COLLECTIVE

The Emergency Collective is a group of writers that united in 2001 to bridge what we consider counterproductive divides in contemporary literature. We engage in sustained artistic explorations of issues that we each individually believe are on the verge of emerging from the unconscious commonplace into collective emergencies. We publish poetry, fiction, essays, drama, new media, or hybrids of these. More often than not, the work is investigative, research-intensive, or engaged with the language of facts.

We also apply our vision through our democratic publishing practices, by which every member helps to direct the output of the collective, through collaboration, editing one another’s work through our editorial blog, and judging for the annual Emergency Press book contest.

One can become a Collective member by either winning the annual international Emergency Press book contest or by applying for Collective membership. To apply to the Collective, follow the instructions below.

METHODS

No open submissions are accepted at Emergency Press. However, the Emergency Almanac is always looking for dedicated writers who are interested in becoming Emergency reporters, those who sympathize with our vision, and are receptive to the challenge of applying their craft to both the expansion and definition of the emerging Almanac style.

The Emergency Almanac is a literary arts blog, created to publish new works of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, artwork and hybrids thereof created by members of the Emergency Collective. All content presented has been peer-reviewed and edited by members of the Emergency Collective in a separate, private editing blog open only to Collective members.

The Emergency Almanac is a literary experience modeled on The Farmer’s Almanac—a text which is meant to be useful. Naturally, Collective members work on whatever private projects they like, but when writing for the Emergency Almanac they are encouraged to make the writing useful, to the extent that it could at least suggest more ways to be ‘creaticritically’ observant of the world and, at best, inform citizens in a way that the combined actions of writers and readers might affect public policy. That said, each Collective member has her own political/spiritual vision and expresses it according to her own aesthetic. What all Almanac writers share is a desire to push back the boundaries of artistic and literary convention, to make their writing relevant to their readers’ daily lives, and to engage directly with the subjects of their reportage.

Only members of the Emergency Collective may submit work to the Emergency Almanac’s editorial blog. However, the Emergency Collective is always looking for dedicated writers who align with our method, and are receptive to the challenge of applying their craft to both the expansion and definition of the emerging Almanac style. If this sounds like you, we invite you to send us a short email which introduces you to us, and addresses specifically why, and what, you would like to write for the Almanac. Along with this letter also attach a short sample of your writing (3-15 pages) which you believe would be an appropriate first publication for you in The Emergency Almanac. All such introductions should be emailed to The Emergency Almanac.