decent Literature Call for Submissions

Citizens for Decent Literature Online is a new quarterly poetry publication founded by Michele McDannold and edited by Michael D. Goscinski. Submissions are open now for the inaugural issue. This is a themed issue and the full guidelines can be read on the website. The deadline for submissions is December 24, 2011. We are looking for new and established poets not afraid to speak their mind. No matter how perverse, gritty, ballsy, political, gay, anti-establishment, women’s-lib, sweet, cynical, absurd, misogynistic, suicidal or rum soaked the poem is, if it’s well written and says something, there’s a good chance it’ll find a home here. No simul subs, reprints considered. Response in four weeks or less.

http://citizensfordecentliterature.com

Call for Submissions - Citizens for Decent Literature

Citizens for Decent Literature is a print zine in the early-Calliope Nerve-style (published by Nobius Black), distributed to contributors, an APA of the same name and your mother's underwear drawer. submit poetry, flash fiction or whatever lit drug you're snorting this week. Keep it short, make it good. also looking for b&w photos and sketches.

http://theliteraryunderground.submishmash.com/submit